DENVER (March 11, 2013)--The Colorado Senate voted Monday to approve stricter firearms regulations including expanded background checks, as lawmakers tied gun control to mass shootings in the state and elsewhere.

Final votes on the proposals Monday came after a week of intense debate in Colorado's Capitol over gun violence and how to prevent it.

Democrats abandoned two of their seven gun-control proposals because of strong opposition, but five measures were due final Senate approval Monday.

Most of them now head to the House or return there because of Senate amendments.

The most divisive measure given a final vote Monday was a bill to require background checks on private gun sales.

Republicans tried to argue expanded background checks are "absurd" and won't improve safety, but they managed to persuade only one Democrat to vote against the bill.