Poll Finds Majority of Colorado Voters Oppose New Gun Control Laws
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.05.14
Quinnipiac University recently released the results of a 2014 survey that found the majority of those polled opposing Colorado’s new gun control laws. The results were taken from an April survey of 1,298 registered voters in Colorado, who were asked of their opinion on the strict gun control measures signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper last March.
The poll found that 56 percent of those surveyed opposed the new laws, while 39 percent supported them and the remainder was undecided. When asked of their opinion on the statewide ban of magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds, 51 percent of survey takers said they oppose the measure with 45 percent supporting it. In addition, only 21 percent support stricter gun laws as a solution to violence in schools. A combined 68 percent instead preferred the alternatives of metal detectors or armed teachers.
The passage of new gun control laws came as a shock to many Colorado residents last March, especially in a state with a long-standing firearms culture. The new laws banned the sale of magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds, required background checks on private firearm sales, and tacked on extra fees for those checks. In the following months, outraged voters ousted two of the lawmakers who supported the gun restrictions. The legislation also caused businesses like Magpul, the manufacturer of a line of popular gun accessories, to uproot to other states.
“A majority of people oppose this no matter, but once the emotion is gone, even more people are opposed to it,” state Senator Greg Brophy (R-Wray) told The Washington Times. “Once they reflect longer on these things, they like these gun control proposals less and less.”
Survey participants widely supported requiring background checks for all gun buyers. According to the poll, 85 percent of survey takers supported universal background checks.
Of the 1,298 people participating in the Quinnipiac University poll, 26 percent identified themselves as Republican, 28 percent as a Democrat, 37 percent as independent, and 10 percent as other. The majority of those surveyed were Caucasian.
