Colorado Democrats on Tuesday announced a far-reaching package of gun bills that includes a measure to hold manufacturers and sellers of assault-style weapons legally liable for damage inflicted with such firearms.

Republicans called the liability proposal a de facto ban on semiautomatic rifles and “extreme,” a term also used by one Democrat. And a Second Amendment scholar said such a bill would conflict with federal law.

House and Senate Democrats made the announcement at a morning news conference in the state Capitol, where they were flanked by survivors and family of victims of mass shootings at Columbine High School, an Aurora movie theater and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Democratic leaders touted the legislative goals as a “comprehensive” package of gun bills.

“We are taking a measured approach that respects the rights of hunters and sportsmen,” said House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver. “The legislation we introduce today will not bring all gun violence in Colorado to a halt, but it will reduce gun violence.”

Aside from the call for liability for makers and sellers of assault-style weapons, Democrats called for:

• Limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds;

• Stricter notification requirements so that mental health professionals can identify mentally ill people who pose a risk and then notify officials to put them into the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s gun background check database;

• Strengthening laws to prevent those with domestic violence convictions or protection orders against them from buying firearms;

• Imposing fees for gun background checks, which now are conducted for free;

• Requiring in-person training for concealed-weapons permits, which now can be obtained through online courses;

• Requiring universal background checks on all gun sales, something Democrats say can be done without gun registration;

• Banning concealed weapons on college campuses.

By far, the call to hold liable makers and sellers of assault-style guns, which Democrats said would exclude handguns, bolt-action rifles and shotguns, was the most controversial element of the package.

“It bans the legal sale of semiautomatic guns in Colorado,” said state Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, a staunch gun-rights supporter. “It’s the most extreme anti-gun measure I think we’ve seen.

“This is the equivalent of holding Coors, the distributor and the 7-Eleven from which the 12-pack of beer was stolen responsible for the drunk-driving accident.”

One Democrat, Sen. Cheri Jahn of Wheat Ridge, blanched at the proposal.

“To me, that ( liability proposal) appears to be very overreaching,” Jahn said. “I think that could be on the extreme side.”

Rep. Ed Vigil, D-Fort Garland, had already told The Denver Post earlier this week he did not think more gun controls was the answer.

The bill also would conflict with a 2005 federal law, according to David Kopel, a University of Denver law professor and a researcher at the

libertarian-conservative Independence Institute.

“The purpose of the (Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms) act is to prevent firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable for crimes committed with their products,” Kopel said. “However, both manufacturers and dealers can still be held liable for damages resulting from defective products, breach of contract, criminal misconduct and other actions for which they are directly responsible.”

Colorado Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, who is sponsoring the liability legislation, acknowledged the federal ban on suits against gun makers and sellers, but he said there’s some interest in Congress in repealing that law.

Moreover, Morse said some people argue the federal ban was overreaching and violates states’ rights.

“Some weapons are designed with enough power to kill a lot of people quickly,” Morse said. “And I believe that with great power comes great responsibility.”

Morse said his bill would strike an existing clause in Colorado law that gives gun manufacturers and sellers immunity from lawsuits, and it would redefine semiautomatic rifles as “inherently dangerous.”

Brophy said Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, who voiced support for universal background checks in his State of the State address, needs to state his position on the Democratic gun package.

“Curiously absent from this, I think Colorado now deserves to know where does Gov. Hickenlooper stand on these extreme gun control measures,” Brophy said.

Through a spokesman, the governor expressed a willingness to discuss the proposals but offered no commitments.

“The governor supports universal background checks and is open to a discussion about magazine limits and other ideas designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people,” said spokesman Eric Brown. “We intend to carefully study the liability legislation proposed by Sen. Morse and appreciate his effort to put a creative idea on the table.

“Our office will continue to work with the General Assembly to balance Second Amendment rights with calls for tighter gun laws, while also making sure we strengthen the state’s mental health services and support system.”

On Thursday, Hickenlooper is scheduled to meet privately with National Rifle Association president David Keene. The NRA has voiced staunch opposition to any new firearms laws.

Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, held a news conference immediately after the one held by Democrats. Brown said his group was going to launch a grassroots lobbying effort in lawmakers’ districts and that Democrats would rue having supported gun control measures.

“The Democrat party has done that before and paid the price, with the ’94 Congress, and they’re going to pay the price again,” Brown said.

Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee

Staff writer Ryan Parker contributed to this report.