- Messages
- 1,797
- Reactions
- 448
03.22.17
On March 28th, the Oregon House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing and work session on House Joint Resolution 13.
This measure, sponsored by House Rep Brad Witt, is in response to an Oregon Supreme Court decision that greatly restricted law enforcement officers from asking people if they possessed firearms.
Few would argue that the defendant in the case which was responsible for this court decision was a contributing member of society. In fact, he went on to commit other serious crimes.
Oregon Firearms Federation strongly supports officer safety, and while we don't think it would be wise for any police officer to assume that they should relax because someone they stopped denied having a weapon, it is certainly an overreach to forbid police from asking.
This resolution would not change the law. It would refer the change to the voters of Oregon, to vote on whether they wanted to alter Oregon's Constitution to specifically allow police to ask if you had a firearm.
The problem with the resolution is how broad it is. It does not say police will have the right to ask you if you have a firearm if you are stopped or detained. It says a police officer will be allowed "at any time" to ask if you are in possession of a firearm.
We believe this goes well beyond the intended purpose of protecting officer safety. A law enforcement officer should not be allowed to question you anywhere, anytime about whether or not you are exercising a Constitutional right.
Please contact Rep Brad Witt, the resolution's sponsor, and ask that he consider an amendment to reduce the over broad scope of the proposed change to our constitution.
Representative Witt has a long history of supporting gun rights. Your input to him can make a difference in how this resolution is crafted.
Representative Witt's contact info and a sample message follow.
Representative Brad Witt
Email:
[email protected]
____________________________________________________________
Dear Representative Witt,
Thank you for your long time support for Second Amendment rights.
I strongly support your efforts to help keep Oregon police safe with HJR 13. I am concerned however, that the language of the resolution may have some unintended consequences. I refer specifically to the language that authorizes "a police officer to ask a person at any time if the person is in possession of a firearm .."
Clearly, I should not be faced with that kind of questioning while out at dinner with my family.
I strongly urge you to consider an amendment that would limit the police's right to question me about my firearms possession to times and places where they are facing a real potential threat.
Thank you.
------
Oregon Firearms Federation
On March 28th, the Oregon House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing and work session on House Joint Resolution 13.
This measure, sponsored by House Rep Brad Witt, is in response to an Oregon Supreme Court decision that greatly restricted law enforcement officers from asking people if they possessed firearms.
Few would argue that the defendant in the case which was responsible for this court decision was a contributing member of society. In fact, he went on to commit other serious crimes.
Oregon Firearms Federation strongly supports officer safety, and while we don't think it would be wise for any police officer to assume that they should relax because someone they stopped denied having a weapon, it is certainly an overreach to forbid police from asking.
This resolution would not change the law. It would refer the change to the voters of Oregon, to vote on whether they wanted to alter Oregon's Constitution to specifically allow police to ask if you had a firearm.
The problem with the resolution is how broad it is. It does not say police will have the right to ask you if you have a firearm if you are stopped or detained. It says a police officer will be allowed "at any time" to ask if you are in possession of a firearm.
We believe this goes well beyond the intended purpose of protecting officer safety. A law enforcement officer should not be allowed to question you anywhere, anytime about whether or not you are exercising a Constitutional right.
Please contact Rep Brad Witt, the resolution's sponsor, and ask that he consider an amendment to reduce the over broad scope of the proposed change to our constitution.
Representative Witt has a long history of supporting gun rights. Your input to him can make a difference in how this resolution is crafted.
Representative Witt's contact info and a sample message follow.
Representative Brad Witt
Email:
[email protected]
____________________________________________________________
Dear Representative Witt,
Thank you for your long time support for Second Amendment rights.
I strongly support your efforts to help keep Oregon police safe with HJR 13. I am concerned however, that the language of the resolution may have some unintended consequences. I refer specifically to the language that authorizes "a police officer to ask a person at any time if the person is in possession of a firearm .."
Clearly, I should not be faced with that kind of questioning while out at dinner with my family.
I strongly urge you to consider an amendment that would limit the police's right to question me about my firearms possession to times and places where they are facing a real potential threat.
Thank you.
------
Oregon Firearms Federation
