The Colorado chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement today after Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed two life-saving gun violence prevention proposals into law:
- HB21-1106, which will require firearms that a juvenile or prohibited person might be able to access be securely stored when not under the control of the gun owner;
- SB21-078, The Isabella Joy Thallas Act, which will require gun owners to report to law enforcement when a gun is lost or stolen.
These advancements come less than a month after Colorado was devastated by a mass shooting in Boulder at a grocery store in which ten people were shot and killed. The shooting in Boulder is just one of the latest instances of gun violence to devastate Colorado — in an average year, 805 people die by gun violence in Colorado and 360 more are wounded.
“We cannot ‘return to normal’ if normal means senseless and preventable gun violence, and thankfully, Governor Polis knows that,” said Jessica Price, volunteer with Colorado Moms Demand Action. “These two laws will make Colorado a safer place and save lives and we thank the Governor for standing with us once again in the fight to end gun violence.”
“Our country and our state are in the midst of a crisis,” said Miranda Showen, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Colorado. “Too many of our community members, our classmates have had their lives tragically impacted by gun violence. Today, Governor Polis took action. These bills are an important step in directly addressing this crisis and saving lives in Colorado.”
More information about secure storage legislation is here, and information about the risk of stolen guns here. Statistics about gun violence in Colorado are available here, and information on how Colorado’s gun laws compare to other states overall is available here.
To speak with a policy expert or Colorado Moms Demand Action and/or Students Demand Action volunteers, please do not hesitate to reach out.
