Wednesday, July 20, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Oregon governor pushes for stronger gun laws
By kristena hansen
Associated Press
PORTLAND (AP) — In
the wake of recent mass
shootings, Gov. Kate Brown
says it’s time for Congress
and the Oregon Statehouse to
end the partisan gridlocks on
gun reform and strengthen
state and federal laws on
assault weapons, back-
ground checks and illegal
firearm purchases, among
others.
Brown’s calls on policy-
makers are part of a series
of new gun-related efforts
in Oregon she revealed
Friday in Portland, alongside
Democrats Sen. Ron Wyden
and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
plus several local gun-con-
trol advocates and religious
leaders.
The Democratic gover-
nor said state lawmakers
“must” pass new laws dur-
ing next year’s session that
would close loopholes and
place prohibitions on certain
firearms.
She wants to make sure
people who shouldn’t own
a gun aren’t able to buy one
because authorities weren’t
able to complete a back-
ground check within the
state’s required three-day
waiting period — a gap
Brown has already vowed
to readdress in 2017 after
that proposal failed at the
Legislature earlier this year.
She proposes closing another
loophole by broadening
the scope of illegal posses-
sion for those involved in
cases of stalking or domestic
violence.
Brown also pressed for a
statewide ban on future pur-
chases of extended-capacity
magazines, referencing the
nation’s deadliest-ever mass
shooting last month at a gay
Orlando nightclub that killed
49 people and wounded
more than 50 others.
“Those magazines
allowed him to fire his
weapon repeatedly without
stopping to reload, without
pause that might have given
his victims or law enforce-
ment a chance to stop him,”
Brown said.
Additionally, Brown ral-
lied Congress to outlaw
assault rifles nationwide and
Bonamici made similar calls
on her congressional col-
leagues, such as streamlined
federal mandates on back-
ground checks. Bonamici
said she was disappointed
that Congress recessed this
week without addressing
gun reform yet again,
and their “thoughts and
prayers of silences are not
enough.”
Other actions by Brown,
who’s running to keep
her gubernatorial seat in
November, include execu-
tive orders on Oregon State
Police to keep a five-year
record of state firearm trans-
actions, which state law
already authorizes. State
police would also be ordered
to proactively notify local
authorities when a prohib-
ited person attempts to buy
a gun.
Kevin Starrett, execu-
tive director of the Oregon
Firearms Federation gun-
rights group, responded
with some terse words for
Brown’s characterization of
the Orlando shooting.
“That guy was in the
building for three hours
— does she think he never
reloaded in three hours?”
Starrett told The Associated
Press. “It’s just incredibly
ignorant, stupid garbage that
comes out of these people’s
mouths. The reason those
people died was because
they weren’t prepared to pro-
tect themselves.”
Starrett also criticized
Brown’s orders on state
police. He noted the agency
already dispatches troop-
ers to the scene when a
prohibited person tries buy-
ing a gun, a policy change
that former Gov. John
Kitzhaber called for two
years ago in the absence of
such requirement by state
law.
“This is her great break-
through? That the cops are
actually going to talk to each
other?” Starrett said. “This is
embarrassing. It really is.”
Republican lawmakers
in the Oregon House, on
the other hand, said they’re
cautiously open to having
dialogues on gun violence,
so long as the rights of
responsible Oregonian gun
owners are taken into full
account.
“Sadly, this element of
the conversation is all too
often an afterthought for
politicians in Salem,” Rep.
Mike McLane, the cham-
ber’s minority leader, said
in a statement. “We can and,
indeed should, do more to
address violence in our com-
munities, but I firmly believe
that these solutions should
be borne out of bipartisan
consensus and honest efforts
to find common ground that
works.”
21
Metke to be
celebrated
at Elk lake
event
Sisters naturalist Jim
Anderson and his wife, lepi-
dopterist Sue Anderson, will
be among the presenters at
an event celebrating Luther
Metke starting at 2:30 p.m.
on Sunday, July 24, at Elk
Lake Resort.
Luther Metke Revisited
will celebrate the legacy of
Metke’s log cabins.
Metke came to Oregon
in 1907, and in 1917 he got
into the logging business in
Bend and began building
log cabins. He admitted that
at first they “weren’t much
to look at.” But as he kept
at it, he got better and better
and eventually built land-
marks that are still standing
today. He was a key builder
on Camp Sherman’s historic
Community Hall.
There will be several
showings of a documentary
film on Metke’s life and
work.
Attendees will rendezvous
at 2:30 p.m. at the Elk Lake
Lodge parking lot.
Quilt Drawing
for
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
100% of the proceeds go to Furry Friends Foundation.
“Friends of Furry Friends” quilt was pieced by
Valerie Fercho-Tillery. The bold colors and
incredible detail make this a spectacular quilt.
The quilt is currently on display at
The Nugget offi ce, 442 E. Main Ave.
Bring your pup by for a dog cookie and have a look!
Tickets may be purchased at The Nugget offi ce
or online at our website
www.furryfriendsfoundation.org.
Tickets are $1 each, six for $5 or
go for it, 25 for $20.
Info: 541-549-9941
“Friends of Furry Friends” - by Valerie Fercho-Tillery (46"w x 59"h)