Colorado lawmakers have denied a request for nearly $500,000 to help with a backlog of applications for background checks required to purchase firearms. The Colorado Department of Investigation reported needed the funding to handle a dramatic increase in gun applications since the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. There are 10,000 background checks waiting to be processed.
It previously took only about an hour for a background check to be completed. Wait time is now about a week. One Republican joined three Democrats in a committee hearing today to deny the request.
The bureau processed 38,781 background checks in November. In December, the month of the Connecticut shootings, checks increased to 57,878.