By Ben Botkin
Oregon voters passed a ballot measure that will tighten the state’s gun control laws despite deep opposition to it in rural areas.
Measure 114 will end a loophole in federal law that allows firearm dealers to sell guns without a background check if it’s not completed within three business days. It also will require anyone who buys a gun in Oregon to pass firearm safety training and ban the sale of bullet magazines that hold over 10 rounds.
Voters narrowly passed it, with nearly 50.7% in favor and 49.3% opposed. Opposition to it was strong in rural Oregon, where it met stiff resistance, including from several county sheriffs who have said they will not enforce the measure. But Portland-area voters in Multnomah and Washington counties gave the measure enough support to overcome the opposition.
With the election over, work towards implementation is unfolding. Supporters plan to work with the Oregon State Police, which is charged with writing the administrative rules to put the measure in place. Opponents are likely to sue to overturn the measure – a move that may temporarily or permanently halt the work of putting the measure’s requirements into place.
Mark Knutson, chair of Lift Every Voice Oregon, a group that got the proposal on the ballot and plans to work toward its enactment, said the group is contacting lawmakers and every sheriff, Regardless of what people thought of the measure before it passed, collaboration and an equitable, fair rollout are crucial, he stressed.
“The key is, for us, this is not a victory of one group over another,” Knutson said. “This is a victory for our children and youth in Oregon and public safety for all of us.”
There’s a 30-day period to implement the measure after ballot certification on Dec. 15, which means work on the regulations could start in mid-January, Knutson said. A spokesperson for the Oregon Secretary of State’s office was unable to confirm that timeline, however.
At this point, it’s unclear how quickly the state police will do that work. Mindy McCartt, a spokesperson for the state police agency, said the agency will follow the established state practices, which involve working with legal counsel and allowing the public to comment on proposed rules.
But she said the measure’s language make estimating a timeline for implementation difficult. For example, the measure does not say who will teach the mandated courses. That could be a local police agency, community college or other entity, Knutson said.
Oregon State Police are working with attorneys to determine whether the information in the database of permits and will be exempt from public records laws, McCartt said.
The training requirements are not retroactive, and people who own or inherit large-capacity magazines can use them on their property, at shooting ranges or while hunting.
For the complete story, see the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
