Colorado Governor Signs 4 Major Gun Bills To Make It Harder To Obtain Firearms

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the law into law Friday four main measures of arms designed to make it more difficult to obtain firearms.

Why it matters: The new laws follow multiple high-profile shootings in Colorado in recent months and represent the latest in a series of recent actions by states to restrict access to firearms as gun violence grows.

Driving the news: legislation Expands Colorado’s Existing “Red Flag” Law to allow educators, health professionals, and district attorneys to request the seizure of a person’s firearms under an extreme risk protection order.

What they are saying: “Today, Colorado has enacted four common sense gun reforms, including removing some of the barriers to holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. said on Twitter.

• “Thank you, Colorado leaders and survivors of gun violence, for this important step forward,” he added.

Of note: Not all Democratic lawmakers they supported the legislation and some questioned its legality.

• Moments after the bill was signed, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a Second Amendment advocacy group, filed two lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the new waiting period and age requirement.

Context: from colorado dark history of mass shootings loomed over this year’s debate. AND Democrat-controlled legislature made gun restrictions a priority after november shooting in the club q in Colorado Springs that left five dead and questions raised about the existing “red flag” law in the state.

The panorama: Colorado’s efforts to reduce gun violence are part of a larger effort in states to take action where the federal government has failed.

Yes, but: Gun regulations remain a contentious issue in western states, and Colorado Democratic leaders, including Polis, opposed a measure this year to ban assault-style weapons.

• an earring bill to ban ghost gun sales — used in both Club Q and an East High School shooting — is expected to pass later this legislative session.
• The Governor also recently signed two bills to create an Office of School Safety and require more training for school resource officers.

Go deeper: Fox News Poll Finds Voters Overwhelmingly Want Gun Restrictions