05.01.2023
Today, after a lengthy, tearful, and brutal floor session, Oregon’s House passed the grotesque HB 2002, a bill so extreme it’s received national attention and derision.
It passed with 100% Democrat support and opposition from 100% of House Republicans.
While there were many procedural motions and countless impassioned speakers by Republicans opposing the bill, in the end the bill passed because the Republicans were there to provide quorum.
The bill now heads over to the Senate.
Tomorrow, the House will be debating HB 2005.
HB 2005 will decimate the rights of concealed handgun license holders, crush the gun rights of young adults, and effectively outlaw all AR style firearms. The bill redefines “receivers” to mean the previously unregulated “upper” part of AR style firearms. Since those parts are not typically serialized they will now be contraband. Ironically, the part of the legislature thought they were regulating, unfinished AR lowers, are not in any way impacted by this demented legislation.
( It’s beyond ironic that HB 2005 eliminates the rights of 20 year olds to own firearms while 2002 allowed ten year olds to make life changing decisions about permanent changes to their bodies.)
HB 2005 will almost certainly pass by the same margins in the House tomorrow as 2002 did today. All Democrats will support it and all Republicans will oppose it. But the Republican opposition and the impassioned speeches and motions that will be made to stop it won’t make any difference. The House Republicans will be on the floor in sufficient number to provide quorum and guarantee passage.
Then, like 2002, HB 2005 will be sent over to the Senate. And that will be the last chance to kill it. So, while we wished the House Republicans valued the rights of Oregonians over their personal comfort, it’s now in the hands of the Oregon Senate Republicans.
So, please consider one last phone call to Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp to remind him that gun rights in this state are in the hands of the people in his caucus.
Remember, the last walkouts were lead by the Oregon Senate, with the Oregon House Republicans, under the “leadership” of Christine Drazan, only joining the walkout after being dragged kicking and screaming into the fight. In the subsequent session, none of them walked out and they allowed the Democrats to completely control the agenda.
So while the noose is certainly tightening, the Oregon Senate Republicans still have the means to stop this attack.
Meanwhile, the two anti-gun bills still in the Senate, SB 348, and the amended SB 393, are still sitting in committees waiting for… well, we don’t know what they are waiting for. But we can promise you the Democrats will be moving them forward when it best benefits them.
Please contact Knopp by phone today. Leave a message if no one answers.
Thank you.