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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2020)
A8 STATE Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, February 12, 2020 Impassioned testimony highlights hearing on gun storage bill Over three hours, legislators listened to sometimes impassioned testimony about a proposal to require safe gun storage in Oregon By Sam Stites Oregon Capital Bureau In two-minute turns on Friday, more than two dozen citizens staked out their views on legislation that would require Oregonians to keep their firearms under lock or face penalties. They appeared before the House Judiciary Committee over three hours, speaking on House Bill 4005. Before that testimony, the bill’s sponsors Rep. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, Rep. Rachel Prusak, D-West Linn, and Rep. Alissa Keny- Guyer, D-Portland, took a moment to explain why their purpose. “Unsecured firearm stor- age is an important con- tributor to access and is especially dangerous to children,” Sollman told the committee. “We need pro- tections for youth and for those in mental crisis, and we need to keep firearms out of the hands of unauthorized users.” The legislation would require gun owners to secure their firearms with a trigger or cable lock, in a locked container such a safe or gun room. Violators could be fined up to $500. If a minor gets their hands on a gun that was found to be unsecured, the owner could be fined up to $2,000, and a gun owner could be held liable for an unsecured firearm that causes injury or property damage with some exceptions. Under the legislation, gun owners would be required to report to police within 72 hours of finding their fire- arm has been lost or stolen. The Oregon Health Author- ity would establish regula- tions for trigger locks and storage. Testimony was evenly split between those for and against the bill, including impassioned presentations Oregon Capital Bureau/Sam Stites Rabbi Michael Cahana of Portland’s Congregation Beth Israel gives testimony in favor of the safe gun storage bill during a hearing at the Capitol Friday, Feb. 7, on behalf of interfaith nonprofit organization Life Every Voice Oregon. of their experience with gun violence, home invasion, assault, losing a loved one OUTPATIENT EAR AND FOOT CLINIC Open Mon. - Thurs. 8AM - 4PM 422 West Main John Day OR, 97845 Regular and High Risk Foot Care done by specially trained RN or CNA. S164450-1 Ears are examined and cleaned by Registered Nurses. Call to make an appointment today! 541-575-1648 and fear for personal safety. Among the first wit- nesses was Paul Kemp, whose brother-in-law Steve Forsyth was one of the three who lost their lives in the Clackamas Town Cen- ter shooting in 2012. The shooter in that event had sto- len the firearm he used from an acquaintance. The bill is named for the victims. Kemp recounted noti- fying his nephew that his father had died in the inci- dent, and how he hopes no one else has to shoulder that duty. “The circumstances that allowed the Clackamas Town Center mall shoot- ing years ago will finally be addressed by the 2020 Leg- islature with passage of HB 4005,” Kemp said. “My sis- ter and I learned (after the event) the owner of those guns had no obligation under Oregon law to report them as stolen. In fact, the legal gun owner did not call the police until the mall shooting was national news that afternoon.” Kemp and others cited numbers showing that sui- cides involving firearms in the U.S. have increased by 19% over the past decade, that in Oregon, 82% of gun deaths are suicides, and that less than 5% of sui- cide attempts without a gun result in death. According to Ben Hoff- man, a pediatrician and expert on child injury at the Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon’s rate of suicide for children and teens is 34% higher than the rest of the country, and in the last five years, the rate has increased by 50%. Klamath County resident Scott DeCarlo said he’s sad- dened by statistics, but told legislators that doesn’t give the Legislature the right to infringe on his Second Amendment right. “I’m definitely sorry that some children have taken their lives. That’s awful, but statistically, the number is quite small,” DeCarlo said. “We should not be hav- ing this hearing,” he contin- ued. “We have no right to do this. It’s ludicrous to think that when I fall asleep, tech- nically, that gun is no lon- ger under my control, so I have to lock it. So, some- body kicks in my door in the middle of the night, I’m supposed to lock my firearm up when I’m supposed to be safe in my home?” Rabbi Michael Cah- ana, representing the inter- faith nonprofit Lift Every Voice Oregon, pointed out that there are no more safe spaces with the prolifera- tion of firearms in America today. “There are no safe spaces in malls, in schools, as we’ve heard, and religious insti- tutions as well, are under threat,” Cahana said. “The safe storage of owned weap- ons is something we should all be able to unite behind. We stand strongly behind this bill and urge it’s moving forward.” The testimony went on, back and forth, for the better part of the afternoon Friday. As contentious as the bill is, both sides contained their emotions to the tables sitting before the committee’s dais, except for a witness iden- tified as Manuel Martinez, whose testimony against the bill included mentions of “Marxism,” “Commu- nism,” “impeachment” and “Trump” and contin- ued in spurting shouts as he exited. A work session is sched- uled for the bill on Wednes- day, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. at the Capitol. It’s expected that amendments to the bill, including clarifica- tions on situations in which the owner of a firearm may or may not be held liable, will be subject to public testimony. Sweetheart Shoot Saturday, February 15, 2020 at tre e R e es ckag i v i Sil a Pa 2 Sp for Grant County Hot Shotz would like to thank the following sponsors: Do not need to be a shooter to come have lunch and bid on some of the great themed baskets something for everyone. 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