OHA Legislative Report 

Gun storage petition receives ballot title

By Al Elkins, OHA Lobbyist

Alvinelkins@yahoo.com

The Oregon Elections Division on Oct. 10 received a draft ballot title from the office of the Oregon Attorney General for the gun storage Initiative Petition 2020-40 for the November 2020 election.

The draft ballot title reads: “Requires firearms be locked during storage/transfer, loss reported, minor’s use supervised; imposes penalties/liabilities.”

Comments on the draft ballot title were due by Oct. 24. OHA worked with gun rights advocacy groups in submitting comments.

The new ballot measure states:

A person who owns or possesses a firearm shall, at all times that the firearm is not carried by or under the control of the person or an authorized person, secure the firearm:

• With an engaged trigger or cable lock…

• In a locked container, equipped with a tamper-resistant lock…

The measure also addresses guns being used while hunting by stating that this measure does not apply if the unsecured firearm was obtained for the purpose of hunting, trapping or target shooting, during the time in which the person is engaged in activities related to hunting, trapping or target shooting.

You can find a copy of the ballot measure here: http://oregonvotes.org/irr/2020/040textpdf

This ballot measure is basically the same as Ballot Measure 44 from 2018. OHA and our allies were successful in the Oregon Supreme Court in stopping that before it got to voters. It is also similar to parts of SB 928 that was defeated in the 2019 Legislative Session. The gun owner would be responsible and liable for a stolen gun even if it is locked up. Like earlier attempts, there is no reference at all for stiffer penalties for those who actually steal guns.

“Ban Home Defense” should be the title of this ballot measure, because it requires that your self-defense firearms be locked away. OHA will be working with gun rights advocacy groups to help defeat this ballot measure. Stay tuned; the fight has just begun (again). If this measure gathers enough signatures, it would appear on the November 2020 ballot.

 

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