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.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Flowers and messages, some spiritual and some political, at the makeshift memorial outside King Soopers on Boulder’s Table Mesa Drive, a week after a gunman opened fire in the store March 22, 2021, killing 10 people.
Colorado lawmakers have unveiled a package of bills in response to last month’s mass shooting in Boulder. The measures don’t go as far as some advocates for reforming gun policies had hoped, but supporters say they will make key changes to reduce gun violence and take effective steps to save lives.
“Coloradans want change. Coloradans have wanted change since 1999 after Columbine and in 2012 after the Aurora shooting, and they wanted change over the last month,” said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg at a press conference to unveil the bills. “We hear you.”
Democratic lawmakers to roll out package of gun safety bills coloradopolitics.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from coloradopolitics.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was already charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, murder and weapons offenses
On Wednesday, prosecutors added another 44 counts to the indictment
Alissa is now charged with 54 counts; he is being held without bail in jail
On March 22, he shot dead 10 people at the King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado
His motive remains unclear - he had been bullied in school and was described by family as a loner who d never had a girlfriend