The Anti-Gun Left’s State-Level Strategy to Gut the Second Amendment

In states like Washington and Colorado, the gun control lobby isn’t just testing the waters—they’re launching full-scale assaults on the Second Amendment. These radical state legislatures, backed by billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and dark money anti-gun organizations, have transformed their states into petri dishes for unconstitutional experiments.

From “permit-to-purchase” schemes and mandatory government training to outright bans on commonly owned firearms, these states have become ground zero in the war on gun rights. And make no mistake—what happens in Denver and Olympia won’t stay there. These dangerous policies will be exported to red states and, if we let them, the whole nation. 

At the National Association for Gun Rights, we’ve fought these bills every step of the way in the legislative process. But now we’re taking the fight to the federal level—asking members and supporters to demand that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice investigate these civil rights violations and hold the anti-gun cabal accountable.

Washington State’s HB-1163: Backdoor Registration and Government Mandates

Washington’s House Bill 1163 is a full-on bureaucratic blitzkrieg against lawful gun ownership. Under the guise of “safety,” this bill effectively transforms the Second Amendment from a right into a state-granted privilege.

Permit-to-Purchase Scheme

HB-1163 mandates a government-issued permit before purchasing any firearm. This isn’t just a formality—it’s a complex, invasive process requiring:

• A certified training course with live-fire proficiency
• Fingerprinting by local law enforcement
• Ongoing eligibility verification
• Biometric and demographic data collection
• Disclosure of private healthcare information

In effect, HB-1163 institutes a de facto registry—with the state retaining personal information and tracking citizens simply for exercising their rights.

Delays and Denials Without Due Process

The law allows the state to delay a firearm transfer indefinitely if bureaucrats can’t determine your eligibility. That means no clear timeline, no transparent appeals process—just a permanent “pending” status while your right to bear arms hangs in limbo.

Mandatory Training from Government-Certified Instructors

The law mandates that training must be “certified” by state-approved sources. In other words, the state gets to decide who is “worthy” of teaching or learning about firearms. This is an overt violation of your right to self-defense and a sinister way to shrink the gun-owning population.

Privacy Waiver

The worst part about it, when filling out the permission slip application to exercise your Second Amendment rights, you are signing a waiver of your Fourth Amendment rights. In order to obtain your permit-to-purchase, you MUST allow Washington State Patrol to have ongoing access to your financial, personal, and medical records.

Colorado’s SB-003: A Sweeping Ban on Modern Firearms

While Washington piles on bureaucratic hurdles, Colorado has opted for outright prohibition, with the ability to repurchase your rights from the government in the form of a “waiver” from the Department of Wildlife. Senate Bill 003 is perhaps the most aggressive “assault weapons” ban in the nation—and it’s now law. But they don’t just want to stop here, they want to go further and push “national action.”

That’s Rep. Javier Mabrey, one of the most vile anti-gun creatures in the Colorado legislature. In the clip above, he claims to like the bill as introduced, which was a complete ban on semi-automatic firearms — thinking the passed bill “didn’t go far enough.”

He has aspirations much larger than the Colorado State House — some political insiders believe he will run for US Senate when the time is right — and with this dangerous talk about banning all semi-autos, we must not sit on the sidelines and watch our neighbors thinking, “Well, I sure am glad that is not in [insert your Red State]” or “Who cares, that will never happen in [insert your Red State].”

The simple fact is we know their game plan, we know they want to go back to 1994 and “fix the mistakes” they made then… we simply cannot let that happen.

Banning the Most Common Rifles

SB-003 prohibits the sale, transfer, and even purchase of nearly every modern semiautomatic rifle, shotgun, and gas-operated handgun—unless you’re a government agent, of course, or you have gone through the hoops with DOW to become exempt..

That includes:

• AR-style and AK-style rifles and pistols
• Shotguns with detachable magazines

The bill defines “specified semiautomatic firearms” so broadly that virtually every common self-defense firearm is affected. The only exceptions are rimfire .22s, antiques, and a bizarre list of “permitted” models that reads more like a museum catalog than a modern inventory.

Training and ID Requirements Just to Learn How to Shoot

Even if you qualify for one of the rare exemptions, Colorado’s new law requires a “firearms safety course eligibility card,” built out by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, before you can attend the training necessary to buy a firearm. You read that right: you need government permission just to learn how to safely handle a gun, to then get a government permission slip to get a background check, to then wait 72 hours MINIMUM, and finally get your gun.

These training courses are in-person only (with no online option), must be taught by government-verified instructors, and involve up to 12 hours of instruction spread over multiple days. To enroll, you’ll need:

• Valid ID
• A third-party background check
• A formal application to your county sheriff
• A signed oath pledging to obey state gun laws and not to share guns with “dangerous” people

This is a new form of ideological gatekeeping—designed to filter out gun owners who don’t toe the state’s line.

Criminal Penalties for Peaceful Possession?

In the bill, which started as a complete ban, now excludes possession. However, Colorado residents who continue to buy or sell these banned firearms will face criminal charges. A second offense is a felony.

So, if you bought a common AR-15 for hunting or self-defense and forgot to transfer it before the deadline without the government permit, congratulations: you’re now a criminal in the eyes of the state.

Why the Left is Using States as Gun Control Laboratories

The anti-gun Left knows they can’t pass a federal gun ban—yet. Instead, they’re working state by state, targeting blue-state strongholds and pushing extreme legislation as test cases.

You might even be thinking, are blue states even worth fighting for? The simple answer is yes.

Once a policy is implemented in places like Washington and Colorado, the gun control lobby attempts to normalize it, refine it, and then roll it out elsewhere through national advocacy networks, court challenges, and executive orders.

This playbook has been used before:

• Magazine bans started in California and spread east.
• “Red Flag” laws were piloted in Florida, Oregon, and Connecticut.
• Firearm taxes and registry mandates began in New York and Illinois.

It’s no coincidence that HB-1163 and SB-003 contain near-identical provisions to failed federal legislation. These are copy-paste jobs from the Giffords-Bloomberg playbook, written to defy the spirit—and the letter—of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision.

NAGR’s Fight in the States and the Courts

We’ve fought these bills in the trenches—testifying in hearings, organizing grassroots opposition, and mobilizing our members to contact their legislators. In Washington and Colorado, we put up a hell of a fight, and while the political majorities there pushed these bills through, they did so knowing full well that they were ignoring the Supreme Court.

That’s why we aren’t stopping, and why we have been taking issues just like this to the federal level and to the courts. 

It’s Time for the DOJ to Investigate These Attacks on Civil Rights

The Department of Justice has both the authority and the responsibility to investigate when states violate the constitutional rights of their citizens. When Jim Crow laws denied fundamental freedoms, it was the DOJ that stepped in. When rogue states refuse to enforce the rule of law, the DOJ acts.

It’s time for the DOJ to do the same here.

Washington and Colorado are defying the Bruen decision, thumbing their noses at the Supreme Court, and turning law-abiding gun owners into criminals.

At the National Association for Gun Rights, we are calling on every patriot across the country to take action. Demand that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi open a formal investigation into Gun Control, Inc.’s deliberate and coordinated violation of the Second Amendment.

Enough is Enough — Tell AG Pam Bondi to Investigate These Criminal Violations of the Second Amendment

Let’s be clear: Washington’s HB-1163 and Colorado’s SB-003 aren’t just misguided laws — they are premeditated, coordinated attacks on your constitutional rights.

These laws were written by elitist anti-gun radicals who know precisely what they’re doing: defying the U.S. Supreme Court, criminalizing peaceful gun ownership, and daring the federal government to stop them.

Well, it’s time to answer that challenge.

That’s why we’re demanding U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi launch a full-scale investigation into these rogue states and their pattern of civil rights abuse — and we need YOUR name on this petition to make it happen.

If you’re sick of watching anti-gun politicians run roughshod over the Constitution…

If you’re fed up with watching states get away with banning rifles, delaying transfers, and compiling secret registries…

If you believe the Bill of Rights still means something in America… Then sign the petition RIGHT NOW.

We’re not just collecting names—we’re building a wall of resistance. Every name on this petition is one more brick in that wall, and we will physically deliver this list to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office in Washington, D.C, at our expense.

So, don’t wait, sign your petition urging her and the DOJ to step up to the plate and act now!

Don’t wait. Don’t assume someone else will do it. Your signature could be the one that tips the scales.

Together, we can turn the tide. But only if we stand up—right now—and demand action.

Because if we don’t, the gun grabbers win. And they’re not stopping with Washington and Colorado. They’re coming for your state next.

We will not surrender. And with your help—we will not be silenced.

Sign the Petition to Attorney General Pam Bondi and fight back now

About the Author
Taylor Rhodes is the Director of Communications at the National Association for Gun Rights. A seasoned political strategist and unapologetic defender of the Second Amendment, Taylor has led high-impact campaigns at both the state and national levels. He lives in Hoover, Alabama, with his wife, Madison, and enjoys bourbon, golf, and collecting firearms—especially his 12.5” Geissele Super Duty.

Follow @TaylorDRhodes2A

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