Colorado’s 2003 “preemption” law prevents cities and counties from passing gun regulations that are stricter than the state’s. In March days before someone opened fire inside a Boulder King Soopers, killing 10 a judge found that Boulder’s local ordinance banning assault weapons violated state law. Getting rid of preemption would allow future bans like that one to remain in place.
The Boulder shooting added urgency to those plans with many constituents demanding action from their elected representatives, including Fenberg, whose Senate district includes the grocery store. He will be sponsoring the preemption bill along with Representative Edie Hooton, another Boulder Democrat.
Colorado Democrats unveil 3 more gun violence prevention proposals in wake of Boulder shooting
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Tributes cover the temporary fence around the King Soopers grocery store in which 10 people died in a mass shooting in late March on Friday, April 23, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Posted at 2:39 PM, Apr 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-30 08:32:50-04
DENVER â Colorado Democrats on Thursday unveiled three more bills aimed at preventing gun violence â something they have pledged to do in the wake of the Boulder King Soopers shooting and with two other gun violence prevention bills already signed by the governor.
Democrats pursue gun-control measures after Boulder shooting
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Friday, April 23, 2021 10:18 AM Updated 18 hours 17 minutes ago Scenes after a shooting at the King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday, March 22, 2021. Courtesy of StevePeterson.photo Scenes after a shooting the previous day at the King Soopers grocery store on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder, Colorado. Courtesy of StevePeterson.photo Xanthe Thomason, left, consoles Dana Derichsweiler, right, during the vigil in March for the King Soopers shooting victims at the Boulder County Courthouse in Boulder. Hugh Carey/Special to The Colorado Sun Advertisement
Democrats pursue gun-control measures after Boulder shooting
KUNC Flowers left at a memorial outside the King Soopers in Boulder where 10 people died in a mass shooting on Monday, March 22.
A month after a gunman killed 10 people at a Boulder King Soopers, state lawmakers from the city say they could introduce bills in response to the tragedy as soon as next week.
Sen. Majority Leader Steve Fenberg previewed the legislation at a town hall Wednesday night. He says the Boulder delegation is focusing on three kinds of reform, including expanding background checks to ensure people with a violent past cannot buy guns.
“A lot of people would think that s obvious and we ve already got that in the books. And we do sort of, but not for violent misdemeanors, which can be serious, especially if they re violent,” Fenberg said. “Maybe the misdemeanor itself wasn t serious, but it can be… a sign of someone who has tendencies or is someone who could be violent and they probably shouldn t have a gun.”
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A protester hangs out the window of a sports-utility vehicle during a rally around the Colorado state Capitol to call on state lawmakers to protect public schools from budget cuts that would affect their jobs on May 26, 2020.
The Associated Press file
Kathryn Scott, special to Colorado Politics