ANTI GUN AVALANCHE
Our previous alert was a mere downpayment on what’s now coming.
Aside from the bad news in that alert, we can now confirm that next Wednesday, March 22, the Oregon House Judiciary Committee will be hearing and preparing to move three extreme, unconstitutional, and dangerous bills.
HB 2005 bans privately made firearms, which of course, are perfectly legal under current Oregon and Federal law. There are NO grandfather provisions in the bill. If you possess a firearm you legally made, that does not have a serial number engraved by a manufacturer or gunsmith, you will be a criminal, period.
There is no lawful way to add a serial number to any firearm you have already made. While a licensed gunsmith can take possession of a home made firearm to put a serial number on it, the owner of the gun may not lawfully deliver it.
HB 2006 Prohibits 18,19, and 20 year olds from owning any modern firearm. That includes any firearm they lawfully bought and currently own. There are no grandfather provisions. If a person under 21 lawfully owns any modern firearm they will be criminals when this bill goes into effect, period. This is not a ban on future sales or transfers. It is an outright prohibition and government theft of private property.
HB 2007 Creates vast and undefined “off-limits” locations for CHL holders. Any government entity of any kind can not only declare its property off limits to law-abiding gun owners, but extend that to “adjacent” grounds which could mean anything. A city hall could declare a nearby grocery store off limits. It will be a crime to pick up or drop off a person at the Portland Airport even if you never leave your car. A drive through any metropolitan area will make you a criminal countless times over.
All of these bills are scheduled for hearings on March 22nd at 5pm. Earlier that day, at 8am, the committee will hold “informational hearings” on the bills which will only include “invited testimony.” Not you.
You can use this link https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/HJUD/2023-03-22-17-00/Agenda to sign up to testify in person or remotely (in the evening long after the “invited testimony” has wrapped up with no time limits) for all three of these bills.
If you want to upload written testimony you can use the same link. Just click on the bill number, and then above that, in the tool bar at the top of the page, click on “Submit Testimony.”
The chairman of the committee, and the person responsible for pushing these bills, is Democrat Jason Kropf. Kropf alone decides which bills move forward. He has already locked down the votes of the other Democrats on the Committee and almost certainly has promises from all the other House Democrats to vote in favor of these outrageous, unconstitutional, and hateful bills.
You can contact him here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kropf
Kropf, and his fellow leftists are determined to steal the property of law abiding Oregonians and render them defenseless while his party does all it can to flood our streets with violent criminals.
Now on to the Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has its own anti-gun bills in the works. These are being pushed by perennial gun hater and far left extremist Floyd Prozanski.
On March 27, at 1pm the Senate Judiciary Committee has anti gun bills scheduled for hearings.
SB 348. While the bill’s summary says “Directs Department of Justice to study ways to address unlawful possession of firearms, and to provide results of study to interim committees of Legislative Assembly” that’s also almost all the bill says. The problem is the “relating clause.” And THAT, is “relating to firearms.”
Bills that direct any state agency to conduct virtually any study are “placeholder” bills designed to be “gut and stuffed” at the last minute, and this is a prime candidate. They have not yet revealed what they plan to stuff it with, but keep an eye on it. It’s almost certainly coming.
SB 527 “Allows” a gun dealer to refuse to sell to anyone under 21. While we think any dealer who wants to snub lawful gun buyers has the right, and we have the right to shop elsewhere, we think this bill is a gateway to mandating it. And given the House’s intention to ban possession for anyone under 21 it should be watched.
You can sign up to testify for either of these bills, remotely or in person here https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/SJUD/2023-03-27-13-00/Agenda .
As noted above, you can also use that link to submit written testimony by clicking on the bill number and going to “Submit Testimony” at the top of the page.
As always you should contact your own representatives. You can use this link to connect with them:
https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=fd070b56c975456ea2a25f7e3f4289d1
You can view this alert in a browser here: https://www.oregonfirearms.org/gun-ban-avalanche
03.13.2023
The lawsuits against Mz 114 continue to wind their way through the courts. And, to no one’s surprise, the legal bills keep rolling in.
As the lead plaintiffs on the federal lawsuit against 114, OFF has two attorneys doing all they can to craft the best case possible. But, as you well know, legal help is expensive. Anything you can do to help fund this critical battle is greatly appreciated.
You can donate safely online here: https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx
That link includes a mailing address if you prefer to donate through the mail, but please note, we have been seeing delays in mail delivery of up to a month here. Sometimes checks sent through the mail never arrive. We have had no issues with online donations ever.
Our case in Federal Court is now due to be heard in June. The court has changed the date several times complicating our efforts to schedule expert witnesses and adding to our cost.
The state has no similar problems because they have your money and can (and will) spend as much of it as they like.
We anticipate that depositions may begin soon.
Once the case is heard we believe there is a significant likelihood that the Federal Judge will find against gun owners, as she already has in our efforts to get a emergecy injunction. She decided that she will not even hold a hearing on a “preliminary injunction” and will go directly to a trial on whether or not 114 is constitutional. Her purported reasoning was that since a state judge had already ordered an injunction there was no need for her to consider one.
Of course, that ignored the reality that while it was true that a state judge had put a hold on 114, the Department of “Justice” was doing all it could to overturn it.
We have always assumed that the battle would have to be decided in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. So we are quite prepared for the Federal judge to declare that an almost certain end to gun sales in Oregon, and a ban on firearms feeding devices, is somehow constitutional.
In the very unlikely event that the judge actually abides by Supreme Court precedent and declares 114 unconstitutional, there is no question that the state and the Department of “Justice” will appeal it themselves and so either way this will go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unless something totally unexpected happens. (Which is still possible.). So settle in, we are in it for the long haul.
In the parallel case playing out in State Court, the Judge has set a September date for a trial. The Department of Justice attempted to move that date up by months. And it’s no secret why. If the Harney County Judge declares that 114 violates the Oregon Constitution, the state will, of course, appeal.
And let us not forget who sits on the Court of Appeals in Oregon. One Judge James Egan. In case you missed it, Egan believes that anyone who supports the Second Amendment is a racist, anti-semitic, white supremacist. And no, we are not exaggerating.
Egan’s outrageous and hate filled rant against gun owners was perfectly typical of leftist extremists, but coming from a sitting judge was truly chilling.
There is no possible way we can hope for a fair ruling in the Measure 114 state case if Egan is on the bench when the case is heard.
After we reported Egan’s bizarre and outrageous outburst, we heard from many who wanted to file a complaint against him.
We filed one. But we also reached out to the leaders of the Republican House and Senate Caucuses.
As you know, the Republicans are in the distinct minority. The one tool they had to keep the far left in check was the walk out, which in recent sessions they simply refused to use, telling us that if they did, there would be a ballot measure against walk outs. Well, as you know, even though they meekly sat by and let the Dems step all over them, there was a ballot measure to stop walk out’s anyway. And even though this was a fundamental, constitutional, and crucial tool for the minority party, they did not say a single word in opposition to the ballot measure and it passed. Which certainly made life easier for Republicans who don’t like to stand up.
So with limited tools, and the reality that if the Harney County Measure 114 case winds up in front of Judge Egan, gun owners are in real trouble, we simply asked Republican “leadership” if they would request their members to join in a complaint against Judge Egan.
We all know that there is no guarantee that any tactic is going to save the day. But a complaint against the despicable conduct of a rogue judge made by many elected officials would certainly carry more weight than the complaints of individuals or OFF as one of the organizations defamed by Judge Egan.
However, neither Republican Senate “leader” Tim Knopp, nor Republican House “leader” Vikki Iverson are interested. And while many Republicans continue to send out newsletters touting their commitment to gun rights, when given the opportunity to stand up, the Republican “leaders” sit down. One more time.
Given the bills that some Republicans are sponsoring, that they claim are pro-gun, but have neither read nor understand, it’s becoming more painfully clear every day that relying on Republican legislators will be a massive disappointment. For now, it’s up to us.
We are deeply grateful for your support and your continued commitment to the Second Amendment.
