Ceasefire's Update for May 3rd before floor vote on the 4th at 10:30 am' call your legislators

tkdguy · May 3, 2015

The final floor vote on SB 941, the Expanded Background Checks bill, is scheduled for tomorrow, May 4, at 10:30 AM.

You can still call tonight and tomorrow morning to leave messages for legislators. If you have already called, thank you! If not, you still have time.

We are very close to passing this bill but our representatives have told us that they need to hear more from supporters of SB 941. So let's give them a huge shout out of encouragement and support!

Please call your Oregon State Representative NOW and say that you support SB 941, the Expanded Background Checks bill. Find your legislator here and find more information about SB 941 here (at the bottom of this email). Call tonight or tomorrow morning and leave a message.

And call the legislators below even if you are not in their district. When you reach a staff member or a voicemail box, please tell them the following things:

Your name and that you are an Oregon resident.
Tell them you want the representative to vote YES on SB 941, the expanded background check bill.
Tell them background checks save lives by helping keep guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers.
Thank them for their support--that's important.

Rep. Susan McLain (Dist. 29, Hillsboro): 503-986-1429
[email protected]

Rep. Brian Clem (Dist. 21, Salem): 503-986-1421
[email protected]

Rep. Deborah Boone (Dist. 32, Canon Beach, Astoria): 503-986-1432
[email protected]

Rep. Paul Evans (Dist. 20, Salem): 503-986-1420
[email protected]

Rep. Betty Komp (Dist. 22, Woodburn): 503-986-1422
[email protected]

Rep. Brad Witt (Dist. 31, Clatskanie): 503-986-1431
[email protected]
The final vote on SB 941 is scheduled for Monday, May 4, starting at 10:30 a.m. The entire process is expected to last 5 hours. Governor Brown is expected to sign this bill but SB 941 must first pass this final vote.

Ceasefire Oregon thanks all of you who have poured many, many hours into this effort.

Penny, Joanne, Michael and the entire Ceasefire Oregon team!

Let's finish this!

#YesOnSB941

Information about SB 941

87% of Oregonians support background checks, including 83% of Oregon gun owners.1

In Oregon, background checks for gun sales are only required from a federally licensed firearms dealer or at a gun show. Oregon voters closed the gun show loophole in 2000, but an estimated 40,000 to 75,000 guns are still sold annually in Oregon without a background check through private sellers.

Felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill can avoid the background check system by going to private sellers, no questions asked.

Exempt family members include parents, children, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

Background checks would not be required for temporary transfer. (For example, if a gun were lent for hunting for a short time.)

The private gun sale loophole is one reason why Oregon is one of 14 states where gun deaths now outnumber car fatalities.2

Taking the responsible step of requiring background checks for private gun sales is the most effective way to reduce gun violence.

In states that require comprehensive background checks:
-48% fewer on-duty police officers are shot and killed, and
-46% fewer women are shot and killed by their intimate partners.3

Background checks are simple and effective. During 2013 alone, Oregon's background check system prevented 2,215 prohibited persons from purchasing guns from licensed dealers and at gun shows (Oregon State Police data).

Background checks save lives. Let's close the private sale loophole now.

1. Americans for Responsible Solutions
2. <broken link removed>
3. Everytown for Gun Safety

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31Kwiredog · May 3, 2015

WOW!! I'm speechless. I will call my Rep. and ask them to vote NO on SP941.

tiggers97 · May 3, 2015

Especially Rep. Susan McLain! If Ceasefire thinks she is wavering....

And if you call and ask:

87% support the checks? See "Americans for responsible solutions" link. Not only do they NOT show their poll, but the organization that did the poll? The president of the company was recently hired to work for the Hillary campaign. They specialize in 'helping' progressive causes.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/hillary-clinton-robby-mook-joel-benenson-2016-114024.html
http://www.bsgco.com/about/team/leadership/joel-benenson

49% fewer police are shot and killed in Oregon than in states with background checks, per Everytowns own report (9 states in total are less).

46% fewer domestic violence? That one takes a bit longer to explain. But trying to make it short: about half the states have overall domestic violence rates comparable to Oregon's. Many of the states have domestic violence non-gun homicide rates twice their gun-homicide rates. Also to be considered: many of those states have a naturally lower gun-ownership rate. NOT because of 'more background checks'.

Of the 15 safest states for gun-homicide in Oregon, 12 are "states WITHOUT background checks", per the Center of Disease and Control. Oregon's overall 'gun-death' rates break down in 2013 as: 84.2% suicide, 11.7% homicide. The remaining are accidents and justified shootings. Homicides and accidents are down while suicides gradually climb up. So why not focus on mental health services?

For the car deaths? Look at the Violence Policy Center's link at their graph. Why the HUGE drop in auto accident deaths after 2005? Because of a HUGE change in driving habits of Americans (Economy, aging boomers driving less, younger people driving less).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs.../why-arent-younger-americans-driving-anymore/

I guess I just wrote my next email

diagoras · May 4, 2015

The 'Rats may be scurrying to make "deals" on this bill.

It's not at all clear that they have the votes even yet - and it's interesting, from the above "CeaseThinking Oregon" list, that they list Susan McLain who is not on OFF's list of potential "no" votes, while they think that Brad Witt, who is almost certain to vote against it , is still "in play".

At least one 'Rat legislator who planned to vote for the bill stated that he was hoping to see "amendments" to the bill before it was passed - which likely means that they're trying to buy off some "undecideds" by providing them with some sort of concessions they can use as an excuse for voting for it, to try to mollify their angry constituents - something which could backfire on them, because a supporter could equally use such "softening" amendments as an excuse for voting against the bill because it no longer "Closes The Loophole" (all bow). They could end up sending it back to committee... and AFAIK the Senate will have to vote on any changes (though that's probably a mere formality if the Thing makes it that far.)

All of which adds up to the fact that we might still defeat this thing... The 'Rats who vote for this now know damned well that they may be staking their political future on a useless piece of contrived trash driven by the (largely unknown) personal agenda of a narcissistic billionaire - and some of them are starting to ask whether it's worth the risk.

Keep calling... and writing... and making it obvious that voting for this Thing will come at a price. They'll be reading their emails on their laptops even while they're sitting in the chamber playing Solitaire and listening to each other drone on endlessly...

hollowbase · May 4, 2015

I did what they said, I called Rep. Paul Evans this morning. I didn't quite give him the message they were looking for. I didn't get him personally but the lady I talked to said he would call me back. I told her that his e-mail response to me said that he was advocating for an amendment to the bill. I told her that tells me his voting yes on the bill in some form. I reminded her that both the Polk County and the Marion County commissioners had passed resolutions against anymore gun laws. So I ask her who he was representing in the vote today, his constituents or the Democratic party since this bill has moved forward on party line votes.