Community
June 3
2021
5
Columbia County Second Amendment Sanctuary
Ordinance Comes Under Legal Scrutiny continued from page 3
of the Court as to the Regularity, Legal-
ity, Validity and Effect’ of the ordinance
via a petition for validation of local gov-
ernment action.
Under ORS 33.710, the Colum-
bia County Circuit Court is authorized
to conduct an examination of the ordi-
nance and to provide a judgement as to
the legality of the authority of a county
governing body to enact the Second
Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance.
The County filed the petition to
clear up several important legal ques-
tions about what firearm regulations
can be enforced in Columbia County.
Through this process, Judge Grove can
provide clarity on the matter.
“To be clear, the County is not
seeking to invalidate the Ordinance,
only to get answers to the many legal
questions raised by it,” County Coun-
sel Sarah Hanson said. “As an example,
Oregon law generally does not permit
the County to regulate within the City
limits without consent. We have asked
the Court to inform us whether the cities
have consented.”
But the group of four citizens
are looking to invalidate the ordinance.
“By claiming to nullify state and federal
gun laws, this measure has complicated
the work of local law enforcement of-
ficials and has undermined public safety
Vernonia
Police Blotter
May 19-31, 2021
Reports Taken/Arrests
• May 19, 2021 Report of Probation
Violation near Rose Avenue
• May 20, 2021 Report of Agency Assist
near Nehalem Highway North
• May 20, 2021 Report of Release
Agreement Violation and Disorderly
Conduct near A Street
• May 21, 2021 Report of a Theft 1
Firearm
• May 22, 2021 Informational Report
• May 23, 2021 Report of Agency Assist
on Highway 47
• May 26, 2021 Report of Agency Assist
near Timber Road
• May 27, 2021 Report of Driving While
Suspended near Timber Road
Citation/Other
• May 26, 2021 Cited for Driving While
Suspended, Driving Uninsured, and
Failure to Register near Highway 47
for all of us,” said Robert Pile, one of the
citizens involved in the legal challenge,
and a volunteer with Oregon Moms De-
mand Action, a grassroots organization
fighting for public safety measures that
protect citizens from gun violence. “We
have a range of opinions in Columbia
County on many issues, including gun
laws, but tying the hands of law enforce-
ment officials here in Columbia County
is not the answer. Who wins if our lo-
cal officials can’t take part in common-
sense safety measures like criminal
background checks on gun sales?”
Joining Pile in the case are
Brandee Dudzic, a military veteran and
2020 candidate for the county board of
commissioners; Shana Cavanaugh, the
founder of the progressive group Mov-
ing Forward Columbia County; and
Joe Lewis, a former Scappoose School
Board member who was one of nine
people injured at the Kent State shoot-
ing in 1970, when Ohio National Guard
members fatally shot four people pro-
testing the Vietnam War.
The four are represented by
attorneys from the Oregon firm Stoll
Berne, but are asking the court to allow
two New York-based attorneys to join
the case. The attorneys, Mark Weiner
and Len Kamdang, are with Everytown
Law, the litigation arm of Everytown for
Gun Safety Support Fund, which is part
of Everytown for Gun Safety.
“The residents we represent
expect the county to comply with Or-
egon law and with the U.S. Constitu-
tion, both of which make clear that local
governments don’t have the legal au-
thority to pick and choose which public
safety laws apply within their borders,”
said Eric Tirschwell, managing direc-
tor for Everytown Law. “Groups that
oppose state and federal gun laws have
every right to try to change them in the
statehouse and Congress, but claiming
to nullify them at the local level is both
unconstitutional and dangerous. That’s
not how our democracy works.”
According to the Columbia
County Spotlight, Chris Brumbles, a Co-
lumbia County resident and gun rights
activist who filed both ballot measures,
said that he disagrees with the county’s
choice to pursue judicial validation. “I
think they did this so that they could get
it in front of a judge, so the judge could
throw it out,” Brumbles was quoted in
the Spotlight. “As far as I’m concerned,
this is a huge attack on the will of the
people. The people voted these laws in
not once, but twice. If this was happen-
ing to the other side, I think there would
be an uproar.”
Columbia County Sheriff Brian
Pixley has expressed support for the
ordinance, saying in a March state-
Report Clears Witt in Harassment Complaint
continued from front page
Witt says he was surprised by Breese Iverson’s request for
support of her bill which he clearly did not support, especially
given what he perceived as a “challenging working relation-
ship,” between the two legislators. Witt said Breese Iverson
had been “undermining his legislative agenda,” this session,
and had spoke in opposition to virtually all of his key pieces
of legislation, both in committee and on the floor. He said he
was told she was lobbying others to oppose his key pieces of
legislation, while he had been supportive of hers.
Witness that were questioned confirmed Witt had been
attempting to schedule an in-person meeting with Breese Iver-
son, including through staff, to try and improve the relation-
ship. In the report Witt said he had no romantic or sexual inter-
est in Breese Iverson and did not intend to suggest that in his
texts.
During the investigation Ryan spoke with three wom-
en who had worked in the Capital for many years, and said
none of them had ever witnessed Witt acting inappropriately or
engaging in questionable conduct, nor had they heard any prior
accusations about Witt. Two of the three said they had ob-
served Witt in social settings were alcohol was served and de-
scribed Witt’s behavior in those settings as, “above reproach.”
In the investigation Breese Iverson said she inter-
preted the texts as “sexual innuendo” that was “undesirable
and unwelcome” and offended her and made her “extremely
anxious.” Ryan found that Breese Iverson’s interpretation was
not unreasonable, and found witnesses who confirmed Breese
Iverson was visibly shaken and genuinely upset by the text ex-
change.
Ryan said several witnesses told her that Witt is “not
a good texter,” who is often multi-tasking when he texts, and
his intentions are sometimes hard to determine. Ryan said she
reviewed prior text exchanges between the two legislators and
found them to contain “pleasantries and polite political de-
bate.”
“I’m gratified that the investigation dealt with the facts
at hand and came to a conclusion on that basis,” Witt said in a
written statement. “I am looking forward to the final resolution
to this matter in the near term and completing the work that lies
ahead in this legislative session including the public’s health,
the economic rebuild of our state, wildfire prevention, and the
reopening of Oregon.”
Vernonia Police Department responds
to calls that do not always end in
Arrest, Report, or Citation. 05/01/2021
through 05/31/2021 VPD had 173 calls
for service.
The Transfer Station
is scheduled to be open
on the 2 nd and 4 th Saturday
January - October
June 12 & 26
July 10 & 24
There may be limits on oversized items
(mattresses, couches, etc.) and the number
of vehicles in the yard at one time.
Dates are subject to change
ment that one of his responsibilities is
to uphold people’s Second Amendment
rights and that he’s eager to “move for-
ward with the will of the voters.”
County Counsel Hanson said
the many questions arising from the two
voter-passed initiatives and the Ordi-
nance implementing them put the Coun-
ty and its residents in legal “limbo,” so
the Ordinance has been put before the
Court for answers. The statutory pro-
cess will enable the County to get bind-
ing decisions from the Court which will
allow the Ordinance to move forward
in a form that is legal. It will provide
the Sheriff and District Attorney with
certainty as to what can and cannot be
prosecuted. It will also safeguard the
County in the event other legal matters,
like lawsuits, are raised against the Or-
dinance in the future.
“This proceeding will also in-
form residents of the County what fire-
arm laws do apply to them so that no
one is unwittingly found to violate a
federal or state firearm law that they be-
lieve doesn’t apply because of the initia-
tive measures,” Hanson said. “We don’t
think anyone would want that result.”
The County expects a briefing
schedule to be approved by the Court
soon and hopes to have a hearing before
the end of June, 2021.
Get Your Garden Ready
Lawn Care Supplies • Insect Control
Trimmer Line • Hoses • Seeds
Potting Soil • Garden Tools
Family owned & operated for over 50 years
834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364
Vernonia City
Council Meetings
and Closures
Please check the City’s website
for details on upcoming
City Council Meetings
scheduled for 7:00 pm:
Monday, June 7, 2021
Monday, June 21, 2021
www.vernonia-or.gov
City Closures are scheduled for:
Monday, July 5, 2021
Independence Day Observed
Dates and times subject to change