Coloradans for Civil Liberties –an organization committed to restoring the Second Amendment freedoms of Colorado citizens– announced today its opposition to the planned February 1, 2018 increase in the CBI InstaCheck fee from $6 to $15 per gun purchase background check, 2 ½ times the current cost.
According to the CBI website, the fee was reduced in 2016 from $10 to $6, but reasons for the increase to $15 may include, “The projected number of firearm background check requests, changes in staffing levels to meet expected demand, and/or IT system enhancements that are needed in the operation of the InstaCheck Unit.”
“Fee increases like this hurt the poor and those on fixed incomes the hardest,” said Laura Carno, Executive Director of Coloradans for Civil Liberties. “The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should prioritize its budget and find efficiencies in order to not raise fees to those purchasing firearms in Colorado.”
“There is also a cascading effect of this fee increase due to the 2013 gun laws,” Carno continued. “The farmer who loans out his guns regularly, the gun owner who pawns her firearm, then pays the pawnbroker to get it back, all have to pay for an InstaCheck with each one of these regular transactions. They don’t have the money to spare.”
In 2013, House Bill 13-1228 authorized CBI to set and adjust fees for “Instant Criminal Background Checks”.
“Purchasing a firearm is an integral part of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The State government should look to reduce the financial burden on those choosing to exercise that right,” added Carno.
For more information about Coloradans for Civil Liberties or to schedule and interview, please contact lauracarno@gmail.com or 719-492-0211. For more information on Coloradans for Civil Liberties, visit our website and Facebook page.
Press released issued December 29, 2017 by Laura Carno