Five months on from the mass shooting at LGBTQ+ venue Club Q, Colorado has introduced new gun control legislation in the state.

Openly gay governor Jared Polis signed and approved four bills on Friday, April 28, which raise the minimum buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, create a three-day waiting period between buying a firearm and receiving it, expand the district’s ‘red flag’ laws and remove certain legal protections for companies whose weapons are found to have defects.

“Today we are taking some important steps to help make Colorado one of the ten safest states, and building upon the ongoing work to make Colorado communities safer,” Polis stated.

“Last year, I was proud to sign a comprehensive public safety plan of action into law to put Colorado on track to becoming one of the ten safest states in the nation, and this legislation today will improve public safety and reduce gun violence. I thank the bill sponsors for bringing this common-sense legislation to my desk.” 

The Democrat added: “Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs”.

I signed the following bipartisan bills into law today. We are taking important steps to help make Colorado one of the ten safest states, and build upon the ongoing work to make Colorado communities safe.

🖊️HB23-1219
🖊️SB23-168
🖊️SB23-169
🖊️SB23-170 https://t.co/e09Jm1cpm9 pic.twitter.com/jdcdAVjZei

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) April 29, 2023

Polis was applauded by supportive lawmakers, activists and citizens as he signed each bill in his office. He was joined by advocates wearing “Moms Demand Action” shirts, as well as the mother of a victim of the 2012 Aurora theatre shooting and several students who were witnesses to the recent Denver high school shooting.

The move was also praised on social media, with openly lesbian White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre thanking “Colorado leaders and gun violence survivors, for this important step forward.”

Today, Colorado has enacted four common-sense gun reforms, including elimination of some of the barriers to holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable. Thank you, Colorado leaders and gun violence survivors, for this important step forward.

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) April 28, 2023

The state has an unfortunate history of mass shootings, dating back to 1999 when two gunmen murdered 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School. Last year’s attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs left five people dead, renewing calls for improved gun control, a contentious issue throughout the US.

In 2023 alone, the Gun Violence Archive has recorded 174 mass shootings across all 50 states in the country.