Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado signed legislation on Monday adding new gun-theft reporting and gun-storage requirements to the state’s firearm regulations.
Polis put his signature on two bills sent to him by the Democratic-majority Legislature, one requiring gun owners to report the loss or theft of a firearm to law enforcement within five days of discovering it missing and the other requiring that firearms be “responsibly and securely stored” when not in use.
The new reporting law, which does not apply to licensed gun dealers, requires gun owners to make a report or face a $25 fine. A second or subsequent offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $500 fine.
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The law also requires law enforcement agencies that receive a report of a lost or stolen firearm to enter information about the firearm into a state Bureau of Investigation database.
“It’s the right thing to do for the people we care about,” Polis said at a bill signing event. “Many Coloradans already report lost or stolen guns. Now, they have to.”
Polis was accompanied at the bill signing by lawmakers and by the family of 21-year-old Isabella Thallas, who was killed in January by a man using a personal rifle stolen from a Denver police officer. Lawmakers named the reporting bill the Isabella Joy Thallas Act after her.
“The gun violence is out of control,” Ana Thallas, Isabella’s mother, said on Monday. “Somebody has to do something.”
The second gun bill signed by Polis regulates the storage of firearms, creating a new offense for the unlawful storage of a firearm to be charged against a person who knowingly stores a firearm in a location where a juvenile can gain access to it without the permission of a parent or guardian. It also requires licensed gun dealers to provide locking devices with each firearm they sell.
“As responsible gun owners know, gun ownership is an important responsibility, and that includes storing weapons safely so kids can’t get a hold of them with a tragic outcome,” Polis said.
The Washington Examiner tried contacting state House and Senate Minority Leaders Hugh McKean and Chris Holbert, both of whom voted against the bills, but they could not immediately be reached.
Colorado’s House Republicans criticized the reporting proposal earlier this month, writing on Twitter, “Clearly, the mandatory reporting of a lost or stolen firearm does not stop criminals from getting the gun and lethal violence from happening in those cities.”
Clearly, the mandatory reporting of a lost or stolen firearm does not stop criminals from getting the gun and lethal violence from happening in those cities. Instead, we should strive to protect lawful gun owners.
— CO House Republicans (@COHouseGOP) April 1, 2021
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The Monday bill signing occurred as other national Democrats, including President Joe Biden, call for stricter gun-control laws following recent mass shootings in Atlanta, Boulder, Colorado, and Indianapolis.
