Category: OFF Alerts

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)

GUN BILL HELD OVER. STARBUCKS UNDER THE GUN. FRIENDLY SHERIFF NEEDS HELP.

SB 1008, a lengthy, confusing and poorly drafted bill was held over  until Monday’s meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee. As you know from previous alerts, this bill reverses the gains we made last year with SB 603. Now, the man primarily responsible for SB 603, Senator Floyd Prozanski, is claiming he did not understand what he did when he asked that it be amended into its final form.

Discussion of the bill has made it obvious that there is still tremendous confusion on the part of legislators about what SB 603 was intended to do and what it did. One thing is clear however. If changes do need to be made, this short, rushed session is not the time or place to do it. Given the level of confusion, it would be very unwise for the legislature to overturn in February, a bill that took effect in January. (A bill that passed without a single “no” vote in either House and was signed by the Governor.)  We will keep you posted.

On a separate note, the Brady Campaign against gun ownership has a new target. Starbucks. In a recent e-mail the Brady bunch expressed hysteria that Starbucks allowed lawful carry in their coffee shops.  “We need to tell Starbucks to bar guns in its stores. These individuals who have been carrying guns into Starbucks have all the firepower of a SWAT team, and none of the law enforcement training.”

If you want to let Starbucks know you appreciate their support for your rights, here is their contact info:

Customer Relations: 800 235-2883

E-mail:

Finally we have a bit of news we’re happy and eager to report.

You know that we make every effort to keep our requests for donations to a responsible level. Yes, we need funds to operate, but the weekly pitches that you get from other groups are not our style.  But, we are asking that you consider making a donation of whatever amount you can afford to help an Oregon Sheriff who is a true friend to gun owners.

Since the legislature has been incapable of expanding our CHL program to visitors from other states (you may recall our efforts to do that last year were shot down by Representative Judy Stiegler,) Sheriff Glenn Palmer of Grant County has decided he wants to make it as easy as possible for non-residents to apply for Oregon CHL’s. He hopes to actually travel to gun shows in adjoining states and take applications there.

Palmer has been a strong advocate of gun rights, but he has a small budget and he needs some help. The sheriff would like to purchase a digital fingerprint device so he can take applicants’ prints with less chance of them being rejected as unreadable.

OFF is sending him $1000.00 towards the purchase. Anything you can do to help would be appreciated.  You can send him a donation directly.

In an e-mail to us yesterday the sheriff said “If they want to send it to me at 205 South Humbolt Street Canyon CIty, Or. 97820 with a note for fingerprint machine I will put it into our monthly turn over with a line to a specific account that is and will be used for the upgrade on the equipment….what ever you can come up with would be wonderful too!!!!”

Or if you prefer to donate by credit card, you can make a donation to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation and we will forward it to him.  Be sure to note that your donation is for Sheriff Palmer. You can do that safely on line here. Use the drop down menu to indicate your donation is for the Foundation and any field to note it’s for the Sheriff.  Thanks for helping.

SB 1008 HAS FIRST HEARING

SB 1008 received its first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. It became obvious that there are still people in positions of power who don’t understand current law or the potential changes being proposed by this bill.

The bill now has some amendments that clarify how a firearm may be transported on a motorcycle, but make virtually everything else incomprehensible.

We suggest you take a look at this bill and see if you understand it. Even the attorney who drafted it admits it’s “complicated.”

The bill essentially reverses the clarifications we made in 2009 with Senate Bill 603.  Prior to 603’s enactment, the law said a person with a felony conviction could go before a court and request restoration of the right to buy a  gun. But the law still prohibited them from owning it.

After many attempts to explain that this made no sense, Senator Floyd Prozanski finally asked that a correction to this error be amended into another bill we requested that clarified the term “readily accessible” for purposes of transporting a handgun in a vehicle.

When 603 passed, it seemed we had clarified an area of Oregon gun law misunderstood by many people including politicians and DA’s.  But now Prozanski is saying that he did not understand the changes he himself requested, and has introduced an incredibly complicated and difficult to understand bill to reverse much of 603.

Under 1008, no one will be allowed to ask for restoration of rights until 15 years after they are off parole or probation. And if your “felony” involved giving a firearm to a family member who lived in another state, you can NEVER ask for rights restoration.

Let’s say your daughter moves out of the house. You want her to have some protection so you give her one of your firearms.  But, wait, your daughter moved to Washington or Idaho. Now you and your daughter are both felons. Under this law, you and she will NEVER be allowed to appear before a judge and make a case to have your rights restored. It’s absurd.

During the hearing Prozanski claimed that he was aware that there was a “flaw” in this bill BEFORE the Governor signed it.  He never explained why NO ONE simply asked the Governor to veto it.

In e-mails to voters, Prozanski has claimed that OFF has chosen to distribute “inaccurate information.” This is false. He claimed that OFF and NRA agreed to allow this bill to move forward. This is also false.

He has also claimed that “Every other gun owner that I talked to about the error in SB 603 said they agreed that felons should not be able to immediately petition the court for their guns rights”

But OFF has copies of many e-mails from gun owners that were sent to Prozanski saying the exact opposite, that they supported a law that allowed a person to go to court to make a case for restoration, which is all 603 did. So while Senator Prozanski has told people that we are “distributing inaccurate information” it is in fact Prozanski who cannot keep the facts straight.

This bill is scheduled for another public hearing and possible “work session” next Thursday at 8am.  Please contact the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them not to overturn 603 with a bill few will understand. And if anyone tells you that OFF is not telling the whole unvarnished truth, please let us know so we can set the record straight,

Contact info and sample message follow:

SENATE JUDICIARY.
Floyd Prozanski CHAIR
sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE, S-417, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986 -1704

Brian Boquist Vice Chair
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-305, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1712

Susanne Bonamici
sen.suzannebonamici@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-403, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1717

Jackie Dingfelder
sen.jackiedingfelder@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1723

Doug Whitsett
sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-303, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1728

__________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

SB 1008 is a dangerous and complicated answer to a problem that may not exist. I urge you not to reverse the corrections made by SB 603 with a bill few people will understand.  Everyone agrees that this bill will need more work in the future. Why not wait until you have a full session to examine the issues before passing a bill that will make a person who had a technical violation of an arcane gun law ineligible from requesting rights restoration forever?

I urge you to leave SB 603 in place until 2011 when if there actually are problems, they can be examined and dealt with.

Sincerely yours,

_____________________

____________________________________________________________________

The first hearing to reverse gains made in the 2009 session will be held on February 2nd at 8am.

(The pre-session hearing on this bill  was scheduled for 8am. It was heard at 7.22 am before either Republican Senator had arrived.)

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an “informational” hearing on SB603.
(Invited testimony only, neither OFF nor NRA was “invited.”)

SB 603 was actually a bill from 2009 which you may recall corrected an error in Oregon law that allowed a person with a felony conviction to petition to have his rights restored to BUY a gun, but then was forbidden from owning it

Your efforts for months finally got this error fixed, but now at the urging of the Department of Justice, Senator Floyd Prozanski has introduced SB 1008 to reverse the corrections he himself made in SB 603. What’s so odd about this is that 603, which Prozanski rewrote to correct the mistake mentioned above, passed out of his committee with no opposition, passed the full Senate with no opposition, passed the House Judiciary and the full House with no opposition and then was re-passed by the Senate with no opposition.  Now Prozanski is claiming that a five page bill that was largely his own work, was a “drafting mistake” and must be overturned.

This is an amazing assertion. He claims he did not understand the changes he himself  made and that every other legislator AND the Governor made the same “mistake.”

(We strongly suggest you read both 603 and 1008. See if you think the 43 page 1008 is easier to understand than the 5 page 603.)

(Please see this link for the “rebuttal” Senator Prozanski asked us to post.)

It’s essential that you contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them not to rush to overturn this bill in a short “special” session.  If they are, in fact, that confused, a rush to replace this simple bill with a 45 page “correction” would be a tremendous mistake.

Contact info for the Committee members and a sample message follow.

SENATE JUDICIARY.
Floyd Prozanski CHAIR
sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE, S-417, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986 -1704

Brian Boquist Vice Chair
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-305, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1712

Susanne Bonamici
sen.suzannebonamici@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-403, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1717

Jackie Dingfelder
sen.jackiedingfelder@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-407, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1723

Doug Whitsett
sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., S-303, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1728

_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

SB 603 passed out of your committee with no opposition. It passed the Senate twice, with no opposition.  Now it is being called a “drafting error.”  SB 603 corrected a major error in Oregon law, and was thoroughly discussed and vetted. I strongly urge you not to reverse the gains made in this bill in the short time you have in the February “special session.”

In spite of what’s been said, SB 603 does NOT allow felons to walk out of prison and get firearms. In fact, there remain substantial hurdles to a restoration of firearms rights. Let’s give this law a chance to prove itself.

Sincerely,

_______________________

________________________________________________________________________

 

On January 9th we warned you about the latest attack on gun rights in Oregon. We told you that there was a hearing scheduled on Jan 13th to hear  “Legislative Concept 57.”

LC 57 was the draft version of a bill, demanded by the Department of Justice, to overturn SB 603, a bill OFF members worked so hard to pass in 2009.

603 was the final version of several bills we worked on which were eventually compiled into a single piece of legislation. One of the most important elements of this bill was a correction of an error in Oregon law that said a person with a felony conviction could petition the court to have his right restored to purchase a firearm.  The problem was, that same law prohibited him from OWNING it.  It was clearly absurd.

So after months of discussions we finally convinced the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (Floyd Prozanski) that this could not possibly be what the legislature intended, and he agreed to remedy this problem by including a fix in a bill, introduced by Brian Boquist, which defined the term “readily accessible” for purposes of transporting a handgun in a vehicle

Frankly, none of this was easy. Although OFF members did all the heavy lifting by making their voices heard on the importance of the bill, we still had to have numerous meetings with Prozanski just to get him to understand what the problem was. When Prozanski produced the final bill, we believed he finally grasped the problem.

Although SB 603 did not solve all the errors in Oregon’s gun laws, it did finally address two major issues. The “readily accessible” language and a fix for the “buy but not own” contradiction.

The bill passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee, controlled by Prozanski, with no opposition. It then passed the full Senate( twice), with no opposition.  It went to the House Judiciary Committee and passed there, with no opposition. On June 10th it passed the full House….with no opposition. On June the 24th, the Governor signed the bill.

It was a pretty amazing feat to have a bill that was good for gun owners receive no opposition. But it was a testimony to the hard work OFF members did  and the constant  explanations on our part to lawmakers about  what the problem was. And trust us, we provided these explanations over and over and over. In hearings and formal meetings, in hallway chats, this was one of the most explained bills in our history in the legislature. And the bill is only 5 pages long!

The summary of the bill could not be more clear. It says “Modifies who may petition for relief from bar against possession of firearms and bar against purchase of firearms.”

But now, after a complaint from the Department of Justice, Floyd Prozanski, who is a lawyer, a prosecutor, a veteran legislator, the Chair of the Judiciary Committee and the person who was responsible for drafting the final bill, claims he did not know what was in his own bill and has proposed a 43 page bill to overturn it.

The new legislation, in the form of a “Legislative Concept” was the last item on the schedule for yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee was scheduled to meet at 8 am.  But the LC was moved to the beginning of the schedule. It was passed out of committee before either of the two Republican Senators arrived for the meeting. The time stamp on the audio file of the meeting indicates that this action was taken by the Democrats at 7.22 am, 38 minutes before the meeting was even scheduled to begin. (As of Feb 1, we have been informed the time stamp is not accurate.)

Any opportunity to get discussion on the record before this bill moved forward was squashed.

So, yesterday, immediately following the committee meeting, we met with Prozanski to get an explanation for his sudden desire to reverse his own bill. He claimed to be “confused” by his bill and said he had “not known what was in it.” He agreed to set up a meeting with the Department of Justice to have them explain their opposition to the bill. That meeting was held today.

The DOJ said that under 603, felons would be walking out of jail and getting their rights to own guns restored, ignoring the fact that the bill simply gives people a right to PETITION to get their rights restored. There is NOTHING automatic about it. It still requires the permission of a judge, and if you’ve followed any of our lawsuits, you know judges in Oregon are not particularly friendly to gun owners.

Throughout the meeting Prozanski continued to voice confusion over his own bill, but in the end made it clear he was determined to overturn it.

He informed us that he had spoken to numerous OFF members who all “agreed” that they don’t want “any felon to be able to walk out of jail and be able to ask for a return of gun rights.”  We have not heard from any of those “members” but the critical thing to understand is that all 603 did was recognize that in a land where you can commit a felony and not even know you’ve broken the law, it makes sense for there to be some kind of remedy.

This is NOT about arming dangerous criminals. This is about justice for people who have been entangled in the endless web of laws that can make criminals of any of us. It is about people who can demonstrate that they pose no threat, have paid a price and simply want their rights restored.  And now Prozanski and the Department of Justice are working overtime to make sure that can’t happen.

The Department of Justice claimed at today’s meeting that the bill was never intended to allow most people with a conviction to request rights restoration. But at NO time in the entire process of this bill in its many incarnations was the DOJ involved in any way. Not a single meeting or a single conversation included them. They have no idea what this bill was intended to do.

The bill does exactly what it was designed to do, and any legislator who claims to not know what was in this bill should not have the power to pass laws.

Please contact your House Representative and State Senator and urge them to stop any attempts to turn back the clock on Oregon’s laws.

There have been some changes in the legislature as a result of resignations and replacements.  Please use this link to write your Oregon House Rep. and State Senator.You can use this link to find all contact info for your legislators. They will be the LAST TWO names listed.

Suggested text follows:

________________________________________________________________________

Dear Legislator,

SB 603 passed the Oregon Legislature in 2009 without a single “no vote.” It was signed by the Governor.  Now  the Department of Justice, which played NO part in the crafting of this bill, is claiming it was a “mistake” and does things it was not intended to. That is false. This bill was carefully crafted over months by stakeholders and the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It corrected glaring errors in existing law and should not be overturned.  In spite of what you may be told, I do not believe that the entire Senate and the entire House AND the Governor passed a bill they did not understand.  Please resist efforts to turn back the clock on Oregon’s gun laws.

The legislation to reverse SB 603 is currently called LC 57 in the Senate. In any form, I urge you to oppose it.

Yours,

___________________________________