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06.09.15
Today the House passed SB 525, a misguided bill promoted by anti-gun groups with a mountain of lies.
The bill was sold as a way to stop domestic violence, but the promoters were all reading from the same playbook and the playbook was a fraud.
As we told you in our alert on 6.4.15, the cabal of anti-gunners who were pushing this, claimed (falsely) that this was needed because Oregon police cannot enforce Federal law prohibiting persons with domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing guns. This is, of course, a lie. The legislature's own lawyers told them so.
As in the committee debates, the same false examples were used to push the bill. The narrative was that in a home with a domestic abuser, restricted by a restraining order, the mere presence of gun would lead to mayhem and violence. The problem is, those people are already not allowed to be in the home! How would this bill change that?
Losing your gun rights as a result of a mere accusation of domestic abuse is frighteningly easy. You don't have to be convicted of a crime to lose your rights. A judge can deny your rights on a whim. Now imagine being in a place like Josephine County with virtually no law enforcement. One of the very few police in the county has to leave patrol to confiscate your firearms based on an allegation with no proof of a crime being committed. Their precious time is wasted and you are deprived of the only means of protecting yourself even when you have not been accused of a crime and your county has almost no law enforcement.
The bill passed today with 100% support of the House Democrats, which is, sadly, no surprise. Rep Ann Lininger made much of the NRA's neutrality on the bill.
Unfortunately, cowed by the fear of being labeled "wife beaters," most House Republicans voted "yes" as well. The House Republicans who had the courage to say "no" and stand up for common sense were : Greg Barreto, Sal Esquivel, John Huffman, Mike Nearman, Bill Post, Jim Weidner, Gail Whitsett and Carl Wilson. They deserve your thanks. Special thanks to Bill Post and Carl Wilson who made a compelling case against the bill on the floor today.
Others who we believed might stand up folded.
Rep Duane Stark rose and spoke in opposition to the bill until he was told by Rep Carla Piluso that gun confiscation would not be "mandatory." The problem is, Piluso has not spoken one true word about this bill since she started campaigning for it. For reasons we cannot understand, Stark accepted her nonsense as fact and voted "yes."
Sherrie Sprenger voted against this bill in committee. We praised her for her courage. But under pressure from the anti-gun lobby, Sprenger folded too. Far too many people care more about image and PR than about justice.
Remember the brave ones at election time.
Today the House passed SB 525, a misguided bill promoted by anti-gun groups with a mountain of lies.
The bill was sold as a way to stop domestic violence, but the promoters were all reading from the same playbook and the playbook was a fraud.
As we told you in our alert on 6.4.15, the cabal of anti-gunners who were pushing this, claimed (falsely) that this was needed because Oregon police cannot enforce Federal law prohibiting persons with domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing guns. This is, of course, a lie. The legislature's own lawyers told them so.
As in the committee debates, the same false examples were used to push the bill. The narrative was that in a home with a domestic abuser, restricted by a restraining order, the mere presence of gun would lead to mayhem and violence. The problem is, those people are already not allowed to be in the home! How would this bill change that?
Losing your gun rights as a result of a mere accusation of domestic abuse is frighteningly easy. You don't have to be convicted of a crime to lose your rights. A judge can deny your rights on a whim. Now imagine being in a place like Josephine County with virtually no law enforcement. One of the very few police in the county has to leave patrol to confiscate your firearms based on an allegation with no proof of a crime being committed. Their precious time is wasted and you are deprived of the only means of protecting yourself even when you have not been accused of a crime and your county has almost no law enforcement.
The bill passed today with 100% support of the House Democrats, which is, sadly, no surprise. Rep Ann Lininger made much of the NRA's neutrality on the bill.
Unfortunately, cowed by the fear of being labeled "wife beaters," most House Republicans voted "yes" as well. The House Republicans who had the courage to say "no" and stand up for common sense were : Greg Barreto, Sal Esquivel, John Huffman, Mike Nearman, Bill Post, Jim Weidner, Gail Whitsett and Carl Wilson. They deserve your thanks. Special thanks to Bill Post and Carl Wilson who made a compelling case against the bill on the floor today.
Others who we believed might stand up folded.
Rep Duane Stark rose and spoke in opposition to the bill until he was told by Rep Carla Piluso that gun confiscation would not be "mandatory." The problem is, Piluso has not spoken one true word about this bill since she started campaigning for it. For reasons we cannot understand, Stark accepted her nonsense as fact and voted "yes."
Sherrie Sprenger voted against this bill in committee. We praised her for her courage. But under pressure from the anti-gun lobby, Sprenger folded too. Far too many people care more about image and PR than about justice.
Remember the brave ones at election time.
