http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2015/06/concealed_handgun_reciprocity.html
Concealed handgun reciprocity bill: Is it now dead in Oregon Legislature?
A bill aimed at allowing concealed handgun licensees from many states to carry their firearms in Oregon has been suddenly derailed.
The measure sped through the House with almost no opposition and appeared headed for passage in the Senate. But it is now in jeopardy following the release of a new legal opinion suggesting that Senate changes made the bill largely meaningless.
The Senate on Monday yanked House Bill 3093 of the floor and sent it to to the Senate Rules Committee, where its House sponsor, Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, predicted that "it will most likely die a quiet death."
Post said on Facebook that he was upset that Senate Judiciary Chairman Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, won changes in his committee that "successfully killed" the chance for "true reciprocity" in Oregon for concealed handgun holders from other states.
Prozanski said he planned to to continue to work on the bill in the rules committee to find successful wording. He said he disagreed with the House version of the bill because it did not require concealed handgun licensees from other states to meet all requirements of Oregon law. The House version only required out-of-state licenses to meet the Oregon CHL's gun-competency provisions.
"We are not going to make Oregonians second-class citizens in their own state," said Prozanski, who has also raised the ire of gun-rights activists by being the chief sponsor of the new law that will require background checks on private gun transfers.
The Senate version of HB 3093 says that concealed handgun licenses from other states would not be honored in Oregon unless they meet all of the qualifications for an Oregon CHL.
At the request of Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, the Legislative Counsel's office looked at the laws of the other 49 states and could not find one that "unequivocally" met Oregon law. In particular, the opinion said Oregon is unusual in denying licenses to applicants who have had any kind of misdemeanor conviction and for not granting them to people under 21, particularly if they are in the military.
The National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups have pushed heavily for reciprocity laws, arguing that CHL licenses should be honored around the country.
Groups supporting tighter gun laws oppose efforts to pass a reciprocity bill, saying that they think Oregon standards are not high enough.
Prozanski noted in an interview that Post and the NRA supported the Senate version of the bill, at least until they saw the legal opinion. He said he is willing to change the bill to say that states allowing under-21 licensees could have older CHL holders recognized if they otherwise met Oregon requirements.
On the Senate floor Monday, Republican lawmakers sought to make clear their strong support for a reciprocity bill of their liking by moving to bring four other concealed-handgun measures to the floor that have been bottled up in committee.
"We believe we may not have an opportunity to vote for a good reciprocity bill this year" unless another measure is moved out of committee, said Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend. He unsuccessfully urged senators to take up Senate Bill 528, which would recognize valid concealed handgun licenses from all other states.
The Democratic majority killed efforts to bring all four bills to the floor, as they typically do when Republicans try to circumvent the committee process.
HB 3093 -- the reciprocity bill sent to the Senate Rules Committee on Monday -- also includes a provision that would make clear that gunpowder-actuated nail guns are not technically firearms, and the transfer of them would not be subject to background checks.
Monday's action also raises doubts about whether the Legislature will act on the issue affecting one type of nail gun.
--Jeff Mapes
Concealed handgun reciprocity bill: Is it now dead in Oregon Legislature?
A bill aimed at allowing concealed handgun licensees from many states to carry their firearms in Oregon has been suddenly derailed.
The measure sped through the House with almost no opposition and appeared headed for passage in the Senate. But it is now in jeopardy following the release of a new legal opinion suggesting that Senate changes made the bill largely meaningless.
The Senate on Monday yanked House Bill 3093 of the floor and sent it to to the Senate Rules Committee, where its House sponsor, Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, predicted that "it will most likely die a quiet death."
Post said on Facebook that he was upset that Senate Judiciary Chairman Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, won changes in his committee that "successfully killed" the chance for "true reciprocity" in Oregon for concealed handgun holders from other states.
Prozanski said he planned to to continue to work on the bill in the rules committee to find successful wording. He said he disagreed with the House version of the bill because it did not require concealed handgun licensees from other states to meet all requirements of Oregon law. The House version only required out-of-state licenses to meet the Oregon CHL's gun-competency provisions.
"We are not going to make Oregonians second-class citizens in their own state," said Prozanski, who has also raised the ire of gun-rights activists by being the chief sponsor of the new law that will require background checks on private gun transfers.
The Senate version of HB 3093 says that concealed handgun licenses from other states would not be honored in Oregon unless they meet all of the qualifications for an Oregon CHL.
At the request of Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, the Legislative Counsel's office looked at the laws of the other 49 states and could not find one that "unequivocally" met Oregon law. In particular, the opinion said Oregon is unusual in denying licenses to applicants who have had any kind of misdemeanor conviction and for not granting them to people under 21, particularly if they are in the military.
The National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups have pushed heavily for reciprocity laws, arguing that CHL licenses should be honored around the country.
Groups supporting tighter gun laws oppose efforts to pass a reciprocity bill, saying that they think Oregon standards are not high enough.
Prozanski noted in an interview that Post and the NRA supported the Senate version of the bill, at least until they saw the legal opinion. He said he is willing to change the bill to say that states allowing under-21 licensees could have older CHL holders recognized if they otherwise met Oregon requirements.
On the Senate floor Monday, Republican lawmakers sought to make clear their strong support for a reciprocity bill of their liking by moving to bring four other concealed-handgun measures to the floor that have been bottled up in committee.
"We believe we may not have an opportunity to vote for a good reciprocity bill this year" unless another measure is moved out of committee, said Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend. He unsuccessfully urged senators to take up Senate Bill 528, which would recognize valid concealed handgun licenses from all other states.
The Democratic majority killed efforts to bring all four bills to the floor, as they typically do when Republicans try to circumvent the committee process.
HB 3093 -- the reciprocity bill sent to the Senate Rules Committee on Monday -- also includes a provision that would make clear that gunpowder-actuated nail guns are not technically firearms, and the transfer of them would not be subject to background checks.
Monday's action also raises doubts about whether the Legislature will act on the issue affecting one type of nail gun.
--Jeff Mapes