Fees are more than doubling for Colorado gun buyers paying for the required background check by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and news of the hike isn’t sitting at all well with at least one groups that advocates for the right to arms. Coloradans for Civil Liberties, helmed by center-right activist Laura Carno, fired off a press statement of its displeasure:

“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.”

CBI explains on its website:

This fee is reviewed by the CBI to determine if any adjustments are necessary. Considerations for adjusting the fee 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.

… Upon examining the expenses, the CBI has determined a re-calibration of the fee is necessary to maintain current service levels to InstaCheck customers.  Therefore, beginning Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 12:01 A.M. (MST), the CBI will increase the fee for a firearm background check from $6.00 to $15.00 (USD).

But for Carno, it’s kind of like a backdoor tax hike on firearms owners:

“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” …

The fee also has gone down in the past, from $10 to $6 in 2016, “… to comply with the excess reserve statute.”