Colorado Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Celebrate End of Another Winning Legislative Session, Gun Safety Advancements Across Colorado

Volunteers Joined Public Safety Advocates in Testifying in Support of Gun Safety Priorities and Against Bills to Weaken Gun Laws During Session Earlier this Year

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 the Colorado legislature officially ended its legislative session, adjourning sine die. After testimony and advocacy from Colorado Moms Demand Action volunteers, lawmakers passed and Governor Jared Polis signed a new bill into law that prohibits the open carry of firearms near polling locations and other electoral facilities. Lawmakers also rejected multiple dangerous gun bills that would have weakened gun safety protections during the legislative session after hearing testimony from volunteers. 

“We’re proud that our lawmakers continued their strong record of standing up for gun safety this session,” said Abbey Winter, a volunteer with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action. “There’s no question that we need solutions to our states’ gun violence crisis, and our leaders in the statehouse and across the state continue to prove their willingness to take bold action to reduce gun violence in Colorado. We’ll keep fighting to protect our communities and save lives.”

Earlier this year, Governor Polis signed HB22-1086, The Vote Without Fear Act, into law, which will prohibit the open carry of firearms near polling locations and other electoral facilities. Colorado Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers testified in support of the bill throughout the legislative process and drove over 1,200 messages to state lawmakers and the governor in support of the Vote Without Fear Act.

Lawmakers also rejected multiple gun bills that would have dismantled some of Colorado’s key gun violence prevention laws. The rejected legislation includes: HB22-1106, which would have forced K-12 public schools to allow some individuals to carry concealed firearms on school grounds, HB22-1105, which would have allowed employees of businesses to use deadly physical force to prevent even minor property damage, even when such force could be avoided, and HB22-1145, which would have allowed individuals to possess large capacity magazines for competing in state-sanctioned firearm shooting competitions. 

According to Everytown’s new gun law rankings report, Colorado is among the top ten states with the strongest gun laws in the country. In an average year, 850 people die and 360 people are wounded by guns in Colorado. Gun violence costs Colorado $5.6 billion each year, of which $170.2 million is paid by taxpayers. Learn more about gun violence in Colorado here.