The Colorado chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after five different local governments across Colorado today took action and passed or introduced multiple ordinances that will implement local solutions to gun violence. The five local governments – Boulder, Louisville, Edgewater, Superior and Lafayette – introduced or passed ordinances that would prohibit the sale and possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, rapid trigger fire mechanisms, and ghost guns, raise the minimum age to purchase all firearms to 21 years old, prohibit the open carry of firearms, and prohibit firearms in sensitive places. Each municipality will introduce or pass a different assortment and amount of ordinances. These actions by Colorado localities come after the state’s preemption law was repealed in 2021, giving local governments the authority to pass gun safety measures in their communities.
“We’re thrilled to see local leaders across the state taking these important steps toward implementing local solutions to gun violence that fit their communities best, and we’re grateful to our state legislature for giving them back the power to do so,” said Carol Callicotte-Belmon, a volunteer with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action. “These local ordinances allow city and county leaders, who know their communities best, to prioritize gun safety measures that directly address gun violence they are facing. More local governments across our state should follow their strong example.”
In 2021, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB21-256 into law, which repealed the state’s burdensome preemption law, allowing local governments to adopt locally tailored solutions to gun violence and regulate where concealed handguns may be carried. The Denver City Council’s historic ghost gun prohibition earlier this year marked the first time a municipality in Colorado had passed an ordinance strengthening local gun safety laws after preemption was repealed.
In an average year, 850 people die and 360 people are wounded by guns in Colorado. The rate of gun deaths has increased 41% from 2011 to 2020 in Colorado, compared to a 33% increase nationwide. Gun violence costs Colorado $5.6 billion each year, of which $170.2 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in Colorado is available here.