Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2004)
An independent newspaper http://www.dailyemerald.com Friday, January 23, 2004 Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Volume 105, Issue 84 Student sues over OUS’ concealed weapon ban Graduate student Brian Stubbs says the University system cannot restrict CHL holders from carrying a weapon By Lisa Catto News Reporter Physics graduate student Brian Stubbs filed a lawsuit in Federal Dis trict Court against the Oregon State Board of 1 Iigher Education and the Oregon University System for not al lowing him to carry a concealed weapon on campus. Stubbs, who said he has a Concealed Handgun License and wants to exercise his right to cany a concealed handgun on public property, challenged the board's policy of excluding CHL hold ers from carrying a firearm on property owned or controlled by OUS. Kristian Roggendorf, Stubbs' attor ney, mailed the complaint to the Fed eral District Court in Eugene Wednes day, and it is expected to be filed by the end of the week. The complaint stated that Oregon statute allows licensed holders to car ry their firearms in all public places except courtrooms. The only leeway is given to the Oregon Legislature to reg ulate firearms. Roggendorf said the legislature passed a statute giving cities and counties the ability to pass laws to prohibit gun use, but police officers and license holders are an exception. "(OUS) doesn't have authority to ban lawfully carried firearms on cam pus," he said. OUS spokeswoman Di Saunders defended the decision to ban hand guns on campuses. "Student safety on OUS campuses is our first and foremost concern," she said. "That is why the state board went beyond the Oregon statute and voted to not allow handguns on Oregon public campuses." But Stubbs argues it isn't an issue of safety. "Prohibiting law-abiding citizens from carrying their handguns onto campus will not stop a criminal who is intent on violence," he said. "It will just ensure that all of the potential vic tims are unarmed and unable to de fend themselves." He added that knowing firearms are banned only provides an illusion of safety. "There is an important difference in feeling safe and actually being safe," he said. Roggendorf agreed with Stubbs. He said 35 states have a liberal poli cy allowing people to cany handguns, and he has not found any cases where a license holder committed a crime in public with his licensed firearm. Roggendorf also said licensees tend to be safer with firearms and they have far lower crime rates dealing with guns, other than senior citizens. Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation, said Stubbs took it upon himself to change the policy but even tually sought help from the organiza tion nearly a year ago. rFhe nonprofit organization is committed to fighting for the rights of gun owners in court. The group raised money to cover Stubb's attorney fees. "For some time we have known that schools all over the state have Turn to WEAPON, page 3 Tracking the environment Professor Ronald Mitchell received a $282,000grant to continue environmental agreements research By Jennifer Sudick Freelance Editor olitical science Associate Professor Ronald Mitchell's ninth-floor office in Ju PLC could be called a repository for environmental treaties research. Ten years of work sits in stacks of binders and in books along the wall, forming a listing of international environmental agreements larger than that of the United Nations. In September, Mitchell was awarded a $282,000 grant from the "Decision, Risk, and Management Science program" of The National Science Foundation to continue his work of creating a comprehensive data base of international environmental agreements and their effectiveness. "The project eventually will identify which treaties rely on sanctions and which rely on rewards to assess whether rewards or sanctions are a more effective way of in ducing behaviors that are less environ mentally harmful," he said. An earlier version of the database has already been used in University political science and environmental studies class es, and sue students are currently working on the project, which Mitchell said will eventually include approximately 2,500 Turn to ENVIRONMENT, page 4 Professor Donald Mitchell will be able to continue researching international environmental agreements after receiving a $282,000 grant from The National Science Foundation. Erik Bishoff Photographer Bush’s same-sex remarks spark debate After the State of the Union speech Tuesday, community members are taking sides on the issue of whether to Consitutionally ban gay marriage By Jared Paben Senior News Reporter In his State of the Union speech Tuesday, President George W. Bush suggested he would support a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage, and he praised the 1996 passage of the Defense of Marriage Art as a step toward "defending the sanctity of marriage." Bush also reaffirmed the act's definition of marriage as "a union between a man and a woman" and said if "activist judges" continue to rule in favor of same-sex marriages and domes tic unions he would support a constitutional amendment to ban them. Currently, the U.S. Congress is debating an amendment that would prohibit the federal gov ernment from recognizing same-sex marriages, according to an article in The Washington Times. It would also allow states to ignore civil unions created in other states. Both Bush's speech and the pending amendment are causing a stir on campus. Chicora Martin, director of LGBT Educational and Support Services, said she thought a consti tutional amendment would infringe on the rights of the states, which have traditionally regu lated marriage. "I'm surprised that more states haven't stepped up and said, 'Actually, you can't do that,'" Martin said. "I think it follows a trend of Bush trying to reinforce his philosophy of religion on everyone in the United States." Martin said an amendment would violate one of the "core tenets of our Constitution, which is Turn to SAME-SEX, page 8 Insurance, childcare at stake in election The Feb. 2 special election's results could determine medical and financial futures for many Eugene residents By Ayisha Yahya News Editor Some people may no longer have health insurance. Others may no longer be able to pay for child-care. And some children who are victims of abuse may lose access to customized programs of care. Ihese are just some of the myriad poten tial effects to the state's health and hu man services if voters reject Measure 30 in the Feb. 2 special election. The measure calls for an increase in in come and otiter taxes in an attempt to alle viate Oregon's budget shortfall. If the meas ure passes, the state stands to gain about $800 million from the income tax sur charges; If it fails, it could lead to cuts of about $544 million across state agencies. A significant chunk of the cut will be carved out the state's Department of Human Services. "If the measure fails, the department has been directed by the legislature to cut $206.9 million," DI IS spokesman Jim Sellers said. The Department administers various services, such as the Oregon Health Plan, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, food stamps, the state's JOBS program and public health programs. Sellers said the Oregon Health Plan is most likely to bear the brunt of the cuts; of Turn to MEASURE 30, page 4 PART 2 OF 4 Thursday: Education Today: Social services Monday: Police Tuesday: Pros and cons WEATHER LOW 40 > > f i > > » ♦ $ > * * > .♦ * t. ♦ ♦ k V, > ♦ #-• !> k > V '/ i ♦ ♦ > > > ♦ > 4 > > T> t i INSIDE Campus buzz.3 Commentary..2 Classifieds.7 Sports.5 > dr*» ' >. > ■ • ' j ■ .• i t NEXT ISSUE Campus buildings: How safe are they?
