DENVER — Switchblade knives are closer to being legal again in Colorado.
The state House voted 59-6 Thursday to repeal the state’s prohibition of the folding knives with blades that pop out from their handles with the push of a button or a lever. The ban was passed in 1963, when Hollywood films such as “West Side Story” featured gang members using the knives. The movie spooked lawmakers across the nation.
The switchblade legalization bill has already passed the Senate and now awaits the governor’s pen.
Sponsors say switchblades have become everyday work tools and that the ban is unnecessary.