Rep. Tim Hernández, a Denver Democrat and one of the bill’s prime sponsors in the House, echoed that sentiment. Sullivan’s long-standing skepticism of the policy is not new, and Hernández met with Sullivan before the bill was introduced earlier this session.

“I also know that as long as our colleagues follow through on (how) voters are saying they want us to handle issues,” Hernández said, “I have no doubts that we’ll arrive at the right place and land a bill on the governor’s desk.”

Governor also is “skeptical”

Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has also not embraced a ban on the high-powered guns.

He supported a federal ban during his time in Congress, and Polis spokeswoman Shelby Wieman said in a statement in recent days that federal action was needed to prevent gun violence.

Wieman wrote that though Polis is “skeptical” of the state ban, “he will continue to monitor it as it moves through the legislative process.” She did not directly respond when asked if Polis opposed the bill or would veto it, should it reach his desk.

Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said he didn’t know the extent of support for the bill among Senate Democrats, though he was aware of “several no votes.” Should the bill pass its first Senate committee, it would need support from 18 of the chamber’s 23 Democrats to achieve a majority, given universal opposition from the chamber’s Republicans.

Fenberg indicated that he wouldn’t be willing to tweak a committee’s roster to ensure the bill made it to the Senate floor. Swapping members to ensure a bill’s survival or failure is uncommon, he said, and would happen only if a bill had enough support to fully pass the chamber.

“We just got the bill,” he said Tuesday, two days after it passed the House. “Honestly, I know the press and the House and Twitter has been talking about this bill ad nauseam since session started, but it hasn’t been much of a conversation in the Senate.

“I don’t think we have a great sense of exactly where people are. It just hasn’t been top of mind in the Senate like it has in the House.”

Sen. Mark Baisley, a Woodland Park Republican on the committee that will first hear the bill, said he would oppose the measure firmly both on the committee and on the Senate floor, should it make it that far.

“It’s obvious that the Democrat side of the aisle is far more in favor of gun control than the Republican side of the aisle,” Baisley said. But he said he was hopeful that “enough of the Democrats would join us in seeing reason, in adhering to their oath of office to uphold the constitutional rights that we all hold … and vote down that nasty bill.”

The bill is one of several firearm regulations being considered in the legislature this year, though it’s the only one targeting a specific type of firearm.

Other legislation includes bills banning firearms, even with a concealed-carry permit, at polling places, schools and government buildings, though local governments could opt out; requiring specific merchant codes for firearm and accessory sales; establishing state permits for gun dealers; setting insurance requirements for gun owners; and increasing training requirements to obtain concealed-carry permits.

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