Gun Control

An appeals court has upheld California’s law banning gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The decision could have implications for Oregon’s Measure 114, which also regulates large-capacity magazines.

Ballot Measure 114 bans purchases of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It also requires a permit before purchasing a firearm.

The Maine Legislature approved gun safety legislation including background checks on private gun sales, waiting periods for gun purchases and criminalizing gun sales to prohibited people.

Yesterday, a Harney County Circuit Court judge ruled that Measure 114 violates Oregon’s state constitution. The law, which voters passed last year to regulate firearms, has yet to go into effect because of multiple court challenges.

Legislators in Oregon are making a fourth attempt to ban “ghost guns,” untraceable and undetectable firearms that are assembled at home. They have proliferated in recent years. The legislation is one of three bills put forward this session to address gun violence in the state.

The measure, which narrowly passed this month, bans magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds and requires Oregonians to get a permit to buy a gun.

If Measure 114 passes, anyone wanting to purchase a gun in Oregon would have to first obtain a permit by completing a gun safety class and submitting to a federal criminal background check.

A new "merchant code" for credit cards will categorize purchases made at gun stores. But there are limitations on its usefulness — including that most guns in the U.S. aren't bought at such outlets.

Measure 114 calls for an expanded background check, completion of a gun safety course and a ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. So would it have prevented tragedy in Bend?

A measure that would require a permit and safety training to buy a gun in Oregon will appear on the November ballot. If approved by voters in the fall, the measure would also ban high-capacity magazines, which hold more bullets than a regular firearm.