Reading Dean's message, one would think the Democrats held control of the Colorado legislature. But the Republicans hold the House, the Senate, and the Governor's seat. If new anti-gun laws go through, it will be because the Republican Party supported them. Blaming the Democrats won't make up for the Republicans' lack of spine. Politicians are disarming the populace a few people at a time.
New regulations make owning and buying guns more expensive, more time-consuming, and more dangerous.
Background checks won't do anything to prevent crime. Dean has never said they might. His willingness to compromise has nothing to do with public safety, and everything to do with political games. Anti-gun activists claim background checks will increase safety, but they offer no convincing evidence to support their case. In some cases, background checks have cost honest people their lives, because some were denied a gun improperly or they were made to wait.