Some accidental good news for gun owners in Oregon this week.
While Oregon normally has a five week legislature, on February 25th, only two weeks into this session, the Republicans walked out. First the House, and then the next day, the Senate. And all the Democrats had to just sit there and twiddle their thumbs. After all, without the Republicans there, no votes could be taken.
One day passed. Two. Then five. Then a week. Finally, on Thursday, March 5th, the Democrats gaveled out. Session was over.
The Republicans were upset over a climate change bill that was being shoved down their throats. But their actions helped gun owners, too.
One Anti-Gun Bill Died Before It Could Reach the Floor
Three Democrat legislators, Rep. Sollman, Rep. Prusak and Rep. Keny-Guyer filed and sponsored HB. 4005, a “safe storage” bill. Like similar bills, it would require that gun owners keep their guns in a locked safe or with a cable or trigger lock at all times.
The fine if you don’t? $500. The fine if a child accesses it while it’s unlocked? $2,000. It also required that gun owners report if their gun was stolen within 72 hours. Of course, that specific clause in the law has backfired pretty much everywhere it was passed.
So if you’re home watching TV and you hear breaking glass coming from the back door, these legislators want you to run to your bedroom and start spinning the dial on your combination safe. Or frantically try to recall the digits that open the cable lock. Maybe you’ll be lucky and just have to find and insert an impossibly tiny key into the lock?
This law, like safe storage laws everywhere, essentially kills the Second Amendment. And worse, it will kill real people who can’t defend themselves when a violent criminal–who already has the element of surprise–isn’t willing to wait patiently while gun owners unlock their guns.
Sometimes It Takes The Bigger Man To Walk Away
Kudos to the Oregon Republicans for walking out and ending that legislative session before this bill could make it to law. Maybe these three Democrat ladies think they’re saving kids, but they’re actually putting thousands of people in danger by disarming them.
This situation reminds us of an old quote that’s often attributed to Mark Twain or a man named Gideon Tucker: “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”
Truer words were never spoken! Lucky for Oregon gun owners, they dodged a bullet this session.