CIVIL RIGHTS UPDATE: Gun rights lawsuit aims at Colorado’s state & local carry restrictions.

The complaint marks the latest in a line of recent legal challenges, brought by both gun rights groups and the Trump administration, targeting restrictive gun laws in Colorado.

The two out-of-state residents, Greg Howeth of Hawaii and Zackary Dougherty of South Carolina, both regularly visit Denver and would like to carry for self defense, but are not permitted because of the local and state laws, according to the lawsuit.

Colorado requires concealed handgun permit holders to be residents, while open carry is generally allowed statewide without a permit unless a local government has banned the practice, which Denver has done.

Howeth, who has permits to carry in Hawaii and Utah, regularly flies to Denver because he has a second home in Weld County, but Colorado doesn’t recognize either of his permits. Dougherty previously lived in Loveland, where his current employer is located, so he regularly travels through Denver on work trips.

Neither can lawfully carry – whether concealed or openly – while in Denver, despite being otherwise qualified and trained, they argue in the lawsuit.

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As Complete Colorado previously reported, Colorado is also facing a lawsuit from the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA) challenging Senate Bill 25-003, the state’s new permit-to-purchase scheme for semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and handguns that went into effect on August 1.

CSSA, an NRA affiliate, is also suing over state and local magazine capacity restrictions, which are additionally being challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice.

If Colorado’s gun laws aren’t the worst in the nation, they’re close.