Colorado lawmakers passed a bill that would require gun owners to attach a trigger lock or store their gun in a safe, with the legislation now awaiting a signature from Gov. Jared Polis to become law.
House Bill 1106, which will require gun owners to use a trigger lock or store their gun in a safe “when they know, or reasonably should know, that a child or someone who is ineligible to possess a firearm can gain access to the gun,” was passed by both chambers and sent to the desk of Polis. The governor has indicated he plans to sign the legislation.
The bill was passed without a single Republican vote, earning criticism from gun rights advocates, who believe the law is too restrictive.
“You can’t say, ‘Hey, wait, bad guy, I have to go unlock my safe and get my gun out. Would you wait there for a minute?’ I don’t think that that is going to happen,” said Paul Paradis, owner of Paradise Sales gun store in Colorado Springs.
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A second bill requires gun stores to provide a metal lock with every gun purchase, as well as mandates that gun owners report a lost or stolen firearm within five days of realizing it’s missing. Failing to do so will be classified as a class-two petty offense, carrying a $25 fine. That legislation also failed to garner any Republican support.
“There has to be a device that goes with the gun in case the person receiving it doesn’t have it,” said Dr. Michael Victoroff, a gun safety advocate with the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition.
Victoroff also supports the trigger lock mandate, arguing that little attention is paid to storing firearms safely.
“Hey, if you are buying a gun, fantastic! Let’s talk guns, but hold on a minute. Where is it going to sit when you are not home?” said Victoroff.
A renewed push for gun control has gripped the country after a string of high-profile shootings, with President Joe Biden calling on Congress to pass tougher restrictions while taking some executive actions aimed at limiting gun violence.
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“Gun violence in this country is an epidemic,” Biden said. “And it’s an international embarrassment.”
