For some weeks now, statehouse Republicans have been using the power of the purse to try to undercut Colorado’s background check system for those who want to carry concealed weapons. It’s a dangerous game that must stop.

Not only is it prudent policy to quickly and efficiently process such requests, the tactic Republicans are using to attempt to undermine the checks is also setting an ugly precedent that feels more like Washington, D.C., than Colorado.

Enough, already.

Lawmakers ought to find a way to get over this impasse and allow the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to use $370,000, already collected in the form of fees, to hire more processors.

The immediate problem is that waits for the checks could grow to 54 days. The additional workers would cut the wait to 20 days. Keep in mind that if the wait grows to 90 days, the process must proceed without background checks.

It seems clear to us that by starving the program of money, the GOP is attempting to realize a policy aim they don’t have the votes to otherwise achieve in a legislature where one chamber is controlled by each party.

They used the same tactic this legislative session to hobble the process by which those who are in the U.S. illegally could get a driver’s license. It wasn’t the right move in that situation, either.

And this is where the precedent on process comes into play.

Colorado has a long history of being a state where politicians from opposing parties have found a way to pass budgets and get other work done.

Republicans should keep in mind that history has a way of turning the tables, particularly when it comes to political power.

The tactics they are using to thwart policies they disagree with could well come back to haunt them. Beyond the potential for payback, such trench warfare isn’t how the legislature has worked and it should not become the new normal.

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