SB 87 VOTE:NO – Died In Committee
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/SB0087
Committee assigned to bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Committees/SJUD/Overview
This bill creates an exemption from anti-discrimination statute. Allows gun dealer to establish a minimum age for purchase of firearms, ammunition or firearms components, provided that minimum age is 21 years. Raises the minimum age at which a person may purchase a firearm to 21 years.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
There are many responsible 18, 19 and 20 year olds who have served our country in the armed services. Those outstanding folks were trusted with weapons far more lethal than the small arms available to law-abiding citizens. This punishes all by restricting rights, rather than addressing the tiny number who are the problem, and is tantamount to raising the age for drivers licenses to 21 because a few 16 to 20-year-olds have intentionally used a car in a way which caused death or injury. No other enumerated rights are dependent on the age. We allow 18 year olds to vote. We hold 18 year olds (and sometimes younger) as responsible adults for crimes they commit. Why should the right to firearms ownership be suspended for law abiding 18-20 year olds?
There are many responsible 18, 19 and 20 year olds who have served our country in the armed services. Those outstanding folks were trusted with weapons far more lethal than the small arms available to law-abiding citizens. This punishes all by restricting rights, rather than addressing the tiny number who are the problem, and is tantamount to raising the age for drivers licenses to 21 because a few 16 to 20-year-olds have intentionally used a car in a way which caused death or injury. No other enumerated rights are dependent on the age. We allow 18 year olds to vote. We hold 18 year olds (and sometimes younger) as responsible adults for crimes they commit. Why should the right to firearms ownership be suspended for law abiding 18-20 year olds?
This is tantamount to denying people younger than 21 access to fire arms, a right given to citizens under the second amendment. Like the bill from the past that denies children under 12 the ability to work in agriculture, (picking Oregon’s crops) making them too old to understand the benefits of work, this bill will accomplish the same with fire arms. Who would pick up and use a firearm if not exposed to it for 21 years? The lost “teachable moment” such as ; gun safety, hunting and most important, personal protection goes by the wayside with this bill.