Category: OFF Alerts

01.20.2025 

Today 4 years of disgraceful national criminal corruption came to an end.

Four years of graft, attacks on American patriots, weaponization of federal law enforcement, protection of foreign enemies, enrichment of corrupt oligarchs and silencing of dissent are ending.

The exiting administration is responsible for the bankrupting, imprisonment, and even deaths of countless good Americans.

The magnitude or their crimes can be measured by how many of the criminal participants were pardoned by the most corrupt President in American history.

The darkest days of America may well be behind us.

But while much of the country moved back towards sanity and common sense, Oregon and the rest of the west coast sank further into the lunacy of failed Marxist policies.

Aided by bags full of cash from drug dealers and an election system that registered thousands (that we know of) illegals, the Democrats increased their majority in the Legislature and have already promised to double down on their massively destructive agenda.

That agenda includes raising your taxes while promising to make Oregon more affordable, legalizing more crimes including theft, protecting criminals and doing all they can to make you less safe by crushing what’s left of your Second Amendment rights.

The Democrats have a long list of anti-gun bills in the works and more are coming.

The goal is to end the future sales of firearms in Oregon and restrict and punish gun owners who play by the rules.

Rest assured there will be no negotiating, no bargaining in good faith.  In spite of the shallow promises of “working together” the majority party plans to ram its agenda down the throats of Oregonians.  Having learned they can intimidate or buy off the Republicans they believe nothing stands in their way of creating the kind of dystopian nightmare that Los Angeles has become.

Make no mistake, the far left is in its death loop. The American people have finally tired of the abuse Democrat policies have heaped on them, but the left is not going quietly.  Governor Kotek and the Democrat regime are digging in their heels and planning to use every resource and millions in your money to impede efforts to end their lawless and destructive policies. 

Democrats have announced their plans to protect criminals who attack Oregonians and continue to spend millions in your money to implement gun restrictions already declared unconstitutional. With their complete control over the executive branch (aided by Republican legislators) the Democrats believe there is nothing to stop them. But there is.

The Republicans still have the ability to control the agenda.  While they pretend there is nothing they can do even while promising to “fight” if you’ll just “chip in,” the fact remains that nothing compels the Republicans to participate in this charade. They can leave whenever they want to. 

In past sessions the Republicans in the House refused to stand up for your rights by claiming that if they walked out there would be a ballot measure to punish walk outs.  And after staying behind and helping the Democrats pass more attacks on our rights, they got a ballot measure to punish walk outs.

Oddly, when that measure was on the ballot there was not a single argument against it in the voter’s guide. It was almost like they wanted it to pass. And in spite of the Republican “leadership’s” claim that voters don’t approve of walk outs, when the House DID walk out some years ago, every single Republican House Rep who walked out got re-elected.  And in the most recent election, two conservative Senators who walked out were replaced by their family members, proving that conservatives back people who stand up for them.

The reality is that legislators don’t lose their right to run for re-election by walking out. They lose it by having absences that the leadership will not excuse. When former Senate Leader Tim Knopp agreed to provide a quorum for the last failed session, he could have demanded that his Senator’s absences be excused.  But he refused and handed a massive victory to the far left at the expense of the most committed Senators in the Republican Caucus.

Now we expect the Republican leadership to claim they cannot walk out because of the threat of a change in the quorum rules. Well, it’s not a “threat” any more.

The Republicans can talk all they want about fighting, but the fact is as long as they continue to participate, Oregonians will continue to have the boot of the state on their throats.

Today was a great day for America. But make no mistake, the incoming administration, while a reason for hope, has a checkered record on gun rights.

From Trump’s ridiculous ban on bump stocks, to his comments about “taking the guns now, due process later”, to his Attorney General nominees dangerously mixed record on the Second Amendment, there are plenty of fights ahead for American gun owners.

In Oregon, the situation is far less positive.  With the Democrat promise of eliminating gun rights, all that we have is the willingness of Republican Legislators to stand up for us.

The current Sentate Republican Leader, Daniel Bonham, has walked out in the past. That is a good thing. But his peculiar willingness to buddy up to the man who ended his future in the Senate is disturbing.

“He said he has teased both Wagner and Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton, about how he wishes they weren’t so likable. “

Of course, the House Republican Leader, Christine Drazan, has regularly voted with the Democrats on some of their more absurd bills, lead the attack and removal of pro-gun House Rep Mike Nearman, and even supported a bill to protect one of Kotek’s staffers when she was arrested at an antifa riot. 

Drazan has proven over and over that she will capitulate and surrender when faced with a real battle. This is not good news but the simple reality is these two people have the ability to block the Democrat’s scorched earth policies of obstruction, corruption, and destruction.

Please take a moment to remind them that they were not elected to protect the Democrats.

Senator Dan Bonham

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bonham

Representative Christine Drazan

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/drazan

Oregon’s Democrats have released their “priorities” for this session, and if they were not actively crushing what’s left of the state, they would be hilarious.

A few of their supposed priorities along with reality:

“Priority:”

Making it easier for Oregonians to own a home.

Reality:

HJR 6. Statewide property tax

“Priority”:

Reducing crime and improving safety with a functional, fair, and accountable criminal justice system

Reality:

HB 2640. Essentially legalizes trespassing, driving while suspended, refusing to show up in court after arrest, refusing to register as a sex offender, spitting on police, and theft of food, tents, clothing, condoms and other things.

“Priority:”

Protecting Oregonians from gun violence.

Reality:

Preventing Oregonians from gun possession.

(Too many bills to list.)

“Priority:”

Ensuring election integrity and improving access to democracy.

Reality:

Thousands of illegals register to vote.

“Priority:”

Protecting our rights, including freedom of speech and the right to make personal decisions without government interference.

Reality:

The complete elimination of the right to protect yourself and loved ones.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

 

01.12.2025

The opening days of the legislative session start on Monday. We cannot sugarcoat it. This is going to be ugly.

If we have learned anything from the LA fires it’s that if you are relying on the state to protect you, you will wind up disappointed at best… but you could wind up dead. The fires in LA are not just a perfect storm of wind and fire, they are a perfect storm of greed and corruption.

Not only do LA residents have to deal with the loss of their homes, but having been disarmed by the state, they also have to deal with looters while defenseless. Make no mistake, that is exactly what the Legislature has in mind for you.

Like a psychotic but oversized 8 year old, the Democrats in the legislature are obsessed with stealing or breaking anything they can get their hands on. Their policies are designed to destroy what’s left of the state while forcing you to pay for the destruction even as they spew incoherent nonsense about making Oregon more affordable.  And rest assured, what’s left of your gun rights are top of the list for them to eliminate.

We are not exaggerating.  The first of what will be many more gun restrictions have already been introduced. 

Gun bans for 18-20 year olds.

Bans on specialty triggers.

Bans on concealed carry in all public buildings and property around them.

Waiting periods, new red tape for background checks, and of course, legislative implementation of Mz 114 which is still in court.  But believe it or not, they made it worse.  More than doubling the fees and doubling the time to issue “permits”. But don’t think we can just take this one to court.  The bill also requires that any legal action take place in the courts least likely to side with gun owners.  The deck is stacked and the dice are loaded. The Democrats have the majority and, infuriated by the election of Trump, are determined to crush gun rights in Oregon.

You can see the long list of anti-rights bills already on the agenda on the legislative website.

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1

In the upper right corner click on “Bills” and type “Firearms” into the search box. Click the box that says “Full Text” for a drop down menu of what’s coming so far. And that’s not even all of them.

There are a few bills to benefit gun owners, but there is zero chance of them moving in a legislature controlled by rabid and mindless leftists like Prozanski, Manning, Evans and Grayber.

They have declared war on us and frankly we’re outnumbered.

There is NO chance of negotiating with the Democrats and, as the Republicans SHOULD have learned, you cannot bargain with them in good faith. Tina Kotek demonstrated that in her now infamous “deal” with Christine Drazan.  But now, proving the Republicans have learned nothing, Drazan is back as House Republican Leader. You will recall that when she held that job before, she gave away the store to the Democrats while voting for almost all of their worst bills.  This is the “leader” the Republicans in the House chose, a “leader” whose main claim to fame was putting tampons in the bathrooms of kindergarten boys and then lying about it.

But it makes little sense to criticize the Democrats for attacking us. It’s like criticizing a hyena for wallowing in the blood of a kill. It’s just what they do. But once again we are faced with Republicans who have the power to stop all this insanity but show no signs of the will. The reality is the Republicans can still shut down the legislature if only they care more about Oregonians than they do about themselves.

The last few years have been one court battle after another, and while nothing is resolved, the legal bills are staggering.  Almost everything the legislature has in mind is unconstitutional. But those battles could take years with no guarantee of victory. While there have been many courtroom wins these last few years, immediate appeals and delays means little has changed.

We cannot rely on the courts to protect us from this latest round of attacks.

There is one line of defense this session.  Republicans who are willing to stand up. The past does not give us a lot of reason to be hopeful. But we simply must demand that they do not roll over or try to con us with phony photo-ops and theater.  This is going to be a rough session.  So dig in.

We will be working every day to keep you informed of what is moving and who needs to hear from you.  But you can receive updates on any legislation that concerns you directly from the legislature via email.

You can use this link to subscribe to legislative updates. https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORLEG/subscriber/new

There you can sign on for updates from any legislator you chose, get updates on any committee you want to follow and news of any bills you want to track, and because of legislative deadlines you will not be subjected to the daily requests for money from Republican legislators who were still asking for donations long after the elections were over.

If you want to get even more involved in changing the direction of Oregon, consider joining with our friends at the Oregon Citizens Lobby. See this link for more info: https://oregoncitizenslobby.org/volunteer/

 

What’s Coming

 

12.13.2024

While it is always a risky business to make predictions in this tumultuous political environment, you don’t have to be Nostradamus to see that 2025 is going to be a very bad year for gun owners (and gun dealers) in Oregon.

The reappointment of Christine Drazan as House Minority Leader signals the House Republican’s total surrender to the Democrat agenda.

The newly appointed House “leadership” team does not include a single committed fighter.

The Senate Republicans once again chose as their Deputy Leader, David Brock Smith. Smith, you will recall, insisted on remaining on the Senate Floor even as some of his more principled colleagues walked out.  Smith’s main interest as a legislator has always been…Smith.  Holding onto his office and being able to funnel taxpayer money directly into his own pocket is far more important to Smith than the wellbeing of his constituents.

So what can we expect?

On Wednesday the Democrats introduced the first of their anti-gun bills for the 2025 session.

These two identical bills were introduced in the Senate and House Judiciary Committees as “Committee Bills”.  This is how legislators get bills through the process without having to put their names on them.

You can see the two drafts here and here. (They are the same bills.)

These two bills are “place holders” designed to be “gut and stuffed”.  All that will remain will be the “relating clause” which is “Relating to Firearms.” 

The rest of the language will be removed.  We believe these bills will be vehicles used by the Oregon State Police to impose extensive new obstacles to completing firearms transfer background checks.

Essentially we expect Governor Kotek to use the State Police to enact into law, a whole host of new restrictions and complications. Many of the tactics that the OSP uses now to prevent transfers from taking place will be codified into law so transfers (which for many are already a nightmare) will take longer and be more complex for everyone.  No doubt the OSP will demand an end to the law that allows for transfers after three days if they don’t do their job and likely a request for lengthy “waiting periods” for all transfers.

If you look at cartel media outlets you may have noticed that many of them are issuing press releases for anti-gun groups disguised as “news”.

These releases revolve around the false stories anti-gun groups are pushing to shut down gun stores by implying that some dealers are regularly providing guns to criminals.  Of course the “research” these groups provide to illustrate their lies are “reports” they created themselves. 

In a recent press release authored by anti-gun hack Maxine Bernstein of the failing Oregonian, she unwittingly noted in her story that the ATF themselves refute the “statistics” in the fake reports by the anti-gun groups. But the reality that multiple legacy “news” sources are issuing these deceitful releases is a good indication that the left is planning new attacks on firearms dealers.

FFL’s should prepare themselves for legislation to throttle them and push onerous new restrictions on them in an effort to force as many as possible out of business.  We predict new and complex rules on employees, security, and likely demands for costly video recording.

Given past efforts, we also anticipate that the legislature will try to impose all the unconstitutional provisions of Measure 114 that are currently held up in court.  Nothing stops the politicians from implementing laws they know are unconstitutional.  They can do what they want. It then becomes the job of the victims of their legislation to spend millions in court to fight them.  If past is prologue you can also expect Senator Floyd Prozanski to include provisions that forbid Oregonians from challenging these measures in any court except one approved by… Prozanski.

The Democrats have increased their majorities in both Houses. Recent comments by Republicans indicate they plan to work with the Democrats instead of standing in their way.  Far left Senator Sara Gelser was just recorded gushing over her deep “friendship” with Republican Senator Tim Knopp who single handily engineered the Senate Republican’s collapse in the last session and praising  his son Reagan, who started a fake gun group to prop up bad Republican candidates.  The love fest continues and you are not invited.

But as grim as all this news is, remember that while Republicans don’t have enough votes to stop the new taxes the Democrats will be passing, they do still have enough votes to deny quorum and put the brakes on this insanity.  The ball is in their court.

Personally Made Firearm Lawsuit Update

12.10.2024

In the last legislative session the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2005 which outlawed the possession and creation of personally made firearms.

The bill was the result of a refusal by the Oregon Republicans to prevent its passage, something they inarguably had the power to do.

As a result, a practice with a long and honorable history is now a crime in Oregon.

Historically some of the greatest innovations in firearms technology have been the work of individuals working on their own. The manufacture of firearms by individuals has always been, and is still now, legal in the US. No permission from the government is required.

The Oregon Democrats, who never address real problems, chose to create one with their invention of the “ghost gun” hoax, the Oregon Republicans went along for the ride.

Now the simple process of building a firearm in your own shop or garage is illegal.

Along with our partners, the Firearms Policy Coalition, we filed a suit in Federal Court against this latest unconstitutional firearms ban. As you would expect (we certainly did) an activist judge immediately ruled against us using the standard baseless arguments that home made firearms are only used by criminals and that somehow, these guns, which are essentially identical to the most common commercial firearms, are “dangerous and unusual.”

On Dec. 6, we filed our latest motion in this important case.  You can see it here.

It’s both regrettable and absurd that we need to spend vast sums of money to protect our rights in the courts that are supposed to do that for us.  But we are now forced to ask gun owners to do the jobs their elected officials won’t do.

Immediately after helping to pass HB 2005, the Oregon House Republicans, led by Vikkie Iverson, staged a photo op on the Capitol steps holding a cardboard check for $25,000.00 and claiming that money would be used to fund a lawsuit against the bill they just helped pass.

Needless to say, it was all political theater. Aside from the obvious fact that $25,000.00 would be a drop in the bucket to fight a law in court, in reality it was all a scam and was soon washed down the Republican memory hole.

Ironically, the Iversons love to attack OFF for raising funds to fight the laws they help put in place, and for pointing out the hypocrisy of the Republican establishment. At the same time they rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking conservative Republicans themselves.

Of course, in addition to the money they make attacking principled candidates (even when their attacks fail) Vikki’s salary comes directly out of your pocket in tax money.  As does the salary for her new “chief of staff” Reagan Knopp. Knopp, you may recall, was the listed director of the sham group “Oregon Gun Rights” which was invented to create the illusion that certain spineless Republican candidates actually had gun owner’s support. Bryan Iverson, Vikki’s husband, took in almost $100,000.00 in tax payer funds as a “legislative assistant” in 2023 alone. Yet these people attack us for raising funds to protect the rights they have helped to destroy.

While we will continue to expose the hypocrisy of the sell out establishment, we will also make note of the ones who stand up. Although the sham photo op was designed to create the illusion that the House Republicans were “doing something”, one Oregon House Rep has made good on that pledge.

House Rep Ed Diehl recently donated $1000.00 from his PAC to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation for our endless legal battles. We thank him for his support and for serving as an example of an honest legislator.

While elected hacks and their families continue to attack us for raising funds to fight for your rights, the reality is we don’t have the ability to fleece the taxpayers.  Please consider donating whatever you can to help us do the job they won’t do.

You can make a secure online donation here. https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx

Donations to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation qualify for a tax deduction.

Thank you.

12.04.2024

There is still time to take advantage of Oregon’s Political Tax Credit.

Donations to our Political Action Committee may qualify for a credit on your Oregon taxes of up to $100.00. Please see this link for details or consult your tax advisor.

Because of the generosity of people like you, OFFPAC has been able to assist good candidates even when facing disgraceful attacks by people on their own “team.”

With the balance of power now solidly in the hands of the far left anti-gunners, and so few Republicans willing to stand up to their attacks, our ability to support the few good candidates is critical.

But we must receive your contribution by Dec 31st for you to take advantage of the credit for 2024. Postmarks don’t count and when you mail it does not count.  We have to have received it before the end of 2024.

We strongly encourage online donations to avoid any problems with mail delivery.

Remember, this is a credit, not a deduction, which means if you owe the state of Oregon money you can actually reduce the amount that goes to Kotek and the rest of the cabal that is working overtime to eliminate your rights, so your donation could cost you nothing.

Please use this link to donate to OFFPAC and be sure to pick “Political Action Committee” from the “Donation Category” drop down menu.

Thank you.

Out With The Old.

In With… The Old.

 

 

 

11.19.2024

The Oregon House Republicans have picked a new leader for the 2025 session.

And the winner is… Christine Drazan.

Just days ago, outgoing Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich said in a letter to colleagues :

“I thought of our caucus as a team and I was its captain. Instead, I found myself playing a solo in the band and my own teammates heckling me along the way.”

“What I was not prepared for, however, was the endless drama within the caucus. I went into the job expecting tough fights with Democratic leadership. Instead, the toughest fights were with the caucus and party.”

“If we want to win, we need to be united…”

Well Jeff had no reason to worry. In a press release dated Nov. 18, Drazan said:

“Our Caucus is united in our resolve to push for policies that put people before politics ahead of politics…”

Just like that, problem solved.

You will recall that under Drazan’s last reign of failure the Oregon House Republicans gave away the store to the Democrats, exiled their most committed and ethical member, (Mike Nearman) and humiliated themselves with a “deal” Drazan made with then speaker Kotek.  Kotek, of course, pulled the football away and screwed the Republicans. (In all fairness, the “deal” was a joke anyway and was essentially meaningless.)

Not satisfied with with those disasters, Drazan then called for a vote to censure Kotek. A move that had a 0% chance of success and a 100% chance of retribution. (Which would explain the comical and pathetic scene of Republican House Reps running for the door to avoid that vote.)

Drazan left her position to run for Governor.  She was replaced by Vikki Iverson who, while every bit as bad as Drazan, at least has found a way to make a pile of money off of other Republican candidates win or lose.  (Her husband was also half of the clown show called “Oregon Gun Rights.”  But that’s another grotesque story.)

After her defeat in the Governor’s race, Drazan told the Clackamas County Republican Chair that she was taking a break from politics. Before their coffee was cold she announced her bid to unseat James Hieb, the Republican who replaced her in the House.

In the spirit of protecting Republican incumbents, the House Republican Caucus immediately turned their attention to screwing over James Hieb…their incumbent.  Drazan was back.

Meanwhile, Jeff Helfrich had become the new leader. But there was never any question about him holding onto that job once it was clear that Christine was once again, in the game.*

Drazan has an almost perfect record of capitulating to Democrat demands and voting for their bills no matter how bad they are.

“I’m looking forward to fighting alongside them every day for a future that puts the people of Oregon ahead of political partisanship.” Drazan said of her colleagues in the press release.

“I am excited to support Christine as she leads our caucus and becomes the voice for common-sense Oregonians state wide.”  Helfrich replied, as he handed over the helm of the Titanic.  One big happy dysfunctional family again. 

This move makes the House Republican’s unconditional surrender official. At least now it’s on the record.

This means that once again we can expect no help from Republicans when the torrent of anti-gun bills start rolling in.

The Republicans will make a lot of meaningless noises, send out an endless stream of fundraising emails promising to fight back if they just have enough money,  the Democrats will reword one paragraph and the Republicans will declare victory.

There are only two things that are certain in Oregon in 2025.  Taxes and Republican surrender.

That means it’s up to us.  So buckle up folks, it’s going to be an eventful year.

* Drazan’s hilarious and deceitful protests aside.

“Drazan said she isn’t yet thinking about returning to caucus leadership or a future run for higher office. “I promise that I will talk about that when I’m ready to talk about it,” she said in an interview.”

 

The Dust Never Settles

11.08.2024

Your contributions to the Oregon Firearms Political Action Committee are more important than ever.

As you know, donations to our PAC may qualify for a tax credit meaning your gift to OFFPAC could cost you nothing. For details on PAC donations and credits please see this link or consult your tax advisor. Secure online donations can be made here: https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx

WHY IT MATTERS.

We have avoided the unthinkable.  The ascension of a low IQ quota hire to the White House could well have meant the end of the Republic. But even before all the results of this year’s election are in and counted the left has begun its expected drumbeat of hate and violence.

So there is still much to be done and while we can savor the 2nd Amendment victories in national elections let’s be cautious.

There is no question that a Harris victory would have been catastrophic, but Trump does have a history of making uninformed and bad decisions about guns. The recently defeated “bump stock” ban being the most prominent one.

Trump has taken some bad advice in the past, and his reliance on the NRA in that decision was just one example. The floundering NRA regularly endorses anti-gun candidates and its approval of bumpstock bans and “red flag” gun confiscations were typical of the kind of mixed messages that bedevil the gun rights community.  The federal judge who ruled that a state wide ban on gun purchases and a prohibition on virtually all firearm’s magazines was constitutional was a Trump appointee.

But it’s important to note that Trump does seem to be surrounding himself with a better class of people than in his first term and if he is wise he will take advantage of the work the Heritage Foundation has done in the last 4 years to find and vet high integrity candidates for positions in his administration.

The left has already proclaimed its determination to do all it can to undermine him and the recent actions of federal law enforcement agencies have demonstrated what he will be up against taking on the deep state.

But OFFPAC deals with Oregon races and issues, so why is your support so important?

Once again, we have seen that the biggest threat to committed, constitutional, Republican candidates is…the Oregon Republican Establishment.

And while we are pleased to be able to say that the very few candidates we could ethically support have won, it was in spite of the disgraceful efforts of the cabal of insider Republican grifters who worked overtime with the money from unsuspecting Republican donors to torpedo any candidate that stood up for your rights.

Not only did they do their best to crush good Republicans, one Republican “leader” actually worked to elect an extreme anti-gun Democrat.   Even after this duplicitous backstabbing the Republican Establishment protected House Rep Kim Wallan.

Let’s not forget that Wallan voted against an anti-gun bill because she didn’t think it punished gun owners enough!

The Cartel Republicans also joined together to throw pro-gun, Marine Corp Vet, James Hieb to the sharks to pave the way for the return of Christine Drazan. Drazan’s tenure as House Republican Leader was a carnival of capitulation to the far left.  Not only did the caucus abandon one of their most committed members, but the Clackamas County Party, which knows better than most what a disaster Drazan is and will be, refused to endorse Hieb’s candidacy sealing his fate to the lobby funded sell-out Drazan.*
*UPDATE. It should be noted that while the party voted against supporting Hieb, there were many patriots in the Clackamas Party that recognized the lunacy of supporting Drazan. In the end they were narrowly outvoted by the Cartel, many of whom rarely showed up to party meetings but were there to stick it to one of the most committed legislators in Oregon’s House.

The list of reprehensible dirty tricks by the “take the money and run” wing of the Oregon Republican establishment is too long to list. This was one of their most brazen and deceitful.

But while the results of this election in Oregon prove that no policy is too big a failure for the blue counties to embrace and repeat, the election of a handful of candidates is something to cheer about. 

Dwayne Yunker, (House 3), Noah Robinson (Senate 2) and Diane Linthicum (Senate 28) won handily even though the Republican establishment did everything it could to torpedo them.  We are pleased to have endorsed and supported them.  Alex Skarlatos won the House seat that was vacated when Christine Goodwin attempted to move to the Senate. Her loss to Noah Robinson and her replacement by Skarlatos was a double victory for anyone cheering for candidates of integrity.

Their victories tell a story you won’t hear from the regime media and you won’t hear it from the establishment Republicans.  The fact is, these people, and others in more local races, won because of the financial support of people like you and the tireless courageous work of the Josephine County Republican Party which refused to go along with the losing game and stood up for these candidates. 

In spite of the underhanded tactics of the frauds who brought vicious and deceitful attacks and created fake “pro-gun” organizations, the Josephine County Party stood strong, worked like crazy and elected people who actually stand for something. They should be considered a role model for county parties state wide. Rest assured the people they helped elect will be targets of the establishment and will need all the support we can give them. Skarlatos particularly, being new to Salem, will be under tremendous pressure to go along with the old failed guard. We cannot allow it.

The donations you give to OFFPAC go directly to solid candidates. They are not filtered through the caucus PACS who then distribute your money to candidates who agree to “play the game.”

That’s why your support is so important. You simply cannot rely on “insiders” to choose where your hard earned donations go. Back stabbers like Kim Wallan and gun control supporters like Kevin Mannix should not be getting the money you thought was going to pro-gun candidates.

The results of this election mean most of the same compromising Republicans and Marxist Democrats are returning to sell out your rights.  We must be able to support the few good candidates who are willing to fight the odds on your behalf.  Good principled candidates and legislators are facing attacks from both sides. Your support has been critical to show the honest few that they are valued.

Please consider a donation to OFFPAC and thank you for all you have done for freedom.

Secure online donations can be made here. https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx

A mailing address is included if you prefer to donate by check or money order.

10.30.2024

Mz 114 Appeals Court ReCap

 

If you missed yesterday’s Appeals Court hearing on Measure 114, you can watch it here:

https://oregoncourts.mediasite.com/mediasite/Channel/default/watch/0c96fdeaf26c44c9aaa42e84a0f83dbc1d

The court did not make a decision on the constitutionality of the measure and none was expected. This will probably take several months.  Meanwhile, the regime media continues to act as the propaganda arm of the state in its reporting about this clearly dangerous and unconstitutional measure.

Tony Aiello, the lawyer who argued on behalf of gun owners, once again, did a spectacular job.

Tony has demonstrated an outstanding grasp of the issue and is amazingly well prepared and articulate in his defense of our rights. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for a job well done.

As usual the state based its arguments on a passionate and determined refusal to read the very simple language of the Second Amendment and Oregon’s Article 1 Section 27.

As with state lawyers across the country, Oregon’s lawyer argued that nothing is protected unless it is “commonly used in self defense.”  Now keep in mind, they are not arguing that something can be used in self defense, they are arguing that if it’s not frequently used in self defense it’s not protected.

(And now, after decades of pretending that gun rights are only about hunting, the left is saying that hunting rifles are not protected!)

Of course, a child could read both the US Constitution and the Oregon Constitution and see that neither limits firearms to just self defense.  The Second Amendment refers to “militias” and the Oregon Constitution refers to defense of self and the state. It’s troubling that so many law school graduates struggle with reading comprehension.

The state takes the position that most self defense shootings involve fewer than 3 rounds and therefore there can be no defense of magazines that hold more than ten. (Of course, why not ban magazines that hold 3 or more?)

They argue that firearms do not require standard capacity magazines to function and limiting firearms to reduced capacity magazines violates no one’s rights. (As any gun owner knows, you can fire most guns with no magazine, so we should anticipate the next move on the state’s part will be to ban all magazines, which Mz 114 almost does already.)

They also argue that magazines have been used in the commission of crimes, therefore the state has an interest in banning them. The Supreme Court has already made it clear that this argument (no matter how absurd it is) cannot be used to justify an attack on constitutional rights.

But across the country, government agents have simply thumbed their noses at the Supreme Court and keep trotting it out.

One highlight of the hearing was when the state’s lawyer contended that magazines are not “arms” and therefore were not protected. One of the judges immediately responded that they were “components” of firearms, an observation few judges have made.  The state’s lawyer at first acknowledged that and then tried to walk it back. But it was an indication that the judges were paying attention and at least asking thoughtful questions.

As we have noted before, no matter what decision the court reaches, there is nothing to stop the Oregon legislature from simply enacting all these bans themselves. The legislature is free to enact clearly unconstitutional legislation and then simply say “sue us” and the whole circus begins again.

As you know, the Democrat candidate for Attorney General has stated in no uncertain terms that he intends to enact and defend as many attacks on gun rights as he can. The Republican candidate, Will Lathrop, has not taken a position on 114 in spite of numerous inquires from us and others.

UPDATE 11.01.2024. On the Bill Meyer show on KMED, Will Lathrop says he WILL defend MZ 114 and continue the state’s assault on your rights. In this interview Lathrop seems to believe the Oregon Court of Appeals has already ruled on this and found it constitutional!)

It’s safe to say that the battle for gun rights in an increasingly dangerous state will be going on for some time.  If you want to contribute to this battle you can make a donation directly to the lawyers fighting it. Please consider doing so.

Their contact info follows:
Tyler Smith & Associates PC
181 N Grant St Suite 212
Canby OR 97013
https://ruralbusinessattorneys.com/
www.givesendgo.com/StateCourt_StopMeasure114

Another Disgraceful Sell Out

10.24.2024

By now you should have received your ballots in the mail. If you live in Clackamas County, you may have the added convenience of having your ballot return envelope already sealed for you by the county clerk.

But wherever you are, you will have to face the grim reality that what’s left of your rights is in serious danger, and not just from Democrats.

Tobias Read is the Democrat running for Secretary of State. Read is a far left, extremist, gun banner as can be seen by his list of endorsements. It reads like a who’s who of Neo-Marxist, anti-2nd Amendment radicals.

Running against him is Dennis Linthicum.  Dennis has been one of the most stalwart defenders of gun rights and liberty in general.  As you probably know, Dennis gave up his right to seek re-election to his Senate seat when he refused to bow to the Democrats and walked out of the charade that is the Oregon Legislature. (His wife Diane is currently running for his Senate seat and is one of the very few candidates we can support.)

So it would seem like a no brainer that Republican legislators would be all in for Dennis.

Not so fast.

House Rep  Kim Wallan, Republican of Jackson County has now endorsed…Tobias Read.

Wallan, you may recall, chose to vote against Dacia Grayber’s anti gun bill because in Wallan’s view it did not punish gun owners enough.

To make matters worse, Wallan is the person who the Republican Party of Jackson County has given the power to pick candidates in that county. 

How can the county party, or the state party, continue to allow this kind of disgraceful behavior?  Is it because the Democrats control the money? Is it because the leaders of the elected Republican caucus are determined to torpedo any candidate with principles and are happy to spend your money to do it?

The Republican establishment in Oregon has, for all intents and purposes, ceded all control to the far left.

The Republican’s choice for Attorney General, Will Lathrop, refuses to say whether he will continue to spend your money to defend the clearly unconstitutional Mz 114 which 2nd Amendment advocates have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat.

Lathrop’s website says “Oregon’s attorney general must enforce our laws justly and without a political lens” but he won’t say whether he will keep spending your money to take your gun rights away should he win.

Compromise, capitulation, and straight up sell outs have become the hallmark of Oregon Republicans. Our choice for President is clear, but until the “leadership” of the Republican Party starts to call out people like Wallan, who is openly and unapologetically helping the people who are stealing our rights, Oregon gun owners are in serious trouble.

 

UPDATE 10.25.2024

The following X post is from Reagan Knopp.  Knopp is the son of the former Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, who set up his most conservative colleagues with a walk out that cost them their futures. After they walked out  Tim Knopp gave the Democrats everything they wanted, making the walk out a useless exercise.  Reagan Knopp, you may recall created a fake “pro-gun” organization along with the husband of  Vikki Iverson who was the House Minority Leader who sold out everything to the Democrats during her disastrous and failed tenure.  The only purpose for this fake group was to promote the Iverson family’s lackeys.  The rot in the Republican Establishment is deep.

Measure 114 Update

Lawyers, Guns, and…Money

10.11.2024

While our federal case to overturn the clearly unconstitutional Measure 114 continues to plod slowly through the 9th Circuit (a court determined to eliminate 2nd Amendment rights) the state lawsuit is moving ahead.

As soon as an Oregon Judge in Harney County declared the measure to be a fundamental violation of the Constitution, the state filed an appeal.

The Oregon political regime is working overtime, with your money, to end the sale of firearms. That is what Measure 114 does and all the lies told by its supporters and the cartel media echo chamber will not change that.

The date for oral arguments is Oct 29th.  Currently the panel of judges listed to hear the appeal does not include Jim Egan, whose demented rant against gun owners morally disqualified him from ever hearing a firearms related case. (Or any case really.) But that is no reason to relax.

No rational person could conclude that a law that essentially ends the sale and possession of most modern firearms and magazines could be constitutional. However that is exactly what judge Karin Immergut decided in our Federal case, which is now being appealed. So the outcome of the state case will decide, at least for the foreseeable future, whether law abiding Oregonians will be able to purchase firearms and firearm magazines.  Needless to say, the outcome will have exactly zero effect on criminals.  But let’s face it, that was always the intent.

As we have pointed out in the past, we have no realistic expectations that the majority of Oregon’s elected Republicans will stand up for us in Salem. And the few who do can anticipate that they will be pilloried by the Republican establishment as “right wing extremists.”  So, like it or not, for now the battles continue to be in courtrooms where activism means nothing and all that matters is who can still pay lawyers.

The attorneys who are working on all of our cases ( two against Measure 114 and one against HB 2005) are dedicated and hard working. But just like the rest of us, they need to pay the bills.  So, while we refrain from sending a daily blitz of emails that all end in a request for donations, we have no choice but to count on you to provide the means to pay these folks. 

Contributions to our Educational Foundation go 100% to the legal battles. The Foundation pays no staff and no rent. So every single penny you contribute goes to these fights. 

We are dangerously close to a crucial event that will have a profound effect on our rights no matter how it goes.

Please consider making whatever donation you can afford so we can send a message to the state that we are not rolling over to their treachery.

You can make a secure online donation here: https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx

That link includes information if you prefer to donate by mail.

We cannot let these people win.

Thank you.

This is a link to the Appeals Court Webcast.

This is a link to the Appeals Court Calendar

 

VOTE

09.27.2024
While it seems unlikely that anyone who reading this would miss a vote, the reality is many gun owners do not register to vote or return their ballots.

We get it, it’s easy to conclude that it doesn’t matter, that your vote doesn’t count.  In Oregon, where the Republican establishment regularly grovels to the ruling party and does its bidding, any thinking person might wonder what the point is. (Dennis Linthicum and a tiny handful of others being the exceptions.)

But it does matter.  What has gone on in the last few months, and what is, no doubt, still to come, has demonstrated beyond doubt that the forces of the left will do absolutely anything to stay in power. And we mean anything.

We do know this; no matter what happens, Kamela Harris will not be running the country next year. The forces that elevated her from a boat anchor on the Democrat ticket to the “queen of joy” and our “savior” will not allow an imbecile to be in charge. While Biden’s incoherent ramblings are mostly attributed to his age and cognitive decline, Harris is simply a low IQ quota hire.  Whoever was pulling Biden’s strings will be jerking Harris around like a marionette on amphetamines.  America simply will not survive four more years of this.

If the President of the United States is the product of DEI who cannot answer a softball question from a fawning sycophant like Oprah Winfrey, with anything more informative than “I was raised a middle class kid” there is little hope for the Republic.

That’s why it is absolutely imperative that you vote in this election. We know, Oregon’s “vote by mail” system is a breeding ground for fraud and failure. Any small sorting error at the Post Office could make your ballot disappear or be delivered to someone else.  Recent events have proven that Oregon’s system for registering voters by the DMV is the natural habitat for scams. And we don’t know the half of it.

But it’s those very sad realities that make it all the more important that your ballot be completed and returned in the safest possible way to your county elections clerk.  And please, do not wait till the last minute. We have not seen the last of the left’s shenanigans.  If it looks like the election is not going their way, there is no end to what kind of mysterious and unexpected “technical problems” could make your ballot and your vote evaporate.

So please get your vote in as soon as possible and make sure it’s counted.

As you know, we are in the midst of multiple lawsuits trying to protect what is left of our gun rights and doing the job elected Oregon Republicans won’t do.  Work is going on to prepare for the next step in our lawsuit against Oregon’s ban on personally made firearms, the state case against Measure 114 will be before Oregon’s Appeals Court next month, and our Federal lawsuit against 114 continues to wind its endless way through the Ninth Circuit, which will do all it can to delay a ruling in hopes of another Democrat administration to stack the Supreme Court against us.

Let’s face it, the dice are loaded against us in court. Across the country in firearm’s related cases judges are openly defying the rulings of the Supreme Court to reinterpret black letter law in an effort to squash gun rights. The judge in our Federal case against Mz 114 flipped the Supreme Court’s direction on its head by requiring our side to justify modern firearms when the Court had made it clear that it is the state’s job to justify its restrictions.

What was once “lawful purposes” is now “lawful purposes for self defense.” A limiter invented by lower courts to derail the Supreme Court’s clear directions.

“Dangerous and unusual” has become “dangerous or unusual.”  “In common use” is being contorted into “common use for self defense,” a word game that opens the door to ban virtually anything.

But these battles simply must be fought and they must be paid for.  We are very grateful for the generous support gun owners have provided to allow us to stay in the fight. 

We could not do it without you.  Please consider helping us continue to stand up for you against the anti-gun militants.

You can make a secure online donation here: https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx.

That link includes a mailing address if you prefer to donate by check or money order.

And please, make sure your ballot is returned and counted.  If the forces behind Harris succeed you can bet our Supreme Court will be unrecognizable very soon.

 

Today You Became A Criminal

 

 

09.01.2024

Today, Oregon’s latest bipartisan gun ban takes effect.

Oregonians who have honorably followed in the footsteps of America’s most innovative firearms creators by crafting firearms or firearm parts themselves are officially criminals.

HB 2005 makes it a crime to make or be in possession of any modern firearm or certain firearm’s parts unless those have been serialized in accordance with federal rules.

The only exceptions are firearms made before 1968 if the manufacturer did not include a serial number.

Make no mistake, this latest effort to trash the Second Amendment was brought to you by both Republicans and Democrats and could have easily been stopped if the Oregon House Republicans had a spine instead of an obsessive need to capitulate to the ruling party.

The reporting on this new law by the regime media has been amazingly sloppy even by today’s standards of “journalism”. Let’s not even get into their absurd assumption that “unserialized guns are assembled at home and can be easily purchased online, but can’t be picked up in a metal detector.”

 Lauren Drake, from OPB, the state’s official propaganda arm, wrote:

“ The Oregon Department of Justice has issued a fact sheet to explain key parts of the new law and a list of federally licensed gun dealers in the state that can serialize firearms.”

Drake apparently did not bother to read the one page “fact sheet” (which included few facts) that she quoted.  The “fact sheet” does nothing of the sort. In “fact”  the sheet actually says:

“To comply, firearms, frames and receivers that do not have serial numbers can be taken to a federally licensed gun dealer (FFL) to be serialized. Visit your local gun shop and ask how you can get your items serialized. A list of FFLs in Oregon is available on the ATF website.2”

Drake, who knows better because we told her, does not see the absurdity in the Attorney General of Oregon advising gun owners to get a legal opinion from a gun store.

This idiotic advice from a rabidly anti-gun Attorney General is like advising someone searching for a 1972 Ferrari to Google “used car dealers.”  Currently we know of no FFL’s who both have the proper licenses and equipment to serialize guns and are willing put their names on a gun made by someone else.  If you know of any FFL’s that are willing to provide this service please let us know.

But if there are any it will probably no longer matter.  As of today, the simple possession of a personally manufactured firearm or frame or receiver is a crime. And while the gun grabbers at the AG’s office are misrepresenting the law they are pushing, we see no road for compliance.

“If you own a ghost gun as of September 1st, it’s required to have a serial number on it,” said Michael Kron, the special counsel for Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s office….

Kron said the Oregon ghost gun law does not actually ban people from assembling their own guns at home. They just need to be officially serialized after they’re made.

But wait a minute. Amie Wexler, Oregon chapter lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said:

  “When Governor Kotek signed the bill, it immediately made it illegal for people to transport or sell or transfer these type of unserialized weapons. But now it’s actually also illegal to own the parts in your own home without taking them to your local gun dealer and getting them serialized.”

If it’s illegal to own or make any firearm, frame, or receiver without a serial number then you are already a criminal when you attempt to have the item serialized, if you can even find someone to do it.  So the AG’s position that the “Oregon ghost gun law does not actually ban people from assembling their own guns at home” is clearly BS.

In response to an email from KGW, we explained this but as of now they have seen no reason to report it.

As you know, a Judge in Portland denied our request for an injunction against this latest unconstitutional ban. She, like so many other judges across the country, chose to misapply or ignore the rulings of the Supreme Court for 2nd Amendment cases.  The game these judges are playing from coast to coast is to either pretend that whatever is being banned is not an “arm” and therefor is not protected, or to claim that they are “not in common use for self defense.”   But while  pivotal  cases did refer to “self defense” at no time was the intention to limit the right to own an “arm” strictly for self defense. Something  the judge in our case pointedly chose to ignore.

This dishonest approach means virtually anything can be banned if our side cannot produce an extensive list of self defense uses of the item being banned.  So not only can any single firearm or component be banned in the absence of a long list of recorded self defense uses, any new innovation can be banned simply because it has not existed long enough to be in “common use.” 

In the case of personally made firearms, not only do they use this bogus policy to imply they have no legitimate use, but they also conflate the crappy data the ATF supplies concerning conventional firearms that had their serial numbers removed with actual personally made firearms.

Furthermore, to justify this attack on your rights and privacy they drag out this nonsense:

“According to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, “From 2016 through 2021, there were approximately 45,240 suspected privately made firearms reported to ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes, including 692 homicides or attempted homicides.”

“Suspected privately made firearms” from “potential crime scenes.”  Ok got it.

The left continues to claim that personally made firearms can be banned because they are used in crimes.  So anything anyone uses in a crime is fair game for banning. They claim they are “dangerous and unusual “ so they can be banned.  All firearms are dangerous and “unusual” is clearly in the eye of whomever is pushing the ban.

All of this idiocy could have been stopped if the Republicans we elected to protect our rights actually did that.  But in Oregon the few who stood up in the Senate were sold down their river by their “leader” and cannot run for their seats again.  The entire House Republican Caucus rolled over and refused to stop this when they could have at no cost to themselves. 

It is clear that there is very little chance that we are going to make changes in the legislature when the people on “our side” are more interested in sending out an endless stream of fundraising mail disguised as petitions and surveys than in actually doing anything.  That leaves us in expensive court battles where the Judges are virtually all anti-gun political appointees.  It’s the worst of all possible situations but it’s what we have.

OFF, along with other great pro-rights organizations like Firearms Policy Coalition  will continue to fight as long as we have your support. 

Please consider donating to these important battles.  You can make a secure online donation here: https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx

Thank you.

BUILD A FIREARM, GO TO JAIL

 

08.20.2024

Today, Judge Adrienne Nelson, denied our request for a restraining order to delay the implementation of HB 2005, the bill banning the ownership of privately made firearms.

A brief review of her decision will display a determined effort to avoid both common sense and an understanding of plain English.  But it will also display the dangers of our side playing their game and accepting limitations the founders never imagined.

The Second Amendment is not complicated, does not prevent Americans from owning firearms appropriate for combat or ban any item that is misused by criminals.  But once again, both sides of Oregon’s legislative aisle have worked together to punish the people they were elected to serve.

HB 2005 will turn thousands of law abiding Oregonians into criminals and perpetuate the bigoted myth that innovative and talented people have criminal intent because they like to make things themselves. The incessant urge of Oregon lawmakers to subjugate the people is truly insatiable and Oregon’s judges’ blatant and arrogant disregard for the clear dictates of the Supreme Court is chilling.

It will come as no surprise that Judge Nelson was a Kate Brown appointee elevated to the Federal Court by the soon-to-be-removed Joe Biden.

So what does this mean for people who own personally manufactured firearms? It’s impossible to say.

While the politicians and their rubber stamp parrots in the media insist that this simply requires that you have a serial number added to a firearm or unfinished part you own, the reality is that it’s not that simple.  It is completely unclear how anyone would go about doing this.  The serial number cannot be affixed by the person who constructed the firearm. Only “a federally licensed firearm manufacturer, importer or dealer, or a gunsmith with a federal firearms license, in accordance with federal law”.

While the law is so poorly written that no one really knows how to comply with it, the bigger problem is that people who do choose to obey one more outrageous and unconstitutional attack on their rights, (like bumpstock bans and pistol brace bans) really have no way to comply.

Although the bill allows an authorized person to take these newly illegal items into their possession to apply a number, it’s still illegal for the owner to have it in the first place.  And if a person were to make one now, it would be illegal for them to create it even if they intended to have a number applied to it.

The criminal penalties take effect Sept 1. We do not have any information on who is willing to apply serial numbers to firearms they did not make. We do not have any opinions we trust on what people can do to avoid legal jeopardy.  We do know that all of this could have been avoided if the members of the Republican House Caucus under the failed “leadership” of Vikki Iverson had simply done their jobs and said “no.”

Next steps are being discussed. We will keep you posted.

THE REPUBLICANS RAN AND HID. WE WON’T.

08.05.2024

As soon as Oregon House Republicans helped pass HB 2005, the ban on possession of personally made firearms, they comically and theatrically appeared on the Capitol steps with a giant fake check claiming that they would be funding a lawsuit against the bill they just help pass.

 

As with most politician’s promises, this one was quickly forgotten.

So now countless Oregon gun owners who, perfectly legally, manufactured their own personal firearms, could face felony charges.

But while Oregon’s House Republicans may be committed to carrying water for the anti-gun Democrats, we’re happy to announce that Oregon Firearms Federation has joined with our friends at Firearms Policy Coalition to challenge this disgraceful attack in Federal Court.

For decades OFF as encouraged and relied upon grassroots gun owner activism to protect our rights in the legislature.  But as the House Republicans, and many in the Senate, have become nothing more than yes-men to the Democrats, we have had no choice but to move our fights from the legislature to the courtroom.  We wish it were not so, but for now, it’s the hand we have been dealt.

Oregon’s elected officials from both parties are determined to strip Oregonians of their Second Amendment Rights as sure as they are determined to encourage violent criminal behavior. We have no choice but to go around them.

We are no fans of Federal Courts in Oregon, but that is where the battle is.

You can view a copy of the complaint here.

Oregon’s House Republicans pulled a “bait and switch” and extorted money from their members with a false promise of funding a lawsuit against the bill they helped pass. Since then they have pretended it never happened and just don’t want to talk about it.

They have our address if they want to actually keep their word.  In the meantime, we’ll just have to rely on people who do keep their word. Our supporters.

If you would like to help us win this latest court battle, you can do so here.  Donations to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation, which pays for our lawsuits, are tax deductible.

We want to express our gratitude to the Firearms Policy Coalition for being a national leader in these fights.