Both measures were put in place before the March 22 mass shooting in a grocery store, but the tragedy increased public pressure and urgency to act according to legislation, lawmakers said.
Democrats, who control both the Colorado House and the Senate, both passed these bills without Republican support in one of the chambers.
Senate Bill 78, which renamed the Isabella Joy Thallas Act in honor of a 21-year-old woman who was shot dead last summer in Denver, Denver, requires a gun owner to report their lost or stolen firearm or be fined within five days must be. Thallas was shot dead in June 2020 with a stolen weapon that was never reported, according to CNN’s subsidiary KCNC.
“While this legislation, of course, can not bring back any of our fellow Colorado residents who are no longer with us, we know that it can not only prevent future loss of life, but also be part of the healing for the Thallas family and so many others affected by gun violence by a stolen gun, ‘Polis said in comments Monday before signing the bill.
House Bill 1106 instructs gun owners to store their firearms in a responsible and safe manner when not in use, to prevent juveniles and other unauthorized users from accessing them. It also requires a licensed arms dealer to provide a locking device at every sale or transfer of firearms.
“This bill means fewer families are losing children to gun accidents and suicide, thanks to the use of $ 8 trigger or cable locks that any family can afford. It’s a simple, effective and evidence-based solution to keep our children safe. hold, “the Democratic Republic said. State Senator Jeff Bridges, one of the sponsors of the bill, said in a statement last week after the Colorado Senate approved the bill.
Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to amend the bills to limit their scope and in some cases create exceptions, such as for victims of assault who cannot immediately report missing firearms.
Isabelle Daigle, a spokeswoman for the state’s Republican House of Representatives, said the measures “attack Coloradans’ core rights to the Second Amendment.”
“These bills do not serve as common sense to provide solutions to real problems. Instead, it is a step on a slippery slope to try to pursue a gun control agenda, rather than to look at the causes of the matter. seek, “she said. said. “We put forward solutions and amendments to the legislation that would have prevailed in power, but the Democrats did not refuse.”
In the aftermath of the Boulder shooting, Democrats began discussing additional legislative proposals they believe would prevent gun violence, including mental health measures the Republicans are advocating rather than more restrictive gun measures.
In a statement, Republican Senate John Cooke complained to Democrats as ‘focused on the fringes instead of sitting with stakeholders and addressing the real issue: mental health’.
Regarding HB 1106, Cooke said: “If someone breaks into your home and you need to respond quickly, you are at a serious disadvantage if your firearm is locked with an approved device or in a safe.”
Another state Republican senator argued that the lost or stolen firearms law punishes the victim.
“If your home is broken into and you accidentally stole a gun from you, you could now be victimized again by your government if you are stressed by the intrusion and you do not report the specific item to the police,” said Sen. Paul Lundeen said in a statement, adding that police could not stop a gun crime by simply knowing the serial number of a stolen firearm. ‘
The U.S. is grappling with a recent series of mass shootings that shocked communities, including the Boulder shooting and the March 16 shooting at three spas in Atlanta. Eight people were killed at a FedEx plant in Indianapolis on Thursday, at least half a dozen mass shootings took place by the end of the weekend, and at least one person was killed Tuesday in a grocery store in Long Island, New York.
This story has been updated with more response.
.Source
Related
