POLITICS
State senators shoot it out over gun-control bill
Private deals would become illegal
By Gerrit Koepping
gmeMidConifhuloi
SAl.t'M \ political shoot out is
brewing in tin' Orison Legislature .is
law'makers consul)1! ,i Senate lull that
would further restrict in individual's
ability to pun base rifles shotguns and
handguns
The pro-gun lobby is crying foul,
claiming the bill Violates compromises
that were made in the l'.IH'l legislative
session The anti gun lobby is saving
this is a new \ ear and pasta nrnpromises
ate |ust that past Compromises
Two years ago under the leadership
of Kep Veia hat/ iI)-Portland)', both
sides of the dehate leal lied a i ompro
nose that ftei nine the omnibus weapons
lull ot lOII'l
Ilia! law requires a person to Wait 1 r>
day's lor a fiai kground i Tin k to he i otil
pleted before pun basing a handgun
from a registered dealer Ihe pun baser
must lie at least 21 years old, have no
felons record and no history of mental
illness
lo bu\ a rifle or shotgun an individ
uni need only lie 18 years old and sign a
statement that he or she is neither a con
v ii ted felon nor mentally disturlied
Ihe proposed hill. Senate Hill hit,
would extend regulations Im handguns
to all firearm pun bases tighten restru
turns on coni ealed weapons permits
and forbid firearms purchases between
private parties Moreover anyone con
V II ted of a misdemeanor involving ale o
hoi or drugs would not he allowed to
buy a firearm
While many politn.il observers don’t
believe the Senate hill will win approv
al hat/ is presently working to form a
(Oil Ilium similar to lllr one sill’
helped brill# together in 1‘IH'I to help
the nev\ bill w m approval
Hut this time the pro-gun lobby might
not be \\ illtng to join
Rep |oht! Mmnis. a Portland Hepubli
(.ill who helped sponsor the 1'IH‘t bill
said he is angered bei .mse Sit ti t I is .1
violation of .1 very dele <ite Iwtlanie that
was found in the l‘)8‘l gull bill
N,iik v Whitaker Kinru.h. t o-c hair
woman lor Oregonians Against t.un
A idle ll( e be I lev es d iftciolltdy
I reall\ see it as a ( milmu.iiK e ot
wli.il (kat/j has clone. Whitaker I'm
ru h said We think she lias so lai done
an e\i client |ob V\ e are simply adding
to her bill
l lle bill would also i lose a major
loophole that Whitaker ftnrit h said al
lows felons to purchase firearms It
warn Id bei ome illegal for private rite
/eiis to fitly or sidl firearms without a
w aiting period or bai kgrouud ( hei f
I he majority of handgun interactions
are private transactions she said bull
i [duals (.in avoid a background search
by pun basing firearms at garage sales
through newspaper ads or at gun shows
I he proposed law would require pri
vate i itizens to go through a gun dealer
when selling or buying handguns and
long guns
I lie hill would also strengthen re
(|tiirvmcmts for obtaining a emu ealed
weapons permit Currently a permit
ian lie obtained by applying at the
i minty sheriff s nfln e
Idle sheriffs off it e i ompletes a basil
i hei k tor any outstanding yvarrants and
(oiilirms a county address before is
suing a permit Individuals are not re
FIT. 11 oft \ FI 11 <i n K«'TT v
\ hill i um-nlli In-ini; i nrmdrrrd in thr ()n-i;nn Srnatr would tiuhtrn rvstrirtions on inn
tralrd wrapons prnnits and forbid prn atr party firearms pun hast** \lsn. nnvnnr ( nn\n trd
id it misdrmranor in\ol\ini; ah nhol nr drills would hr prnhihitrd from Inn in# a tirrann
quirt'd to si,tic win tht*\ desire .1 |>t'rmii.
anti the sheriffs office cannot denv a
permit unless the criteria lur obtaining
one is not met
I lie- bothers Sen Dick Springer I)
Portland one of the bill s sponsors
I he dei ision made b\ tile last l.egis
Iwture to permit thousands of people to
obtain 1 out ealed weapons permits v\ ith
out demonstrating need tor a concealed
weapon was a mistake and we have to
1 orret t that mistake " he said
I he proposed bill would require indi
viduals applying lor a permit to state
why thev need to carry a concealed
weapon Ihe sheriff's office1 can rejet I
the application based on the reason's
merits
However the proposed l.iu would
give sheriffs too much power over who
i.oi ohliiin ,i permit s.iid |ohn I Nit h
ids ,i lobbyist for the Oregon State
Shooting Assot iation
lie saitf the criteria for issuing a |>er
mil would vary from county to counts
under the proposed law
Most legislators are attacking the hill
on let hnical grounds, hut the proposed
law is also draw ing opposition based on
philosophii al grounds
" The real price of freedom is risk,
saul Rep Hill Dwyer, D-Springfield.
who keeps a 45 i aliber pistol in Ills .s,i
lem offi< e "Kvery time government
takes an element ot risk out ot life or the
individual, it also takes a portion of
freedom
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