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http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/loc...-advocates-ready-to-fight-gun-check-expansion

Local Republicans in the Oregon Legislature vowed to fight until the end against Democratic proposals to expand background checks for getting guns. Even though the outcome looks inevitable.

"We're going to get run over on this," Rep. Greg Smith of Heppner said.

Democrats in recent sessions failed on legislation to expand background checks to cover citizens giving guns to other citizens. But Democrats won seats in the Senate in the Nov. 4 election and come January will control both chambers of the Legislature. Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber also has called for expanded background checks. But the threat of the government infringing on Second Amendment rights brings out the bristles on Smith.

"I'm a moderate on many issues," he said, "but I'll go down fighting with my very last vote to protect my folks' right to carry a gun, to carry a weapon."

Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena said he did not support past attempts to expand the checks and will take that stand again. He said the constituents he has heard from are about 20:1 against background checks.

Lawmakers are not alone in the fight. Kevin Starrett is the executive director of the pro-gun group Oregon Firearms Federation, which helped defeat those recent expansion proposals. He said the latest efforts are as ridiculous as the last, which would have made it illegal to even let a buddy borrow a gun at a shooting range. He said he is opposed the very notion of the checks because they fly in the face of the Second Amendment and do not work to keep bad guys from having guns.

A background check is a requirement in Oregon for buying a gun from licensed dealers and at gun shows. Oregon prohibits some people from having guns, including felons and the mentally ill. Oregon State Police operates the Firearm Instant Check System, which ran 19,901 background checks in October, according to information Starrett said came from state police. Out of that, state police denied 196 people who tried to buy a gun.

State police also have the charge of investigating every denial, and out of the 196, the agency arrested five people. State police, Starrett said, have not revealed what came of those arrests.

OSP this summer published a report that showed between June 17 and Aug. 31, there were 37,631 background checks, and those resulted in 331 denials, eight arrests and 54 citations. While the vast majority of people trying to buy a gun are doing so legally, Starrett said these figures suggest background checks are making unnecessary hurdles for law-abiding citizens rather than deterring offenders. If the state wants to send a real message, he said, there would be more arrests for trying to illegally obtain a gun.

Smith said he chaired the House public safety budget committee for three years and knows the background check system,. Rather than expansion, he said he wants local law enforcement to have the resources to clamp down on the people who should not have guns.

Starrett said there are a few Democrats who might defect due to constituent pressure or because the legislation is rife with ugly consequences. And already the wheels are turning to fight for gun rights. Starrett said each lawmaker Thursday in Salem probably received about 200 emails expressing opposition to expanding the checks.

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Contact Phil Wright at [email protected] or 541-966-0833.
 
IMO, it was a foregone conclusion that this would be a high priority item since the election results on 11/4 and the Dems taking the legislature. Now it's on us to relentlessly pressure our reps regardless of the party they are in to make our voice heard to maintain our rights as they are.

Supporting enforcement of existing laws is a much better idea than creating new laws that will just cloud the issue.
 
I know I'll be looking at Chuck Riley in detail to try to find a way to start a recall. I'm waiting for a public event where I can ask him what he promised to Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg (though I already know with Bloomie) for all their campaign contributions. Neither live in Washington County... Riley was obviously bought by out of state interests and hopefully we can get him thrown out.
 
I know I'll be looking at Chuck Riley in detail to try to find a way to start a recall. I'm waiting for a public event where I can ask him what he promised to Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg (though I already know with Bloomie) for all their campaign contributions. Neither live in Washington County... Riley was obviously bought by out of state interests and hopefully we can get him thrown out.

This ^^^^
If you bring friends, be sure to get his answer on video (or in politics, it didn't happen) so he cannot later downplay and deny it. I have a feeling that a lot of SD15 voters won't be to pleased with him on gun-control. I hardly heard a peep about it during the election.

PM me if you do hear of a public event.
 
Our two new State Senators are both on record are favoring expanding background checks as well as other "common sense" codeword gun control legislation. Do we know if any of the existing Democrat State Senators were fence sitters that may be workable? Except for Betsy Johnson, they all sided with Ginny Burdick on gun control legislation, but perhaps a few did so politically knowing that Johnson had the deciding vote?
 
This is the time to start donating your money! Money talks. Also, please contact your elected representatives to calmly and rationally express your views on this!
 

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