Today, the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 941. During the hearing, opposition testimony was led by NRA, Oregon Firearms Federation and Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer, and followed up by numerous Second Amendment supporters standing in opposition to this egregious bill. Despite the overwhelming opposition and controversy surrounding this bill, it is being rushed through the legislative process. Senator Thatcher, a member of the Judiciary committee, offered this statement in a press release following the hearing: "My office alone has received hundreds of calls and thousands of emails opposing SB 941," explained Senator Thatcher. "The bill is being unfairly rushed through the legislative process denying Oregonians their right to comment on the bill or to make any changes. We haven't even had enough time to read the hundreds of pieces of testimony submitted to the Legislature on the bill."
Introduced last week, SB 941 is an egregious bill that would require individuals to appear before a gun dealer to request a criminal background check prior to privately transferring a firearm. Transfers include, but are not limited to, sales, gifts, loans and leases. Failure to comply with this mandate could result in stiff penalties and possible loss of an individual’s right to keep and bear arms.
So-called “universal” background checks do nothing to reduce violent crime, and only affect law-abiding gun owners by imposing cumbersome mandates and restrictions on the lawful purchase and possession of firearms. Criminals, by definition, do not follow the law and do not subject themselves to gun control schemes or background checks. It is already illegal to knowingly sell or transfer a firearm to someone classified as a prohibited person, and is a felony for a prohibited person to buy, own or possess a firearm. This is an ineffective and unenforceable piece of legislation that will only impact the law abiding. To sign up in opposition to Senate Bill 941, please click here.
SB 941, like many other gun control schemes, is a step towards the full registration of firearms. In January 2013, the Department of Justice said that background checks on all firearm transfers “depends on…requiring gun registration.”
Your NRA-ILA will continue to keep you updated when more information is available.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a working session on Senate Bill 941 tomorrow, April 2. Please continue to contact your Senator and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to strongly oppose SB 941 when it comes up for a vote. Contact information for committee members is provided below.
Senate Judiciary Committee:
Senator Floyd Prozanski (D-4), Chair
(503) 986-1704
[email protected]
Senator Jeff Kruse (R-1), Vice-Chair
(503) 986-1701
[email protected]
Senator Ginny Burdick (D-18)
(503) 986-1718
[email protected]
Senator Sara Gelser (D-8)
(503) 986-1708
[email protected]
Senator Kim Thatcher (R-13)
(503) 986-1713
[email protected]
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