GUN OWNERS TO BE “OUTED”
After a lengthy legal battle the Oregon Appeals Court has ordered the Sheriff of Jackson County to turn over the names, addresses and phone numbers of concealed handgun license holders to the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper. You can read the decision here.
The paper demanded the names in an effort to “out” teachers who had CHL’s.
The paper initiated their demands after a local teacher was harassed and threatened by the Medford School District when they learned she had a permit to carry a concealed firearm.
In an effort to learn the names and addresses of other teachers who had CHL’s, they demanded that Sheriff Winters turn over the personal information of CHL holders to the newspaper.
Winters refused and the Tribune sued him to get this personal information. The lower courts decided that the Tribune should have the names, which they would be free to publish.
Winters continued to refuse to disclose the sensitive information and the case was appealed.
The Appeals Court has ruled in favor of Bob Hunter, the Tribune’s editor. Now the Tribune is free to disclose the names, addresses and occupations of CHL holders in Jackson County.
In 2009, Representative Kim Thatcher introduced a bill to protect this information, understanding that Oregon’s “open records” law was intended to keep the records of the government’s actions available, not the records of law-abiding Oregonians who are compelled by law to share their private data in order to exercise a “right”.
Her bill, which had over 40 co-sponsors, was shot down by the intervention of one Bend House Rep, Judy Stiegler, who, after torpedoing the bill with amendments that essentially gutted it, blamed voters for the bill’s failure.
On another note, it is possible that the NRA-sanctioned “Disclose” bill may be up for a vote as soon as tomorrow. This bill would silence almost every pro-gun group, except the NRA, who have promised not to oppose it as long as they are “carved out” of its mandates.
Consider this. The bill is in response to a Supreme Court ruling stating that much of the “McCain Feingold” anti free-speech bill is unconstitutional. After that ruling, the Democrats in Congress sought to once again silence anyone who opposed an incumbent.
The NRA signaled their opposition to this bill until a deal was made to exempt them. They then agreed not oppose the bill, throwing all other pro-gun organizations under the bus. That much is not at issue. What continues to amaze us is that the NRA says they were very vocal opponents of “McCain Feingold” yet they are now the biggest cheerleaders for John McCain’s reelection.
McCain was part of a three million dollar campaign to cripple gun shows in Oregon. Does this make sense to you?