VOTE:NO
Signed into law by Gov. Brown on 06-01-21
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB554
This bill allows the State Capitol, colleges, universities, school districts, and the Portland Airport to ban carried firearms in or on their grounds by those with Concealed Handgun Licenses (it’s already illegal if you don’t have a CHL), making possession a Class A misdemeanor (364 days jail and or $6,250 fine).
SB 554-B has been combined with HB 2510 and contains the mandatory lockup provisions from that bill, making firearm owners legally liable for damages caused by someone who stole their firearm unless the owner can prove they secured or locked it if it was out of their sight and that they reported the theft, or if a minor accesses it and the owner fails to supervise the minor.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
This bill is shocking as it is aimed directly, and only, at those with concealed handgun licenses. There is no justification for this. CHL holders are the most law-abiding segment of society, committing crimes at even a lower rate than police officers. Further, they constantly save lives by being ‘there’ and stopping or at least slowing an attacker until police can arrive. See for example the Titusville FLA back to school event in August 2018, where a concealed carrier immediately stopped a shooter who otherwise could have killed scores of children. The authors of this bill would make it impossible to stop that tragedy or any of the school shootings in recent decades.
76% of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs said “law-abiding armed citizens help law enforcement reduce violent criminal activity” in the 28th annual survey by the National Association of Chiefs of Police at http://www.mrctv.org/blog/survey-76-police-chiefs-say-armed-citizens-reduce-violent-crime. The FBI report on 50 active shooter incidents in 2016-2017 https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-us-2016-2017.pdf/view concluded that “Armed and unarmed citizens engaged the shooter in 10 incidents. They safely and successfully ended the shootings in eight of those incidents. Their selfless actions likely saved many lives.”
There is NO problem this bill needs to solve, as concealed carry permit holders not only do not cause problems, they often stop them: Americans use firearms to protect themselves from violent crime in the millions of times per year. This bill if enacted will lead to the loss of life of innocent, defenseless people.
With regard to securing firearms, of course responsible gun owners already do. Those that don’t aren’t likely to be affected by this bill, many being people not legally allowed to possess guns anyway. Responsible gun owners who under this bill would not be able to take a gun onto school grounds when picking up their child would have to leave it in the car, and the majority of gun theft by criminals, is from cars.
Limited Government
Holders of concealed permits have gone through extensive background checks and have proven they are not a threat to anyone. For the government to force these citizens to disarm and be defenseless is unconscionable. NO ONE has a right to deny someone else the ability to defend their life.
Local Control
We are in favor of “local control” – deferring to local government wherever possible rather than state or federal government. But the U.S. Constitution, where there is a conflict, supersedes all and in the protection of rights enumerated in the bill of rights, must be the deciding factor. Court cases across the country are finding it unconstitutional for states and localities to ban citizens who are not prohibited from owning firearms, from carrying those firearms, and this bill if enacted will also be found to be unconstitutional.
Our Nations’ Constitution is the Absolute Supreme Law of Our Nation. No State may Create Laws that Disregard these.
This bill authorizes cities, counties, metropolitan service districts, ports operating commercial airports, school districts, colleges, or universities to adopt ordinances or policy limits or even preclusions for DEFENSE for the possession of firearms in public buildings by concealed handgun licensees. As the morass of conflicting regulations develops, all Oregonians will soon be lawbreakers.
The unintended consequence of this SB 554 is a death trap for law abiding citizens authorized to legally carry a handgun just by the mere fact it will be impossible to know at every turn where there are restrictions. Vote NO on this horrible bill.
VOTE NO! Criminals always find a way to procure guns. Regular citizens need a way to protect themselves.
This bill serves no purpose beyond an attack on the Constitutional rights of the most law-abiding segment of Oregon’s citizens. This also does nothing to impact the illegal use of or possession of firearms by criminals.
This Bill, like so many others in this session, needs to be dropped without action and the Legislature should focus their efforts on restoring public services and getting government out of the way of economic, wildfire, and COVID recovery.
As it stands, the biggest threat to the rights, security, and economic recovery of all Oregonians is the current Legislative Agenda.
SB 554: As I read the Oregon gun laws this is already addressed. (Oregon gun laws)
MISCELLANOUS LAWS It is unlawful to: as listed .
Crooks do not obey laws, and it looks like the citizens will have to adopt the same stance if this idiot bill passes. What the hell happened to the citizen representatives, aka politicians, who swore an oath to defend the constitution? I guess a person’s word doesn’t mean much these sad days.
Not to this bill!
No