Opinion
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- When the authors of a major gun control bill in Oregon inserted a paragraph at the end of their legislation declaring that an emergency exists requiring House Bill 3223, which deals with so-called “assault weapon” regulation, to take effect immediately, they apparently didn’t do any homework.
But pay attention to how this legislation moves because, just like in neighboring Washington, Beaver State anti-gunners are using Oregon as something of a petri dish to experiment with gun control schemes that, if successful, could be altered and tried in other states.
Kevin Starrett at the Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF) told Ammoland via telephone that the legislative session so far has been somewhat chaotic, but that Democrats are pushing all kinds of gun control measures.
The backers of this “assault weapon” legislation are being called on their effort by a website called Klamath Alerts, which is comparing traffic fatalities and other leading causes of death in Oregon with firearms fatalities. It was essentially no contest.
In 2017, the most recent year for which FBI data is available, Oregon experienced 100 homicides, of which 58 involved firearms. Of those, 34 are known to have involved handguns, but only two each involved rifles or shotguns. Another 20 were committed with unidentified firearms.
But to have the authors of HB 3223 declare that an emergency exists seemed over the top for Klamath Alerts.
In 2016, according to an Oregon state government website, there were 498 traffic fatalities and 44,629 people sustained injuries. The leading causes of death in the state are cancer, heart disease, accidents (undefined), chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke. Far more people die from complications from Alzheimer’s disease than are fatally shot, and even diabetes claims more lives than gunshot wounds.
Under provisions of HB 3223, the owner of a so-called “assault weapon” must register that firearm immediately or within a year take some other action that might include moving the gun out of state, selling it to a licensed firearms dealer, rendering it inoperable or surrendering it to the state police. Violators would face fines and imprisonment if the bill becomes law.
Last year, murder declined more than 11 percent in Oregon, raising even more questions about the motivation for legislative anti-gunners in Salem to want an “emergency” declared by passage of the bill.
Another piece of legislation that Oregon rights activists are watching is Senate Bill 925. It’s got the attention of the OFF and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. OFF has a web page devoted entirely to current legislation now in the works.
Under SB 925, there would be added restrictions on where Oregon’s legally licensed armed citizens can carry. If this measure becomes law, Starrett warned, a person could be arrested for having a firearm in the parking lot of an airport, if they just happen to be picking up or dropping off somebody.
As of this writing, hearings had not been held on either HB 3223 or SB 925. He said it is not uncommon in Oregon for a bill to contain an “emergency clause,” and there have been attempts to pass laws prohibiting the practice. It now appears there may be a ballot measure in 2022 to stop bill sponsors from declaring emergencies for their pet causes, Starrett noted. It will apparently be dubbed the “Stop Fake Emergencies” measure.
Starrett predicted that Oregon gun owners are in for some rough times ahead, and he is aware that at least some gun owners are looking to move out of the state.
“It’s so crazy here right now,” he said.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
The ppl that think we have a gun problem are serious idiot’s lol.
First off firearms are not alive lol,they do not breath or talk!! They sure dont have legs and hands lol. So instead of pushing for gun control why haven’t you mentioned maybe let’s say mental illness? Maybe if this country actually cared about its citizens!
Both parties are dumb at this current moment. Democrats also yall have alot more shit to worry about. Like education, homelessness, sex offenders, real criminals, foster care, CPS, giving Oregon more budget for education would be great
You know, I hear all of these people talk about how guns are killing people (which is impossible) and I wander what they have to say and what arguments they have for alcohol and tobacco? Two things that I never see people raising heck about, but yet they kill way more people each and every year. Anyway, I feel like there’s going to be civil unrest and contempt when they start talking about taking and then moving on to taking Law Abiding folks constitutional rights to bear ARMS away. Freakin Idgits!!
Some of the least cogent but most strident arguing I have seen on this site. It smacks of propaganda adherence, but very little logic, or common sense. It parallels the national discussions, which currently are so extreme in their insistence that reason is non-existent. In fact, the national mentality lacks reason at present. That makes me sick, thinking how much I and my fellow comrades put on the line for this nation in order for reason to prevail. . I am convinced that the insistent ignorance among the two extremes in this country will soon envelop the entire nation in… Read more »
If the Oregon government enacts these bills which are clearly destructive of the rights of free people and starts enforcing them I predict far more deaths will occur because of these laws. Many Oregonians (and obviously free people from other states such as New York and New Jersey) are all too aware of the consequences of the state having the sole power of the sword so they will not comply. Having toured concentration camps where German soldiers legally executed innocent, unarmed citizens and having read such books as Death by Gun Control and The Black Book of Communism the thinking… Read more »
Does any one else see that Factsovertruth/truthoverfacts is switching his name forwards and backwards?
Let’s hope the Sun will rise so the Troll turns to stone…
Well said.
These idiots know absolutely nothing about guns or whatever they happen to be talking about. They listen to CNN and their liberal teachers and college professors and think they are well informed. Well guess what? My hunting rifle is a single shot gun. That means it holds only 1 bullet. My assault rifles hold 5,10,30, or 40 bullets depending on which clip or magazine I decide to put in them. But, what so little do you know is that my hunting rifle can do 200 times more damage to a person than any one of my so called assault rifles.… Read more »
Every one of these bills is unconstitutional, both federally and locally. Making law abiding citizens into felons overnight simply because they own a physical item, is asinine. This will create hundreds of thousands of bastardized children (orphans) and overcrowd the prisons with non-violent people.
Thank you Oregonian liberals, for voting in comminists to run the state. The pending civil war is all your fault, and it will not end well for anyone, especially you.
In order to implement a Socialist Government, the people have to be disarmed so the new Regime can rob the people of their property. Their continual struggle to obtain the nations wealth demands that the people obey. The quest to transform capitalist property into social property will be the outcome if they succeed. A Socialist Offensive seems to have been givin the green light…..
Gun control or whatever catchy name the Leftards impose upon the infringement is UnConstitutional,so yes nothing justifies it’s imposition.