DENVER – Lawmakers in Colorado, where a gunman burst into a theater last year for a deadly shooting, narrowly passed a handful of gun-control bills, signaling a political shift under pressure from the White House.
“Enough is enough. I’m sick and tired of bloodshed,” said Rep. Rhonda Fields, who sponsored a state bill limiting the size of ammunition magazines.
While the issue of gun control faces a difficult time in the U.S. Congress amid opposition from most Republicans, some states are moving ahead with their own measures. New York state earlier this year passed some of the strictest gun-control measures in the country.
The Colorado gun-control measures go next to the state Senate, where they’ll need even more support against opposition from many Republicans.
The state’s Democratic-controlled House approved bills on ammunition restrictions; background checks on all gun purchases, including those between private sellers and firearms bought online; a ban on concealed firearms at colleges and stadiums; and a requirement that gun purchasers pay for their own background checks. The ammunition restrictions measure would limit magazines to 15 rounds for firearms, and eight for shotguns.