Guns on display at Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso, Wash., in this April 16, 2024 file photo.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Oregon Democrats are pushing forward a bill that would enact sweeping changes to the state’s gun laws.
If passed, Senate Bill 243 would create a 72-hour waiting period for gun buyers between when a dealer requests a criminal background check from the Oregon State Police and when the purchaser is approved to receive the weapon.
The bill would also ban rapid-fire devices, such as bump stocks and other attachments that make semi-automatic rifles shoot more rapidly. It would make it illegal for Oregonians under the age of 21 to purchase semi-automatic weapons, and it would give local governments the authority to decide firearm rules in public buildings.
“We’ll have to see what happens in terms of the final iteration, but I definitely expect that there will be firearm safety legislation that gets considered in the Senate this session,” Senate President Rob Wagner, a Democrat, said Monday.
SB 243 condenses four previous proposals, and the legislation is likely to become a controversial issue among lawmakers during this year’s legislative session. Wagner acknowledged Monday that firearm bills cause “deep friction” between the parties, but confirmed that Democrats generally piece together bills to diminish filibustering and floor fights with Republicans.
“That’s hard for some of my colleagues on the other side because of just the intensity that they feel out of their base,” Wagner said.
House Minority Leader Christine Drazan criticized the legislation in a statement Thursday.
“Oregon already has some of the most aggressive gun control laws in the nation. This overreaching bill does nothing to make our streets safer while preventing Oregonians from their lawful right to accessing a gun,” Drazan said.
The move comes just weeks after the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that the voter-approved Measure 114 does not violate the state constitution. Last week, an appeals court in California issued another ruling, saying a state law banning gun magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition can remain in place. Both decisions add legal backing to supporters of more restrictions on firearms but are likely to face more challenges in higher courts.
Senate Republicans also blasted the measure.
“This is no way to govern. Dropping a massive gun control amendment at the last minute, without public scrutiny, is an insult to Oregonians,” said Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles.
Bonham and his colleagues said the bill did not address the shortage of mental health care available in Oregon and would do little to prevent suicides, the leading type of firearm death.
Still, Democrats hold the majority in both of Oregon’s legislative chambers and can pass laws on a party-line vote. In the past, firearm bills have resulted in stiff Republican pushback and walkouts. During the 2021 legislative session, it prompted constituent threats of recalls and violence against Republican party members who didn’t walk out on a contentious bill.
Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat, is among the lawmakers supporting the bill. He said the legislation is necessary to stop impulsive gun purchases that can lead to violence or self-harm and keep rapid-fire weapons out of the hands of mass shooters.
“I’m a gun owner,” Prozanski told OPB last week. “I believe that people should have the right to bear arms. At the same time, I also understand that there are responsibilities here. I do believe there are certain types of weaponry that should be reserved for the military and not for the general public.”
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Judiciary at 3 p.m. Thursday. Already, hundreds of people have submitted written testimony. Much of the testimony opposes the bill, saying that passing it would infringe upon the constitutional right to bear arms. Those who support the bill say it could improve safety and curb gun violence.
Specifically, the bill would prohibit people under the age of 21 from owning guns except for some rifles and shotguns often used for hunting. Among them are single-shot rifles, double-barrel shotguns and .22 caliber rifles.
It would also ban firearm possession for people under the age of 18 “except when temporarily possessing certain firearms if the firearm was transferred to the minor by the minor’s parent or guardian.” Police and military would also be exempt.
Oregon already has some of the strictest gun laws in America, at least on paper. Though not in effect yet due to a window for legal appeal following this month’s court decision, Measure 114 bans purchases of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition and requires a permit before buying a gun. That permit involves a buyer passing a criminal background check and completing a gun safety course.
