Oregon: Legislative Session Convenes Next Week with Anti-Gun Bills Pre-Filed

The 2017 Oregon legislative session convenes next week on February 1, and anti-gun legislators have already pre-filed bills aimed at attacking your Second Amendment rights.

Senate Bill 232, sponsored by state Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-25), would require courts to ask the petitioner at an ex parte hearing for a temporary protective order whether the respondent possesses firearms, and would then require courts to adopt protocols with local law enforcement for the surrender or seizure of firearms.  This ex parte order would strip the accused of their Second Amendment rights and would be issued by a judge based solely on the brief statement of an accuser before the accused can appear in court to defend themselves against the allegations.  This bill clearly goes against an individual’s right to due process.

House Bill 2130, sponsored by state Representative Barbara Smith Warner (D-45), would make it illegal to allow a firearm to be accessible by a minor.  Gun safety and storage is a matter of personal responsibility and every person’s situation is different.  It is unreasonable for the law to impose a one-size-fits-all solution.  Gun owners who live in high crime areas or those who live in rural areas oftentimes have different requirements than others.

House Bill 2237, filed at the request of Governor Kate Brown, would allow firearm transfers to be indefinitely delayed if the Oregon State Police (OSP) are unable to determine eligibility.  A deferral from OSP does not necessarily mean the recipient is prohibited, but rather that OSP is not satisfied with the background check inquiry and a determination has not yet been made.  Currently, federal law allows a licensed dealer (FFL) to release a firearm after three business days if they have not received any additional correspondence after receiving a “delay” when conducting the initial background check for a firearm transfer.  This safeguard prevents the potential shutdown of sales via endless delays and allows law-abiding individuals to take possession of a firearm in a timely manner.

Your NRA will actively oppose any infringement on Second Amendment rights in Oregon and will continue to keep you updated throughout the session.  Please stay tuned to email alerts and check www.NRAILA.org for ways to be involved in efforts to preserve our freedoms in Oregon.