Posts Tagged ‘Colorado’

The Law Center applauds Governor Hickenlooper and the Colorado Legislature on the passage of historic bills to prevent gun violence. While Colorado is leading the way, it is not alone: over 600 bills to prevent gun violence have been introduced this year, a 63% increase over this time last year. The call for change is being heard at the state level nationwide.

Strong gun laws to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands are consistent with the Second Amendment and are necessary to defending our communities from the constant threat of violence.

Colorado is a leader in the nation, as many states across the country are hearing the voice of gun owners and non-gun owners alike – inaction on preventing gun violence is unacceptable.

With the adoption of these measures, Colorado has taken important steps toward preventing mass shootings like the tragedies in Aurora and Columbine, as well as the everyday gun violence that plagues communities nationwide.

After the tragedy in Newtown, the American people are demanding changes to our weak gun laws, including states with strong traditions of firearm ownership, like Colorado. The passage of this historic legislation reaffirms that Americans overwhelmingly support important measures like these to protect our families from gun violence.

Colorado is one of 17 states that introduced bills in 2013 to ban, or strengthen an existing ban, on large capacity ammunition magazines and one of 16 to introduce bills to require background checks for some or all private sales.

We are proud to have worked with activists in Colorado in support of this crucial legislation.

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.

Image Credit: wallyg on Flickr

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit confirmed that a law requiring that someone be a Colorado resident in order to qualify for a license to carry a concealed weapon in the state remains consistent with the Second Amendment.

As discussed in this important decision, the requirement to prove state residency defined by Colorado law is an essential component of firearms licensing. Many of the state and local records that would disqualify someone from possessing or carrying a firearm — such as those reflecting a criminal conviction or mental health adjudication — are not transmitted between states, making the proof of state residency pivotal to keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people.

Although the court could have only addressed Colorado’s residency requirement, the Tenth Circuit held more broadly that “the carrying of concealed weapons is not protected by the Second Amendment,” thus rejecting the plaintiff’s claim. This decision is particularly noteworthy because Second Amendment challenges to concealed carry licensing laws are currently pending in several other federal appellate courts around the country, setting an important precedent for other courts to uphold existing licensing laws.

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.

Barry Gutierrez / AP

We are deeply saddened and outraged by the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado earlier today, and our thoughts are with all of those affected by this horrible tragedy.

Already, politicians around the country have begun to offer their condolences to the survivors of this terrible event, as they do every time a mass shooting happens in America. Inevitably, these statements are long on good intentions but short on action.

The American people deserve better. All of us should be free to live our lives without being affected by gun violence. Instead, across the country, too many Americans are murdered by guns every single day.

It’s time to demand that our leaders go beyond offering condolences, and instead address these problems head-on. It is simply far too easy for dangerous people to access military-style weapons. Something has to change.

There are solutions to this epidemic. We know that smart gun laws save lives and we remain committed to fighting for safer communities. We are available to answer your questions about gun laws in Colorado and across the country as well as strategies to reduce gun violence nationwide. Contact us here.

For more details, see our analysis of Colorado’s gun laws or more information on assault weapons. For breaking information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.