State Lawmaker Wants Choice For Hunters: Pink Or Orange

DENVER (CBS4)- One state lawmaker wants to give hunters a choice of color for their safety gear before they grab a gun and head into the woods-- orange or pink.

The bill passed its first committee hearing on Thursday.

Right now, hunters in Colorado are required to wear fluorescent orange above the waist.

The bill's sponsor, Sen Kerry Donovan, a Democrat representing Eagle County, says pink sends the message that women like to hunt, too.

She says it's also good for small business.

"Hunting is a billion dollar industry in Colorado, some say it's even more than that, and if we can diversify the product lines of some small businesses, that seems like a great advantage of the bill as well," said Donovan.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife supports the bill, saying about 20,000 people take its hunter safety class every year, many of them women.