Colorado Democrats have introduced three new gun bills in response to the Boulder shooting last month. These policies would establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, strengthen background checks and give local communities control over their gun laws.
These bills build off safe storage and lost/stolen firearm legislation that was passed by lawmakers earlier this year. A third bill that is currently getting traction would force domestic abusers to give up their firearms.
Colorado Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg said Thursday during a news conference, “There is nothing we can do to bring back the lives that were stolen from us. There is no single policy we can pass that can guarantee no more lives will be taken from us. We also know that we must continue to demand federal action on gun violence prevention.”
Fenberg’s bill, Senate Bill 256, would repeal a state law from 2003 prohibiting local governments from imposing bans on the sale, purchase or possession of a firearm.
“We know that this specific policy would not have single-handedly prevented this specific shooting in Boulder,” Fenberg said, “But this example speaks to a larger conversation about the tools we give local governments to craft community-based solutions to the gun violence that they face.”
He argued that each community has the “unique expertise to know what it takes to make them safe” and “deserves the authority to enact laws that get them there.”
House Bill 1298 would require background checks via an approval process from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation before transferring a firearm from licensed gun dealers.
The suspect in the Boulder shooting passed a background check prior to purchasing the AR-556, according to the gun shop in Aurora that sold the firearm. The shooting came just days after a Boulder County District Court judge blocked the enforcement of a ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, which cited the 2003 law that the local control bill aims to repeal.
Sponsors of the background check measure want to institute a five-year gun purchase ban after someone is convicted of certain violent misdemeanors. Boulder Democratic Rep. Judy Amabile said this ban could have stopped the man responsible for the shooting from buying a gun.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be tasked with collecting data and setting up strategies and programs to prevent gun violence, which includes street outreach programs.
“Every year, thousands of people die in the state of Colorado from firearms, and their deaths have a tremendous impact on us,” said Sen. Rhonda Fields of Aurora, “As a state and as lawmakers, we cannot continue to avoid gun violence.”
Colorado has also implemented an “Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO),” also known as a “red flag” law. Courts may issue extreme risk protection orders to prohibit individuals from owning firearms if they pose a significant risk of gun violence to themselves or others. This gun restriction prohibits magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds.
Governor Jared Polis said in a statement on Friday that, “Colorado is a leader in taking common-sense actions that prevent gun violence while preserving people’s Second Amendment rights, and I look forward to working with legislators on these important next steps.”
Polis praised the legislature for its hard work and bold steps in making Colorado a safer state: “While we will need to see final details of the legislation, the common-sense strategies proposed by the legislature can be important tools for reducing gun violence. I applaud the legislature for proposing bold, courageous actions to keep Coloradans safer and reduce violent crime.”
This latest round of legislation is projected to face a lengthy debate in the state House and Senate. Check out this page to see all 2021 updates on Colorado gun laws.
