June 12, 2024 03:11 PM UTC

Colorado Makes Real Progress on Gun Violence Prevention

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• by: Colorado Pols

Supporters of gun violence prevention measures were some of the big winners from the 2024 Colorado legislative session — victories that were codified in the last few weeks with signatures from Gov. Jared Polis.

As Jesse Paul writes for The Colorado Sun:

Polis signed into law eight bills passed by the legislature this year that tighten Colorado’s gun statutes.

Colorado Ceasefire, a nonprofit that calls for tougher gun regulations, says that’s a legislative-session record for the state. [Pols emphasis]

The laws impose new requirements on people obtaining concealed carry permits, the way firearms must be stored in vehicles and how weapons and ammunition are sold.

In his story, Paul goes through each of the eight bills and when they will take effect. We’ll just list them here:

1. 1. State investigations of gun crimes;
   2. Bans in schools, voting sites, and at state Capitol building;
   3. Relinquishing guns if under a temporary restraining order;
   4. New requirements for obtaining a concealed carry permit;
   5. Merchant category codes to ease in tracking gun and ammunition purchases;
   6. New permitting for gun sellers;
   7. Safe storage of guns in vehicles;
   8. Putting on the ballot for voters to decide on a new excise tax for firearm purchases.

A couple of other measures did not cross the finish line in 2024, including increasing penalties for stolen guns; a so-called “assault weapons ban”; and firearm liability insurance, but Democrats in the state legislature clearly have both the will and the momentum to do more about gun violence prevention (GVP). You can read more about the session’s success on GVP in this press release from Colorado Ceasefire.

We marveled throughout the legislative session at how much GVP politics have changed in Colorado. The people calling for NO regulations are still as awful and obnoxious as ever, but that side of the room is getting less crowded by the day (and significantly less effective politically). At the same time, Republican talking points are filled with complete nonsense that no right-minded person would even take seriously.

This is an important step forward, but there is still more work to be done. According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of today there have already been 211 mass shootings (nationwide)  in 2024. Four people were recently killed in La Junta, Colorado in an apparent murder-suicide.