OREGON
A6 — THE OBSERVER
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022
Survey: Most Oregonians plan to vote for more gun control
54% of Oregonians
say they are more likely
to vote for candidate
who supports more
gun control
By JOE SIESS
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — The majority of
Oregonians plan to vote for a can-
didate that supports more gun
control in the November gen-
eral election, according to a new
survey published by the Oregon
Values and Beliefs Center.
The survey found that 54%
of Oregonians indicated they are
more likely to vote for a candi-
date who supports more gun con-
trol, compared to 19% of Ore-
gonians who said they are more
likely to vote for a candidate
who is in favor of less gun con-
trol. Two and 10 Oregonians were
either undecided or did not care,
the survey showed.
Women were found to be more
likely than men to seek candi-
dates who support more gun con-
trol, the survey found.
The values and belief center,
an independent, nonpartisan
research group, released the
survey Thursday. The center sur-
veyed 1,572 Oregon residents
ages 18 and older between July 8
and July 16. A previous gun con-
trol survey was released in June
and showed the majority of Ore-
gonians support stricter gun laws.
The new survey was done to
provide more comprehensive
and nuanced results than the pre-
vious survey, which was meant
to create more of a baseline, said
Amaury Vogel, the associate
executive director of the Oregon
Values and Beliefs Center.
“In June we asked people just
a couple of questions that were
surface level questions because
everybody had just gone through
the shooting in Buff alo and the
shooting in Uvalde,” Vogel said.
“In July we wanted to ask about it
particularly because we had sev-
eral mass shootings and a rise
in gun violence and it is some-
thing that is a big factor in the
November election.”
The more recent survey
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Clay Winton, owner of Crosshair Customs in Baker City, chats with customers March 11, 2018, at the Pendleton Gun Show. The majority of Oregonians plan to vote for a
candidate that supports more gun control in the November 2022 general election, according to a new survey published by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.
showed that about half of Ore-
gonians indicated the recent
mass shootings do not aff ect the
likelihood they will vote in the
November election. More than a
third of Oregonians, or 36%, said
they are more likely to vote in
November as a result of the recent
mass shootings.
The survey found the vast
majority of Oregonians, or four
in fi ve residents, believe there
should be some level of gun con-
trol, and that gun control laws in
Oregon should be stricter than
they are today.
The results showed men in
Oregon are more likely to own
guns than women, and women are
united in wanting at least some
level of gun control, with 88%
of women compared to 79% of
men indicating they believe there
should be some gun control.
Deschutes County gun owner
Slater Kellstrom said he believes
the current gun laws in Oregon
should be enforced instead of
passing new laws.
“The amount of people, both
private citizens and public offi -
cials, who don’t know laws
regarding guns and concealed
carrying of guns in this state bog-
gles my mind,” Kellstrom said.
“Offi cials make laws or regu-
lations or pronouncements that
directly contradict established
state laws and suff er no repercus-
sions. Enforce the laws as written,
treat infractions as serious mat-
ters not slaps on wrists.”
The survey also found that a
strong majority, or 88% of Orego-
nians, support background checks
for all gun purchases, preventing
the sale of fi rearms to those with
certain mental health condi-
tions, as well as the expansion
of screening and treatment for
people with mental illnesses.
Sienna Fitzpatrick, of
Deschutes County, believes
people should have access to guns
for recreation and self-defense,
but feels more safeguards should
be in place to prevent them from
getting into the wrong hands.
“There needs to be more
done to limit who can access
them, especially young men
with mental health issues and
people with histories of violence.
But that’s just a symptom of the
problem,” Fitzpatrick said. “More
resources need to be available for
improving community wellbeing,
like mental and physical health-
care, economic development,
community building projects
like recreation areas, afterschool
programs, and skill-building
opportunities.”
The statewide survey took
each participant about 15 minutes
to complete. To ensure diversity
in the survey results, the Oregon
Values and Beliefs Center set
demographic quotas and recorded
data based on the area of the state
participants were from, their gen-
ders, ages, and education levels.
Participants from a wide variety
of backgrounds were included.
‘Damn straight’: Betsy
Johnson reacts to news
she made Oregon ballot
Idaho Power to pay $1.5 million related
to 2014 and 2015 fi res in Baker County
showed the petitions had
37,679 valid signatures —
well above the threshold
SALEM — Former state required.
Sen. Betsy Johnson has
The fi nal statewide ballot
qualifi ed for the Nov. 8 gen- will be set Aug. 30. County
eral election as an unaffi li-
and local ballots must be
ated candidate for governor. fi nalized no later than
“Damn straight,”
Sept. 8.
Johnson said in a statement.
The trio of women
“This is a momen-
will ensure a his-
tous day for Oregon.”
toric election in
Ben Morris,
November.
spokesperson for
Johnson is seeking
Oregon Secretary of
to become the second
State Shemia Fagan,
governor in state his-
confi rmed Thursday,
tory to be elected
Johnson
Aug. 25, that Johnson
without major party
would be on the
support. Julius Meier
ballot alongside Democrat
won one term in 1930
Tina Kotek and Republican during a major rift in the
Christine Drazan.
Oregon Republican Party.
Johnson, the former
Drazan is running to be
Democrat from Columbia
the fi rst Republican to win
County, needed 23,744 valid the offi ce in 40 years. Gov.
signatures to qualify for the Vic Atiyeh won a second
general election slate that
term in 1982.
will go before all 2.9 million
Kotek is seeking to
registered voters in Oregon. extend the Democratic
Campaign workers with
win streak dating back to
Johnson wheeled what she
the election of Neil Gold-
said were petitions with
schmidt in 1986.
48,214 signatures into
Adding to the mix is that
Fagan’s offi ce in Salem
Oregon voters have not seen
Aug. 16.
a general election ballot
The secretary’s Elections without the name of an
Division had until Aug. 30
incumbent or former gov-
to announce whether John-
ernor on it since 2002. Gov.
son’s petitions had passed
Kate Brown was barred
a random verifi cation sam-
from running again by term
pling. Fagan said a review
limits.
PORTLAND — The
U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce
for the District of Oregon
announced Thursday, Aug.
25, that Idaho Power Com-
pany, a Boise utility that
provides electricity to
several states, including
Oregon, has agreed to pay
$1.5 million to settle allega-
tions by the United States
relating to the May 2014
Powerline and August 2015
Lime Hill fi res in Baker
County.
The Powerline Fire
ignited on May 31, 2014,
and burned approxi-
mately 5 acres of fed-
eral land managed by the
Bureau of Land Manage-
ment (BLM). The Lime
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
Baker City Herald
Bureau of Land Management/Contributed Photo, File
Aerial view of the Lime Hill fi re burning near Huntington in August
2015.
Hill Fire ignited on Aug. 5,
2015, and burned approxi-
mately 2,592 acres of fed-
eral land managed by BLM
and 9,337 acres of privately
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owned land.
Idaho Power Company
has a utility right-of-way on
BLM land in Baker County
on which it owns and oper-
ates its 138kV Ontario-to-
Quartz transmission line.
The United States con-
tended in the civil action
that the Powerline and
Lime Hill fi res were caused
by the failure of structures
on the Ontario-to-Quartz
transmission line. The set-
tlement reached is not an
admission of liability by
Idaho Power Company and
the company denies the
United States’ contentions.
This case was investi-
gated by BLM with assis-
tance from the U.S. Forest
Service. The United States
was represented in this
matter by Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Carla McClurg
and Alexis Lien for the
U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce in
the District of Oregon.
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