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Did anyone notice the sign on the Beaverton City Library's entrance that says no weapons are allowed and their own website posts rules, saying "18. BRING WEAPONS INTO THE LIBRARY. A concealed weapons permit does not allow a person to bring a weapon into the library."

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Did anyone notice the sign on the Beaverton City Library's entrance that says no weapons are allowed and their own website posts rules, saying "18. BRING WEAPONS INTO THE LIBRARY. A concealed weapons permit does not allow a person to bring a weapon into the library."

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I just sent that info to OFF to see what they say. But I believe that is an unenforceable rule.
 
Well, their little rule doesn't have force of law with respects to firearms and we don't have "concealed weapons permits" in Oregon, we have Conceal Handgun Licenses. And yes, that CHL does permit me to carry firearms in the library. So in a way the rule is correct, you can't just bring any old weapon into the library like a sword or suicide vest.

Expect to all change in the 2017 legislative session with the passing of numerous "emergency" bills aimed at gun owners. Personally I'm trying to decide between AK and ID, though I've heard some areas of UT can be lovely to live in.
 
Well, their little rule doesn't have force of law with respects to firearms and we don't have "concealed weapons permits" in Oregon, we have Conceal Handgun Licenses. And yes, that CHL does permit me to carry firearms in the library. So in a way the rule is correct, you can't just bring any old weapon into the library like a sword or suicide vest.

Expect to all change in the 2017 legislative session with the passing of numerous "emergency" bills aimed at gun owners. Personally I'm trying to decide between AK and ID, though I've heard some areas of UT can be lovely to live in.
Kevin of OFF just sent this email to the library and cc'd me so here it is:

To whom it may concern,


In your "Library Rules" you state:


18. BRING WEAPONS INTO THE LIBRARY. A concealed weapons permit does not allow a person to bring a weapon into the library.



This rule is illegal and violates Oregon's preemption statute .


The Oregon University System had a similar rule. They were sued over it and they lost.


I strongly suggest you remove this rule so you do not face litigation.



166.170 State preemption. (1) Except as expressly authorized by state statute, the authority to regulate in any matter whatsoever the sale, acquisition, transfer, ownership, possession, storage, transportation or use of firearms or any element relating to firearms and components thereof, including ammunition, is vested solely in the Legislative Assembly.

(2) Except as expressly authorized by state statute, no county, city or other municipal corporation or district may enact civil or criminal ordinances, including but not limited to zoning ordinances, to regulate, restrict or prohibit the sale, acquisition, transfer, ownership, possession, storage, transportation or use of firearms or any element relating to firearms and components thereof, including ammunition. Ordinances that are contrary to this subsection are void. [1995 s.s. c.1 §1]



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FindLaw's Court of Appeals of Oregon case and opinions. (http://caselaw.findlaw.com/or-court-of-appeals/1606727.html)


Kevin Starrett

Oregon Firearms Federation

[email protected]
 
As a Beaverton city resident I contacted the Director with a similar message for the Board (though I was not aware of the case Kevin cited). Here is her reply:

Dear Mr. M,
Thank you for your email and for bringing this matter to my attention. I have shared your message with our city attorney's office and will wait to hear from them for guidance.
The library advisory board meets July 13th, and I will share your message with the board members at that meeting. You are also welcome to attend that meeting in person if you would like. The meeting is at 6:30 pm in the library administrative conference room on the second floor of the Main Library.
I'll be in touch once I have information from the city attorney's office.
Thanks so much!
-abigail

Abigail Elder, Director
Beaverton City Library
12375 SW Fifth St | Beaverton OR 97005
503.526.3705 | Cell/text: 503.707.9351
www.beavertonlibrary.org | @beavertonlib
 
Dear Mr. M,
Hello again! Since I wrote to you last week, I have checked with the city attorney's office and wanted to give you a quick update.
We have concluded that the library board does not have the authority to prohibit concealed handgun licensees from bringing their firearms into the libraries. We will be amending Rule 18 to drop the second sentence.
Please feel free to contact me if you additional questions or thoughts on this topic. Thanks for reaching out to help us make this correction.
Sincerely,
Abigail Elder
 
Dear Mr. M,
Hello again! Since I wrote to you last week, I have checked with the city attorney's office and wanted to give you a quick update.
We have concluded that the library board does not have the authority to prohibit concealed handgun licensees from bringing their firearms into the libraries. We will be amending Rule 18 to drop the second sentence.
Please feel free to contact me if you additional questions or thoughts on this topic. Thanks for reaching out to help us make this correction.
Sincerely,
Abigail Elder
Cool beans and it probably didn't hurt that OFF sent their email either. That is great news, although I'll bet they don't think so.
 
Aside from the widespread availability of the interwebs on just about every smartphone making libraries "obsolete", she'd probably be amazed how many "weapons" (legal or otherwise) were/are actually brought into their facilities @ any given moment.

Clueless.... :rolleyes:
 
Dear Mr. M,
Hello again! Since I wrote to you last week, I have checked with the city attorney's office and wanted to give you a quick update.
We have concluded that the library board does not have the authority to prohibit concealed handgun licensees from bringing their firearms into the libraries. We will be amending Rule 18 to drop the second sentence.
Please feel free to contact me if you additional questions or thoughts on this topic. Thanks for reaching out to help us make this correction.
Sincerely,
Abigail Elder

Steve - I hope you had the courtesy to thank her for taking the right action. It is not often we hear about bureaucrats doing the right things without being forced to do so.
 
2016071395140523.jpg This was taken at the Beaverton City Library today. Guess we all have to know about 3(g)
 
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Library? Those still exist? I thought Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo handled that whole "book" thing some time ago. I was under the impression that the library was for homeless dudes so they could look up their internet porn and crash on the couches in the reference section.

If I had to go there, I would carry anyway. I don't care what their silly sign says.
 
That sign has been there for years. It is technically correct just like a sign that says "Unlawful killing prohibited" would be correct. They just neglected to list the exceptions. Personally I don't have a problem with it except that at one point in time tax payer dollars paid for a pointless sign that will have zero impact. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a sign saying that unlawful removal of books from the library is prohibited?
 

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