Category: OFF Alerts

GET A UTAH CHL AND HELP A PRO-GUN CANDIDATE.

A MESSAGE FROM OFFPAC.

If you have been waiting to get an Oregon or Utah concealed handgun license, you can now take both classes and have a part of your class fee donated to the race for an extremely pro-gun candidate for county commissioner in Yamhill County. (Residents of any county are welcome of course.)  The candidate is Mary Starrett, sister of OFF director Kevin Starrett. She beat the liberal incumbent in the May election by 9 votes, but because of the tiny margin will be forced into a run off in November. Her opponent is a well funded establishment big government supporter. But you can help Mary, and yourself, by taking this excellent class. We have reproduced the announcement Mary’s campaign sent to us. By the way, $50.00 of the total will qualify for a tax credit on your Oregon tax returns for 2010. that’s a pretty good deal.

Obtain Your Certifications to Apply for Your Utah & Oregon Concealed Handgun Permits While Supporting a Pro-Gun Candidate!
When: July 21st, 6:00 pm (doors open @ 4 pm for fingerprinting)
Where: 116 – S. Elliot Rd, Newberg, 97132 (Off 99 W) Use mapquest.com for directions.
Take Your Utah (permit valid in 28 States) and Oregon Concealed Handgun Class at the same time AND Support Mary Starrett’s runoff campaign for Yamhill County Commissioner.
This is the class that will teach you everything you should know about the Utah Concealed Firearms Permit. The obtained certification will allow you to apply for a Utah CFP (good in 28 states) but also for an Oregon Concealed Handgun License. Fee is $100/per student for both certifications plus we will provide you with passport photos and the required fingerprinting that you need to send to Utah for your permit (all included in the $100 class fee).  To apply for your Oregon CHL, you’ll need to contact your county sheriff and apply in person in their office.

Classroom will be open from 4PM and we will be taking fingerprints and photos at that time. It is okay if you can’t make it in that early, but class will start promptly at 6pm and go to about 10:30pm. Join Mary Starrett and  Executive Director of Oregon Firearms Federation, Kevin Starrett, for a special address at 5:45 pm.
Your registration is only valid after we received your payment and you must pre-register online at www.mktactical.com (Click on ‘Classes’, then ‘Calendar’, then click on the July 21st event) or go to:  http://www.mktactical.com/calendar.cfm

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to fill all fields and enter your full middle name.
Questions? Please call (503-577-6824) or email Michael Knoetig at  Michael@MKTactical.com

Please send your check or money order for $100.00 made payable to:
Friends of Mary Starrett 35775 Smith Road Newberg, OR 97132
Or pay by credit card online at:
http://www.starrettforcommissioner.com/Donate-Now.aspx

***Special note: Approximately 100 or so flyers were distributed with the initial date of June 30th. Due to scheduling conflicts, that date needed to change to July 21st. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thank you for your support and we are looking forward to meeting you in class.

***Special thanks to Michael Knoetig and MK Tactical for taking their time to teach this class and thanks to the many volunteers who helped make this possible.

A Fairview City Councilor and OFF supporter is under  attack for, of all things, exercising his rights.

Ken Quinby , a long time supporter of the Oregon Firearms Federation, has a concealed handgun license. That makes some of his fellow councilors “nervous.”

Barbara Jones, another council member said  “I understand the Second Amendment allows you to bear arms; however my ‘pursuit of happiness’ and ability to live my life safely seems to be taking a back seat to those who run around with concealed weapons,”

” Run around with concealed weapons?”  What planet is she living on? Apparently the same one Council member Larry Cooper is. “I agree and have felt that way for a long time,” he said in an e-mail.  Now some council members want to do yet another end run around Oregon law and try to ban lawful carry in the City Hall for council members!

If they are successful, this will be one more nail in the coffin of our disintegrating “preemption law.”

Please contact the City Council and remind them that any effort to further erode the Second Amendment in Fairview will NOT be accepted.The email contact for Fairview City Council is council@ci.fairview.or.us

State Police Seek Huge Fee Increases  Exercise Your Rights.

Today, the Oregon State Police held their first “fee review” meeting to discuss their proposals for fee increases for background checks.

As you would expect, gun owners are being asked to subsidize most of the OSP’s budget with fee changes of twice to almost three times current charges.

The OSP has suggested that gun purchase background check fees go from $10.00 to $28.00, almost tripling the cost of a mandated background check for a gun purchase.

The fees for fingerprints for a concealed handgun license will be doubled from $15.00 to $30.00

Most states charge nothing for a background check for a firearms purchase. Furthermore, those states that use NICS as their “point of contact” do not record any information on the make, model, caliber or serial number of the gun. Oregon does record this information, charges a fee, and has used their database against gun owners when no crime was committed and no criminal investigation was on-going.

Some have suggested that they do not want the Feds doing the background checks in Oregon because they don’t trust them. But the fact is, the Feds are already involved in our background checks because the State Police check with NICS as part of their investigation. So why are we paying twice (once through the fee and once through our taxes) for a “service” we should not be compelled to submit to and certainly should not have to pay for?

The State Police told us that gun background checks make up about 23% of the checks they do. But at the new suggested fee, they would be collecting almost $9 million dollars from gun owners in every biennium just in background checks for gun purchases. This does NOT include the fees they would collect from people applying for CHL’s at the new doubled rate which would be about $819,420.00 in 2011.

The State Police have stated that their required budget for the 2011-2013 biennium is about $17 million. So gun owners will be asked to pay more than half of the budget for less the one quarter of the checks. This is clearly outrageous.

Gun owners are not getting a “service” from the State Police. They are compelled to pay these taxes to exercise a “right.”

We strongly recommend that you attend one of the fee review meetings, if you can, to express your opposition to fee increases.

You can see the proposed fee increases here.

You can see a schedule of “fee review” meetings here.

You can get more details about the OSP background checks here.

If you cannot be at one of these meetings, please contact the OSP ID unit to express your opposition to these giant tax increases.

You may e-mail:

David Yandell david.c.yandell@state.or.us

or

Patricia Whitfield patricia.whitfield@state.or.us

WYDEN JOINS ANTI-GUN FANATIC MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

New York’s “Mayor for Life” Michael Bloomberg, is on a personal crusade against gun ownership. But not just in the paradise he runs. He wants to attack gun ownership nationwide.

In his “Blueprint for Federal Action,” Bloomberg’s screed against gun rights, he expresses his support  for Senate Bill 843, a bill to end private sales at gun shows nationwide.

But Bloomberg has no problem with guns for himself.  In a New York Times article we learn;

“The mayor also takes along a police detail when he travels, flying two officers on his private plane and paying as much as $400 a night to put them up at a hotel near his house; the city pays their wages while they are there, as it does whether Mr. Bloomberg is New York or not. (sic) Guns are largely forbidden in Bermuda — even most police officers do not use them — but the mayor’s guards have special permission to carry weapons.”

This level of hypocrisy will surprise no one. But Oregon Senators should not be part of this outrageous elitism.

Senator Ron Wyden is a cosponsor of this bill .

With a coming election, we think it’s important that gun owners in Oregon know where one of their Senators stands. Solidly with a millionaire eastern liberal whose hypocrisy is incalculable.

Take a look at our 2010 Candidate Ratings.

“FEE REVIEWS”

Notice of “Fee Review.”

Oregon Firearms has received a letter from the Oregon State Police alerting us to regional meetings that will be held to discuss fees charged by the OSP ID unit.

As you know, in many states, background checks for firearms’ purchases are done by the Federal government. There is no fee for this check. However, in Oregon, the State Police do background checks for gun buys and charge $10.00

The State Police are now “reviewing” those fees. There is no reason to believe they are coming down.

Unlike many checks performed by the OSP ID unit, the checks done on gun buyers are not a “service” that is voluntary. Lawful gun buyers have no choice about subjecting themselves to this check along with the fee, and the data kept by the state police has been misused. In fact, recently the Attorney General has informed the OSP ID unit that, as a result of the David Pyles incident in Medford, they may no longer disclose info they collected during gun purchases.

We recommend that you attend one of the regional meetings.

OFF opposes any increase in fees. If the OSP cannot afford to conduct these checks we believe they should be handled by the Feds, as they are elsewhere, for no charge.
For more info on the meetings please use this link.

Imagine your telephone ringing in the middle of the night.  The caller informs you that he is a police officer. He wants to “get you the help and appropriate resources you need.” But wait, you have not asked for any help, don’t need any help, and certainly don’t want this “help” in the middle of the night.

But this offer of “help” and “appropriate resources” is an offer you can’t refuse. You see, your home is surrounded by SWAT teams from multiple jurisdictions. There are men in helmets with machine guns everywhere. Snipers are aiming at your home. You are told to come outside. You are promised you won’t be arrested, handcuffed or removed from your property. You are told your possessions will not be confiscated. The friendly paramilitary troops outside your house just want to chat with you.

Any rational person would recognize the danger in refusing the orders of dozens of heavily armed cops.

You leave your home and immediately you are handcuffed at gunpoint and taken to a mental hospital for a “psychological evaluation.” The police enter your home without a warrant, without permission, without probable cause and confiscate your firearms.

You have NOT been “arrested” so you have no right to an attorney. You have no right to remain silent. You are subjected to a “hold.”  You can be held for up to 180 days. You can be medicated against your will. Your crime?  The lawful and state-approved purchase of firearms.

None of this is fiction or speculation. It happened to an Oregonian on March 8th. This is the new face of “gun control” in the age of Obama. Buy a gun, go to a mental hospital.

David Pyles of Medford Oregon purchased several firearms between March 5th and 7th. In Oregon, a firearms purchase made through a dealer requires the approval of the Oregon State Police. David received approvals for all purchases, but it was these legal purchases that the police used to justify the raid on David’s home and the state-sponsored kidnapping that followed.

Shortly before David made these purchases, he had been put on “administrative leave” from his job at the Oregon Department of Transportation. He was involved in a dispute with a superior which he was attempting to resolve though normal channels and union procedures when he was told he would have to work from home.

His gun purchases were long planned and the result of some extra cash he had on hand because of a tax refund. David already owned other firearms. But the State Police, after approving his purchases, contacted local law enforcement in what, at this time, appears to be a blatant violation of the law. And because his employer accused him of being “disgruntled,” his perfectly legal gun buys became the excuse for an unlawful and unwarranted attack on his freedom and property.

A few hours after being dragged to an involuntary “psychological evaluation” David was released following clinical psychiatric evaluation which determined he was sane, of no threat to anyone, and of no threat of harm to himself. But the police kept his guns. At first, he was told he would have to wait 2 to 4 weeks to get his confiscated property back, but widespread attention and outrage by media and bloggers forced the police to return his guns.

His employer meanwhile posted notices warning other workers to run away if they saw David and call police. They also said David had made no threats to anyone.

David broke no law. He committed no crime and threatened no one. Yet, with no warrant and no probable cause, David was dragged off into the night by heavily armed troops with no legal authority to do so and he was given none of the protections a common thief would get from the legal system.

We cannot say how his life will be affected by this incident, especially now that, thanks to the NRA and the Brady Campaign joining forces, “mental health” records are being sent by the states to the Obama administration. We do know that this is a very dangerous situation and one the police have refused to explain or justify.

You can read an excellent and in depth review or what happened to David here and here. You can listen to an audio version here.  You can download an in-depth analysis of the dangers of these kinds of raids here.

The Oregon Firearms Federation has been in contact with David since soon after the incident. He as recently expressed an interest in getting some assistance in his legal battle to hold the various actors in this chilling fiasco accountable.

This is a case with nationwide implications. All gun owners, in fact all Americans should be horrified and fearful of the”Minority Report” implications of taking someone by force in the absence of any crime or even an indication that a crime was planned.

What the gun grabbers have failed to achieve legislatively, they are trying to do the old-fashioned  Soviet way. Just claim you’re mentally ill and “not cooperating.” Adding insult to injury, The Medford Mail Tribune, best known for its efforts to acquire the names and personal information of area gun owners, has published an editorial praising the actions of the police.

If you would like to assist David in his battle against this outrageous deprivation of his rights, the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation has set up a fund for him. You may make a tax deductible donation to the Foundation or if you prefer, you can make a donation directly to David.
David Pyles
c/o the “David Pyles Legal Defense Fund”
P.O. Box 2765, Portland, OR 97208

If you choose to donate through OFEF you can donate by check to :
Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation
PO Box 556
Canby OR 97013

Be sure to note that your donation is for David.

If you would prefer to make a secure donation online, you can safely do so at this link. Under “Donation Type” be sure to pick Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation and make a note that your gift is for David’s defense. Clearly this kind of abuse must be stopped. We are all at risk. Thanks for your support.

SB 1064 Turned Into Pro-gun Bill And Passed.
You People Are Amazing.

SB 1064, which began life as a poorly drafted bill, misunderstood by
everyone, was amended in committee today and passed through both
chambers without a single “no” vote anywhere.

This is a truly astonishing testimony to your hard work. At the
beginning of the session no one could have predicted a victory of
this magnitude. Your tireless efforts turned a very bad bill into a
very good bill. Anti-gun legislators in both Houses voted in favor of
gun rights because of the unending heat you put on them.

Senator Ginny Burdick rose on the Senate floor to complain that she
was forced to vote on the same side as the gun lobby.

All in all, an amazing victory. Already the media is misreporting
the facts of the law and the vote.

But never mind. You did it. You won.

We’ll have more details later, but for now, know that the work you
did had a profound effect.
Thank you.

HOLD EVERYTHING!!

If you’ve ever doubted that your hard work mattered, the events of today should set your mind at ease.

SB 1064, a bad and unnecessary bill was in the express lane to passage. The Senate rammed it through with no debate and no public notice on an almost party line vote last night. But now it looks like your tireless efforts are paying off.

We are NOT out of the woods yet, but tomorrow the House Rules Committee will be hearing amendments to this awful bill that could change everything and actually make the bill deserve gun owner’s support.

Tomorrow the House Rules Committee will be considering the “Dash-1” amendments and if they are adopted, all of the offensive language of the bill will be gone.

We still have a way to go, but we have been clearly informed that the volume of mail you have generated is turning the tide. So never give up, never.

If you read this alert before 2:10 PM on Wednesday Feb. 24th, please send a simple message to the members of the House Rules Committee. “The Oregon Firearms Federation and I support the Dash-1″ amendments to SB 1064.”

We are not quite at the finish line, but things changed considerably today.

Contact info for the Rules Committee follows:

Arnie Roblan, Chair
503-986-1409
rep.arnieroblan@state.or.us

Vicki Berger, Vice-Chair
503-986-1420
rep.vickiberger@state.or.us

David Edwards
503-986-1430
rep.davidedwards@state.or.us

Bill Garrard
503-986-1456
rep.billgarrard@state.or.us

Chris Garrett
503-986-1438
rep.chrisgarrett@state.or.us

Sara Gelser
503-986-1416
rep.saragelser@state.or.us

Bruce L Hanna
503-986-1407
rep.brucehanna@state.or.us

Bob Jenson
503-986-1458
rep.bobjenson@state.or.us

Mary Nolan
503-986-1436
rep.marynolan@state.or.us

Tobias Read
503-986-1427
rep.tobiasread@state.or.us

You can also use this link to reach your own House Rep with the same message.

Senate Bill 1064 will most likely be on the Senate Floor tomorrow.

The few pro-gun Democrats are taking tremendous pressure to support it.

SB 1064 reverses the gains we made in fixing an error in Oregon law.
The new, corrected law has been in effect for less than two months,
and already the anti-gun majority is working overtime to overturn it.

Of course, no one has articulated a single problem with the current
law. The scare tactics of the Department of Justice have been working
though and the hysteria that felons will walk out of prison and be
handed guns has been taking its toll.

All the current law does is allow a person with felony convictions to
REQUEST approval of firearms rights restoration.
Under SB 1064, a person who gave a gun to a family member in another state and was then convicted of a FELONY for that transfer, can NEVER request
firearms rights restoration.

SB 1064 is a dreadful step backwards. We must do everything we can to
stop it. If it passes on the Senate floor tomorrow, it will go
quickly to a House Committee, either Rules or Ways and Means. That
means we need to contact both Senate AND House members as soon as
possible.

Things are happening so fast now, it’s very possible that whatever   House Committee the bill is assigned to will hear it tomorrow, should
it pass on the floor.

Please, as quickly as possible, Contact your Senator and House Rep
with the simple message, NO ON SB 1064.

Thank you for your continued activism on such short notice,
Use this link to contact your reps.

ADDED LATE:

OFF ALERT 02.22.10 (A)
SB 1064 PASSES IN EVENING SESSION
The Oregon Senate suspended its own rules and voted on SB 1064
tonight shortly after 7PM.
There was NO discussion on the bill, and NO notice to the public. As
of the time this alert is being written, the legislative website
still shows no notice that the bill was to be heard.
The vote was almost party line. One Democrat was excused, (Bill
Morrisette) and one Democrat voted for gun rights and sanity. (Betsy
Johnson)
Otherwise it was right down party lines.
All Republicans voted for a rational law and all Democrats except
Betsy Johnson voted to return Oregon law to a totally unintelligible
mess.
The bill now goes to the House where it will end up in either Rules
or Ways and Means. Don’t give up.
The majority of Democrats went with the political winds instead of
common sense. But while things are moving at lightning speed, it’s
not over.
If you have not contacted your House rep, do so now. Message… “NO
ON 1064.”

SB 1064 RAMMED THROUGH.

SB 1064, the bill we warned you about in our earlier alert today, was rammed through the Senate Rules Committee today.  Many of you who received our last alert may have written to the committee AFTER the bill was heard. Notice given that the bill was going to be heard? 1 Hour.

Clearly scheduling bills to be heard in Committee with one hour’s notice is not conducive to constituent input. And that’s, no doubt, the plan.

The hearing was held at 2pm today and passed out of Committee on a party line vote. Republicans Atkinson and Ferrioli voted “no” with Ferrioli giving notice that he may substitute a “minority report.”  All three Democrats voted “yes.”

OFF was the only organization testifying in opposition, although we were able to deliver testimony on behalf of the NRA’s Oregon lobbyist who was unable to attend but also opposed the bill. In favor? Floyd Prozanski and “Oregon Gun Owners.”

Long time members may recall that “Oregon Gun Owners” was the group that drafted legislation to outlaw private transfers of firearms at gun shows and in some cases your own home.  When OFF defeated that bill in 1999, “Oregon Gun Owners” attempted to put a measure on the ballot to outlaw private firearms transfers at gun shows. That failed as well, but a competing measure sponsored by Ginny Burdick passed. “Oregon Gun Owners” once attempted to hijack OFF’s domain names until threatened with legal action.

We can only speculate as to why OGO has come out of the woodwork to promote another anti-gun bill.  They played NO part in the bill they are seeking to overturn and had no position on the basic issue of whether Oregon gun laws should make any sense.

What they HAVE done is give cover to the anti-gun politicians who can now say that a “gun group” supports overturning the progress we made with your help last year.

At this pace it is impossible to say when this bill will be on the floor. But it is possible that it may be there as early as tomorrow.

Please use this link to find your Senator. There is no time for any message except “NO ON SB 1064”

IT’S BACK. New Bill Introduced To Reverse Gains Made in 2009

SB 1008, a bill to reverse the gains made in the 2009 session was sent back to committee last week after it became clear no one understood it.

Now, a slimmed down version has been introduced. SB 1064 has been introduced and referred to the Senate Rules Committee.

The bill reverses SB 603, which passed in 2009.  603 corrected an error in Oregon law that said a person with a felony conviction could petition the courts to have his rights restored to purchase a firearm. But he was still prohibited from owning it!

603 passed both Houses without a single “no” vote. But now some are trying to reverse this commonsense correction. It’s interesting that the only part of SB 1008 which actually made sense, language which would have allowed for the lawful transport of firearms on motorcycles, has been removed from this new bill!

The scheduling in Salem has reached a level that can only be described as chaotic. Bills can be given hearings and voted on with virtually no notice.

There is very, very little time to contact the members of the Senate Rules committee and tell them not to approve any bills that make major reversals to the law  under these confusing and rushed circumstances.

Contact info and a sample message follow:

Richard Devlin, Chair
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1700
Email: sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us

Ted Ferrioli, Vice-Chair
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1950
District Phone: 541-490-6528
Email: sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us

Jason Atkinson
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1702
Email: sen.jasonatkinson@state.or.us

Ginny Burdick
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1718
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., S-213, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us

Rick Metsger
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1726
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., S-315, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: sen.rickmetsger@state.or.us

_____________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

I urge you to vote “no” on SB 1064.

SB1064 is a re-write of SB 1008, which caused considerable confusion when it came to the floor and was sent back to committee. Unfortunately SB 1064 removes the only language that made sense in SB 1008, the language which would have created a legal way to transport a firearm on a motorcycle. SB 1064 is a major change in policy and should not be rushed through in this hectic short session.

Yours,

______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

Newspapers Seek “Transparency”… And What Else?

Oregon’s Attorney General, John Kroger, has announced a series of public meetings to discuss “Government Transparency.”

We agree this is an important issue. In Oregon, legislation is often the subject of “amendments” that are not available to anyone, even legislators, until someone walks into a hearing and puts them on the table. This in spite of the definition of “public record” given by Kroger himself:

“With a few exceptions, all government records of any kind are considered public records. Specifically, a “public record” is any writing that contains information relating to the conduct of public business that is prepared, owned, used or retained by a public body.”

So while we are very supportive of making Oregon government as “transparent” as possible, we are concerned about whom the AG chose as a “partner” for these meetings. The Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association.

These are the folks who were the major force behind disclosure of the private information of those with concealed handgun licenses.

Although most sheriffs now refuse to reveal this information, the ONPA has made repeated efforts to force disclosure of this private and sensitive data. There is at least one lawsuit in process to force a sheriff to turn over this information to a newspaper.

Our position has always been that the records of persons with CHL’s should not be considered “government documents” or treated like information about government functions. They are, in fact, records created because of the demands of the state on those who simply choose to exercise their rights.

The AG is planning several meetings to take public testimony on the issue of public records and “transparency.” If you want to make your voice heard you can get more information here.

SB 1008 GOES BACK TO COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 1008 was returned to the Judiciary Committee today after a floor session that proved, once again, that no one understands it, least of all the person who is pushing it, Senator Floyd Prozanski. But there was plenty of confusion to go around.  (The one really bright note was Senator Jeff Kruse pointedly stating that the bill should not even be on the floor. He is to be commended for “getting it.”)

If you listen to the floor debate, (and we can’t really recommend that) it’s clear neither side of the aisle understands this bill, or the bill it is attempting to overturn.

Senator Prozanski, in his floor speech, repeatedly mischaracterized both the old law, and the corrections made in SB 603 in 2009. Frankly, after a year of explaining the law to him, we are just about  done with those efforts.

At this point the reason for the return to committee revolves around language in the bill dealing with transport of firearms on motorcycles, ATV’s and snowmobiles. One thing is certain, based on the history  of this tortured bill and the astonishing lack of understanding by the people who are debating it, any changes made when it goes back to Senate Judiciary will almost certainly make it worse.

We are pleased that at very least there was recognition of how bad this bill is, and suggest you continue to contact your State Senators and ask them to oppose SB 1008 should it get out of committee again.

You can use this link to contact your legislators.

A sample message follows:

______________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

It’s clear based on floor discussion of SB 1008, that there remains considerable confusion of what it does, and what the bill it reverses did.

I strongly urge you not to support any legislation in this short special session that has created so much misunderstanding. These matters are far better left to the full session.

Yours,

__________________________________

________________________________________________________________

SB 1008 Moves Out Of Committee

Senate Bill 1008 moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee today with both Republican Senators objecting.

As you know, SB 1008 is a 43 page bill, not counting amendments, that reverses SB 603 which took effect in January.

SB 603 originally dealt with creating a legal definition for the term “readily accessible” for the purposes of transporting handguns in vehicles.

Senator Floyd Prozanski added language to it that would correct the strange anomaly in Oregon law that allowed persons with felony convictions to petition the courts for the right to purchase a firearm, but still did not allow them to own it.

This was, we felt, a commonsense correction to an obvious error.

But now, as you know, Prozanski has reversed his position and is claiming he never wanted felons to be able to request rights restoration until at least 15 years had passed since they left parole or probation.

This element was never part of the bill, was never discussed and there were no objections to SB 603 which passed both Houses and was signed by the Governor. Prozanski has claimed that he and the House Judiciary Chairman knew there was something “wrong” with the bill before the Governor signed it.  He has not explained why no one asked the Governor to veto it.

It has become very clear that legislators are very confused by SB 1008. Some think it does the very thing it is overturning. But the same people who voted “yes” on SB 603, (a four page bill) and are now saying they didn’t understand it, are pushing for a 43 page “correction” that even its drafter admits is very confusing.

We believe if there are problems with the current law, that now, in a brief “special” session, is not the time to reverse a bill that passed without a single “no”  vote.  There is simply too much confusion, and there are no facts to indicate that the law, as amended by SB 603, is causing any problems at all. We doubt that the people who are now claiming to have misunderstood a four page bill can possibly understand a 43 page “fix” for a problem that may not exist.

Unfortunately, this is an election year and politicians are making decisions based on how things will play out in the media. Many legislators are afraid that if they oppose SB 1008, their challengers will claim that they want to hand out guns to felons. But everyone on both sides of the aisle voted in favor of the bill which some now seek to overturn.

SB 1008 is, frankly, a mess.  We recommend that you urge your Senator to wait until the full regular session before making a major reversal to a bill they all supported.  You can find your State Senator here.   He or she will be the second-to-last person listed.Or you can use this link to have your message sent directly to your own State Senator, even if you don’t know who he is.

If you use this link, be sure to check the box marked “State Senate.”

A sample message follows:

_________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

SB 1008 is a large, complicated and confusing “fix” for a problem that may not exist.

Prior to January and the implementation of SB 603, a person who had a felony conviction could petition the courts to have his rights restored to purchase a firearm, but he still could NOT OWN IT!.

SB 603 fixed that error. Now after less than two months in effect, you are being asked to reverse SB 603, which passed without a single “no” vote in either house, and replace it with SB 1008

I strongly urge you not to reverse your position on the current law and wait instead, until the full regular session where any problems that may exist with the current law can be discussed and fully understood. The “special” session is not the time to make a major policy change on an area of law that is so misunderstood.

Yours,

___________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(Going to be in the Roseburg area this weekend? Come and visit our table at the Roseburg Rod & Gun Club Gun & Knife Show. Roseburg, OR.
Douglas County Fairgrounds 2110 SW Frear Street, Roseburg, OR)