President praises Colorado’s gun control measures

President Barack Obama says Colorado’s newly passed gun laws show there doesn’t have to be a conflict between protecting the constitutional right to own a firearm and keeping firearms away from people who should not have them.

Obama was visiting Denver on Wednesday to highlight recent steps by Colorado to expand gun background checks and restrict ammunition magazines in a state where gun ownership is a cherished right.

The visit comes amid waning congressional momentum to pass similar laws in response to the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting.

In speech excerpts released by the White House, Obama notes that Colorado has suffered two of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history – at Columbine high school 14 years ago and at a movie theater in Aurora last year.