Gay-rights lawsuit argued before judge
SALEM (AP) — Backers of anti-gay rights
initiative measures urged a Marion County
judge on Monday to overturn a new taw that
prohibits total ordinances on gav rights
issues
|udge Alton Norblad of Marion County
Circuit Court heard arguments in a challenge
brought by members of the Oregon Citizens
Alliance against the law passed by the ttW.t
Legislature
The law forbids cities and counties from
"enacting or enforcing" ordinances that give
special privileges or single out people or
groups based on sexual orientation
The OCA argues the law infringes on citi
zens’ rights under the Oregon Constitution
to initiate laws
"When people voted for the measures,
they ex period to pass a law,” said Salem
attorney Melanie Mansell, representing OCA
Chairman Lon Mahon and some other (X'.A
members.
"It'* ns if the Legislature has decided that
the issue of sexual orientation is one they
cannot handle.'' she said
The state contends the Legislature has
authority to prevent cities and counties front
adopting their own laws on a subject
The Legislature is entitled to make a pol
io choice that (local governments) cannot
pass laws in derogation of rights of gavs and
lesbians said Km Mix fi. an assistant attor
ney general
Voters have passed (XIA sponsored mea
sures in 10 i dies and five counties, but the
new law has created un< ertaintv over their
legal status.
Some local officials have refused to
enforce the ordinam as bet ause of the law
Several more lex al elei lions on similar mea
sures are scheduled this spring
The (X'.A. meanwhile, is collecting peti
tinn signatures in an effort to put a statewide
anti gav rights measure on the ballot in
Novemlntr The proposal is a revised version
of on* defeated by voters m 1092
Mansion said upholding the law likely
would invalidate pro-gas rights i its ordi
uam es now on the hooks in Portland, (.or
vallis and Ashland. Iwcmisi' they single out
homosexuals for i ertain treatment.
It is considered certain the dispute will
end up in the state's appellate i ourts no mat
ter what
Another i m int judge. 1. A Merrvman of
Jackson County, has ruled the lass is mu on
stitutionalls broad In doing that he upheld
an anti-gas rights initiative passed hy Med
ford voters
The lass passer) late m the 1‘i’l t legislative
session sv.is a compromise
The measure ssas put together after a
House committee would not support .1 Sen
ate passed hill to spell out several t ivil
rights proter turns for homosexuals
Gun lobbyist, ATF square off in federal court
TACOMA (AP) — A four-year legal battle
between a high-profile Washington state gun lob
byist and the federal agency that regulates firearms
comes to a head in federal court here this week
Allen Woodbridge. a lobbyist for the Washing
ton State Rifle and Pistol Association and vice
president of the Washington Arms ('.ollectors club,
goes on trial on 12 counts of possession of
machine guns and machine gun parts
Attorneys for Woodbridge. owner of Big Al’s
Guns near Sumner, claim he was set up and that
the search of bis business was illegal. Woodbridge
has appealed for the support of other gun owners
"Believe me. if these charges stand and 1 am
convicted, no owner of any semiautomatic firearm
will be safe from prosecution for possessing a
'machine gun,'" Woodbridge wrote in a recent
issue of Gun-News
The case started in 1989. when U.S. Customs
agents at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
intercepted a packaged addressed to Big Al's from
Commonwealth Militaria in Ontario. Canada
An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobat co
and Firearms determined the package contained
parts from an illegal Belgium-made gun.
ATF agents and Pierce County sheriffs deputies
arranged for the package to be delivered to Wood
bridge's house next to the gun shop. They followed
with a search warrant.
"Once inside, wo discovered weapons of all
types literally strewn around the house." says a
sheriff"s office report
An ATF agent said be found an AK 15 rifle that
appeared to been illegally modified to fire auto
matically — more than one shot per trigger pull
Officers got a second search warrant, enlarging
their authority to search the house and nearby gun
shop. They confiscated several assault rifles, mil
itary-style devices and other weapons and parts,
according to a sheriffs inventory.
The Pierce County prosecutor i harged Wood
bridge with seven counts of possession of machine
guns or machine gun parts.
Before the trial started, two confiscated weapons
were lost — one of them an AK-15 allegedly mod
ified to fire automatically — from the county sher
iffs office property room.
Woodbridge was tried on the state i harges in
t<)91, but lb*’ case was dismissed because •> prose
tutor forgot to ask a witness to identify hint in
court.
Woodbridge then sued the lead A IT agent and
Pierce County He i (aimed that A IT unlawfully
took, bis property and that he was deprived of It is
rights to be free from unlawful Heart lies and to
own weapons
The suit was dismissed m federal court, in part
because the A'IT agent was never property served
with the document. The case is on appeal to the
federal appeals i ourt in San Tram isi o
In Septemlwr, a grand |iirv indit ted Woodbridge
on 12 counts of federal weapons violations the
same general allegations be faced years ago in
Pierce. County
Woodbridge's attorneys claim the pai kage con
tained legal parts, and that the search of his home
was improper.
In a hearing Friday. U S. Distrii t fudge Roliert |
Bryan denied a defense motion to suppress evi
dence. saying the law officers seemed justified in
seeking a search warrant
ATF offii ials and one of Woodbridge's attor
neys. Richard F Dejean of Sumner, refused to
comment on the case, citing the pending charges
Woodbridge also declined requests for i omment.
In an earlier interview. Woodbridge said the
National Rifle Association agreed to cover up to
two-thirds of his legal bill
Various other pro-gun groups have agreed to
help pay legal expenses, said Paul Williams, exet
utive director of the Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Hear Arms, a lobby group
Williams said tile groups were grateful for all
tlie work he's done for firearms groups in the state
I think people ore in< lined to pay him back when
he needs it
Woodbridge has a reputation as a moderate
voice within the gun lobby
[.ast week, he testified before the House Judii ia
rv Committee about proposed gun legislation,
assuring lawmakers that gun owners would not
oppose efforts to keep handguns away from juve
niles.
Cist your. Woodbridge's endorsement was a key
to passage of legislation allowing police to destroy
seized handguns, lawmakers said
Qet results. Advertise in the.
■••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••*•••••••••••
ODE
Volunteers
help police
PASCO. Wash (AI *)
Coin r here are enlisting the
,iul of senior citizens in help
fight crime
lietiv and Ifud Smith, both
in thi'ir CiOs, a re volunteers for
I he (uti/rns Patrol (>ruii|i lint
pilot program got under wav
last vi-.tr to combat rising
i rime .mil gang v inlem e
I bis is not a now i cm
nipt. Coin c Chief Don Kron
( is said Hopeful!) it w ill
i .ill b on .uni ue ( an put in
end to some of tills i rime
Instead of easing into rotm
ment, tint Smiths are spend
ing nights armed with a flash
light and a i ellular phone
They patrol their neighbor
hood on the lookout fori rime
'I like it.' Hotly Smith said
"You can get an idea of what's
going on in your ( omiminitv
and neighbors really help
eai h other out."
The Smiths decided to vol
unteer their survu.es tan arise
they were tired of complain
ingalKiut crime without doing
anything about it They grad
uated last month from a Hi
hour training i ourse that
police require the volunteers
to take
The polii e department is
seeking more volunteers and
hopes to liegm a new round of
training sessions next month
So far, one call plat.ad by a
citi/en volunteer has resulted
in a arrest A motorist was
seen driving rei klessly
through a neighborhood, and
was arrested for driving while
intoxicated, the chief said
The Smiths are captains ot
their neighborhood block
watch and usually patrol the
streets from their car in the
hours before midnight
ON CAMPUS
FUTON
CLEARANCE SALE!
1231 ALDER ST. • 686-5069
ATHC. A MATTER OF
All/d. LIFE & DEATH
First International Student Health Conference
January 28-29, 1994
Student Registration: FREE!!!
Contact: International Student Association
Phone: (503) 346-4387
Transport & lodging will be arranged
♦a**************
WUNDERLAND-'
-r^iTT” 5lh STREET
VIOEO
PUBLIC MARKET
683-8464
- VIDEO ADVENTURE
• VAU.IT AIVIA PtAlA j
.* •Sr^M* «Mi :
ivvvvvvvvvwvyy#
Tice Copy Shop
Open Mon-Frl S-7 Sat 10-4
RatktruonA forty RtgfUan f.Sfi
485-6253
We've lost two of our student
Board ol Directors members,
Chamra Reang and Seth
Wakerdueto moves Because
ot this, the UO Bookstore is
now taking applications to fill
their positions.
Positions Available;
• One Junior Position
for currently registered,
full time junior student
to serve on our board
thru June, 1995.
• One Senior Position
for currently registered,
full time senior student
to serve on our board
thru June 1994.
Bookstore board members
represent students, faculty and
staff of the UO, and help guide
bookstore policy. Members at
tend a monthly meeting, and
receive a monthly stipend
Applications will be accepted
upstairs in the administrative
office through Wednesday
January 26th.
346-4331
UNIVERSITY
PLEASE RECYCLE!