In addition, Denver will host the NRA's national convention at the end of this month. Critics say legislators are pushing to get some gun laws passed in time for the convention. Owens has been invited to speak at the convention May 1, but had not committed to the engagement. Another bill, HB 1305, would wipe out most local gun laws. According to a local government lobbying group, the bill would wipe out any local laws that ban juveniles from buying or possessing guns other than handguns.
State law prohibits juveniles from buying or possessing handguns.
A third bill, SB 205, would block lawsuits against gun manufacturers. As details from the shooting scene kept trickling out, it started becoming clear that some people linked the school incident to the legislative push on guns. She said she saw Owens on TV and he said this is not the time to talk about the gun legislation. The NRA said it wasn't time for politics. But another, more militant, gun group echoed the sentiments of Dean, saying the shooting showed that the concealed carry bill should not bar handguns from schools and other places.