Oregon to Vote on One of the “Strictest Gun-Control Measures Ever Proposed in the Nation”

Oregonians will soon vote on a ballot measure that opponents say could virtually end the legal sale of firearms in the state, making it one of the “strictest gun-control measures ever proposed in the nation.”

“If voters approve Measure 114, the “Changes to Gun Ownership and Purchase Requirements Initiative,” a permit would be required to obtain any firearm, magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds would be outlawed, some commonly used pump shotguns would be banned because they can exceed the 10 round limit, and State Police would be required to maintain a searchable public database of all permit applications,” The Epoch Times reported.

Oregon Measure 114: the Nation’s Most Extreme Gun Control Proposal https://t.co/tNLlOjabJ6

— Fred (@Hotrod132369) August 1, 2022

https://twitter.com/LegendaryBdo/status/1553908248293453829

The Epoch Times explained further:

The measure would enact a law requiring a permit issued by a local law enforcement agency to purchase any firearm. Applicants would have to pay a fee, be fingerprinted, complete safety training, and pass a criminal background check.

In addition, the applicant must complete a hands-on demonstration of basic firearms handling to qualify.

“In order to obtain the permit, an applicant would have to show up with a firearm to demonstrate the ability to load, fire, unload, and store the firearm,” Williamson, an Oregon trial attorney specializing in firearms law, told The Epoch Times. “But you can’t get a firearm without the permit. And under Oregon’s highly restrictive gun storage laws, no one can legally loan a firearm to another. That creates an impassable barrier.”

Opponents claim that the permit and training programs also create an unfunded mandate with no enforcement measures.

“The measure calls upon the Oregon State Police to come up with these [permitting and training] programs, but there’s no consequence if they don’t, and there’s no timeframe for coming up with them,” argued committee member HK Kahng, an engineer and NRA firearms instructor, during the committee meeting.

Try An "Extreme Altitude Wine" ... From Patriot Wines

The measure does not estimate the cost or analyze its impact on small local police departments.

The Oregon State Sheriff’s Association has estimated that even if a person could somehow complete the required training, the permitting process could cost sheriffs almost $40 million annually. But nothing in the measure provides any funding, and the fees included would not come close to covering the costs.

Conservative Firing Line added:

Measure 114 also allows “unfettered authority to inquire into all manner of personal information of the applicant and to deny the applicant the permit for any reason or for simply failing to cooperate,” according to Leonard Williamson, an Oregon trial attorney. The recent Bruen Supreme Court ruling regarding this sort of thing should have slammed the door on this initiative before it even got off the ground.

Owners of magazines containing more than 10 rounds are allowed to keep them…except that it’s impossible to prove that it was purchased before the ban. So the person who owns it will have to prove their innocence when it should be the other way around (or they can turn it in to the local police). Measure 114 outlaws the use of a large capacity magazine for self-defense outside the home. They can only be used “on the owner’s property, at a gunsmith, on a private shooting range, or during a firearms competition.” So a 15 round magazine instantly becomes illegal once you step foot outside your home.

“I don’t think you’ll find any precedent in U.S. history in which a citizen has to go through so many hoops to exercise Constitutional rights. This is the first of its kind, and if it passes, it will wind up in court,” said Leonard Williamson, Oregon trial attorney.