DENVER (March 20, 2013)--Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed bills Wednesday that place new restrictions on firearms exactly eight months after dozens of people were shot in a movie theater in suburban Denver.

The bills signed Wednesday require background checks for private and online gun sales and ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

The signing came the day after as the executive director of the state's Corrections Department was shot and killed at his home.

Jane Dougherty, whose sister was killed in the Sandy Hook, Conn., shooting, was among the guests invited to the signing ceremony.

The proposals signal a historic change for Democrats who traditionally have shied away from a battle over gun control in a state where owning a gun is as common as owning a car in some rural areas.