Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has signed four gun control laws into law on Friday morning. This will make Colorado, which has a history of mass shootings that are well-known in the country, one of the strictest states in the nation when it comes to gun violence prevention.

Key Facts

A law raises the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 18 years old to 21. Another creates a 3-day wait period between the time someone purchases a weapon and when they receive it.

A new law in Colorado strengthens the red flag law. It allows licensed medical and mental health care providers, educators, district attorneys, and other professionals to request that a person’s firearms be temporarily taken away if it is a danger to them or to others. Before, only a member of a household or family, or a police officer, could do this.

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The final law repeals a state law that currently limits civil lawsuits brought against the firearms industry to those who claim “a defect in the design or manufacturing.” This means that firearm and ammunition manufacturers will be more likely to face liability after shootings.

Another bill was proposed in this legislative session to ban assault weapons such as some pistols and shotguns. However, it was put on hold until further notice on April 19.

Key Background

According to the Gun Violence Archive (which defines a mass shoot as an event where four or more people, including the shooter, are injured or die in gunfire), Colorado has already had four mass shootings in 2023. Since 2020, the same database indicates that Colorado has experienced 39 mass shootings with 65 people killed and 157 others injured. Colorado’s gun violence history is long-standing. The state has seen the Columbine massacre in 1999, the Aurora movie theater attack of 2012, the King Soopers attack of 2021, and the Colorado Springs Club Q incident of 2022.

Chief Critic

The bills passed through the legislature, despite Republican attempts to stop them by filibustering. According to a report by AP, Republican lawmakers have taken issue with the four bills. They claim that they encroach upon the Second Amendment and discourage people from being truthful with doctors for fear of their weapons being seized. Rocky Mountain Gun Owners is a group that supports Second Amendment Rights. They tweeted they had already filed a suit against the waiting period and age restrictions bills.

Amazing Fact

Colorado, which was once purple, now has gun laws that are more in line with those of the blue states. According to AP, Colorado has joined California, Delaware Florida Hawaii New York Rhode Island and other states in requiring that the age of purchase be 21. California, Delaware and New York also have laws similar to Colorado’s that make it easier for the gun industry to be targeted.