State Sen. Prozanski reply to my email.

[CharonPDX]

First, he wrote a personalized email, individually detailing the points I made. (Probably helps that I've met with him in person a couple times to talk about firearm issues.)

Second, he sent it after 9:00 PM. (A few days after I sent my email.)

Sen. Prozanski is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and covers State Senate district 4 - covering South Eugene to just North of Roseburg, Coast Range to the Cascades. Biggest town fully in his district is Cottage Grove.


My original email was a set of comments on the four "remaining" gun bills. Literally less than an hour later the idiocy of HB 3200 came out. I sent a followup solely about HB 3200. So far, his reply has just covered the four other gun bills.

Re: the Capitol building gun ban, after I repeatedly called it for what it is, "security theater":

First, this legislation would not take away concealed carry of CHL holders. It would only prohibit carrying within the state capitol. The vast majority of other states do not allow individuals to bring guns into their capitols. (The same for the US Capitol.) As a gun owner for over 40 years, I do not understand why an individual needs to bring a gun into the capitol. Normally, we have a large number of state troopers and retired troopers patrolling inside the building. Knowing some of the issues we deal with and knowing how some people react to those issues, I think we need to ensure know one over reacts to any given situation. We have determined to limit guns in courthouses and I think it is appropriate in the capitol.

I was here from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM and did not see anything that disturb me, but I thought the three shown in the Oregonian photo showed poor judgment in coming into the capitol. It did not promote their cause. I must say, the VAST majority who attended the rally did so on the front steps and the outside grounds and did not feel the need to come inside the capitol to assemble or demonstrate their point. Even though there was not an accident, it could have easily occurred. Just in the last two weeks a lady’s gun fell out of her pocket in a Bend McDonald’s and shot her husband. It was not intended, but it did happen. I have slipped on the marble stairs close to where the three gentlemen were standing.

I also see this as a work place safety issue. I believe legislative staff should not be required to deal with an individual (not to mention two or three individuals) who is openly carrying a loaded gun that is ready to fire. The same for other citizens who come to the capitol to visit or participate in hearings or other meetings.

I do not have the final numbers, but I know the costs of bring additional state troopers from all across the state was extreme. (I’ve hear $20,000 - 50,000) OSP had a swat team mobilized for the event and there were troopers on both wings of the capitol on every floor. Those troopers came from all areas of the state.

Re: Expanded background checks, I brought up SAF's Alan Gottlieb's proposal for Washington state:

I will look at this article when I have more time to read it. Thanks for sending me the link. The goal is to try to limit criminals from accessing guns through private transactions.

Re: "Ban guns in schools", I brought up again the "security theater" aspect, as well as the fact that no amount of uniformed security or locked-down-ness has prevented any of the mass school shootings.

Again, I’m trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus. Forty-two states and Washington DC outright outlaw carrying concealed on K-12 campuses. Six other including Oregon have certain exceptions for CHL holders to carry and only two do not have a specific prohibition. At the same time, I believe this is an issue where local control should be given the authority to decide to opt-out of the state’s prohibition. I also think a school district should be allowed to have gun safety classes and ROTC programs.

At least he is for local opt-out, and specifically wants in-school gun safety classes.

Re: Live-fire training required for CHLs:

I have model the bill after the Texas law. It seemed to be a reasonable approach, besides it’s my birth state!

I suppose I didn't do my due-diligience, I didn't realize that one was his own bill...

Presumably I'll hear from him on HB3200 in the next day or two, but I know from talking with him previously about Burdick's outrageous "ban 'em all!" bills that he is against any of that form of bill. (He might have just accepted that I knew he was against it.) I think it's a completely safe bet that if HB 3200 makes it to his committee, it'll be dead in committee in the Senate. (But I don't think it will make it out of committee in the House.)

Read More

 

[Boats]

The House Judiciary Committee Chair is a D from Aloha who is largely pro-gun, or at least anti-lefty kooks proposing seriously crazy bills.

 

[sdlsaginaw]

"Again, I'm trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus."

Really? Doesn't he watch the news?

I'm trying to understand why he feels the need to guarantee only a psychopath is carrying a gun onto a K-12 school campus.

 

[revmedia]

"Again, I'm trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus."

Really? Doesn't he watch the news?

I'm trying to understand why he feels the need to guarantee only a psychopath is carrying a gun onto a K-12 school campus.

I think the reply to shut this argument down for good is, if I have a CHL it must be assumed I carry AT ALL TIMES. So, what would they have me do if I need to drop my kids off at school? Leave my firearm in the car? Is the parking lot considered school grounds? Don't most gun thefts happen from vehicles?

The end result of that bill for anyone with school age children is leaving your gun at home or knowingly breaking the law.

 

[bolus]

"I do not have the final numbers, but I know the costs of bring additional state troopers from all across the state was extreme. (I've hear $20,000 - 50,000) OSP had a swat team mobilized for the event and there were troopers on both wings of the capitol on every floor. Those troopers came from all areas of the state."

why? no one shot up the capital. That's the problem. they assume if you are a lawful gun owner that you are more likely to be a potential criminal.

"Again, I'm trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus."

I drive my daughter to school. I dont want to have to disarm and lock it up when I driver her there because its a pain in the *** and I dont plan to shoot up the school.

 

[DMax]

"Again, I'm trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus."

This just goes to the gun free zone mentality. This is no different than any other gun control another step closer to the end of 2A. Whats next Can't Carry while walking down the street with kids playing. There is not end to the liberal building of utopia and eliminating of liberty as we know it.

 

[G1990]

He should understand that criminal psychopaths, don't play by law abiding citizens rules and will carry guns into the school or where ever they feel like it. this debate is idiotic. Are they going to employ cops for every school campus and in every classroom in the state? That seems like the only other plausible way of deterring criminals.

 

[CharonPDX]

I think the reply to shut this argument down for good is, if I have a CHL it must be assumed I carry AT ALL TIMES. So, what would they have me do if I need to drop my kids off at school? Leave my firearm in the car? Is the parking lot considered school grounds? Don't most gun thefts happen from vehicles?

The end result of that bill for anyone with school age children is leaving your gun at home or knowingly breaking the law.

I have used this exact argument with multiple legislators before. Only I have one better - I don't drive, I walk my daughter to school, then take the bus from the stop in front of her school, or we both ride our bikes to school, and I bike to work from there - therefore I have no car to leave it in. In either case, I have no secure location to lock it up.

 

[ARKLITE881South]

"Again, I'm trying to understand why someone feels the need to carry a gun onto a K-12 school campus."

Really? Doesn't he watch the news?

I'm trying to understand why he feels the need to guarantee only a psychopath is carrying a gun onto a K-12 school campus.

I guess maybe he does not understand that ''gun free'' = KILLING FEILD pure and simple. What's wrong with these guys? Power struggle, little man syndrom, big feet, small, - - - - - well you get the idea??

 

[quesodilla]

These points all seem good. To me the bottom line is that my right to carry either conceal or open preferably conceal is my right and my choice. I dont need a reason or excuse. If its not a court house or post office I have it on me. It pisses me off that I cant carry at work but I do need a job. Background checks and registration only lead to one thing. PEOPLE CONTROL not gun control. There is a bigger picture and I recomend people watch the movie called Zeitgeist the movie its free here is the link. SHARE IT !!!!!

Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007) - YouTube

 

[Provincial]

Quote:

"I do not have the final numbers, but I know the costs of bring additional state troopers from all across the state was extreme. (I've hear $20,000 - 50,000) OSP had a swat team mobilized for the event and there were troopers on both wings of the capitol on every floor. Those troopers came from all areas of the state."

I assume that this comment was attributed to Rep. Prozanski. When I attended the Feb. 8th rally I entered the building and spoke with my Senator, Brian Boquist. Sen. Boquist informed us that there was no additional security present that day. He indicated that there had been no additional cost for security that day.

Can someone verify just what the security level was on Feb. 8th so we can respond intelligently and with accuracy?

 

[fuhr52]

Why are we even discussing CHL holders taking concealed weapons into schools? How many schools have been shot up by CHL holders? I can't think of any. Once again our political leaders see the need to punish those not creating the problem. They feel the need to do something, so take the easy mark.

 

[Will_Power]

why? no one shot up the capital. That's the problem. they assume if you are a lawful gun owner that you are more likely to be a potential criminal.

You hit on a point that I believe is vital in understanding these folks' mindsets.

There is a deep seeded level of ignorance that these folks live their day-to-day lives in. "There's no way I'll be the victim of crime today! And even if, the police will certainly come help me!" Misguided and incorrect as that point of view may be, those who hold to it see no need or use for a defensive firearm. As a corollary of that lack of need, they view gun owners as paranoid and/or the probable holders of dangerous, radical, fringe political views.

Guns are scary and dangerous, and because of the aforementioned stereotypes, so are gun owners. Why would you need a gun? You don't, and if you are so set in your ways to get political about keeping yours, then you probably are a hair's breadth away from going on a shooting spree yourself.

There's only one lasting and effective way to counteract this misguided belief, and that's the precarious work of relationships.

Prove yourself, in your words and in your deeds, to be sane and grounded and rational in your worldview, and eventually you'll transition into someone who they'll listen to about guns and not discount entirely from the second you open your mouth or send an email.

And let's not forget, for those who didn't grow up around firearms and are uneducated about their mechanical nature, they can be really spooky. That's not something we should dismiss out of hand.

 

[Stomper]

An OSP SWAT team... LMAO! What's hilarious is that there wasn't so much as a scrap of paper left on the grounds after either of those rallies. Now if it had been the Occu-poopers, or the "Si se puede" crowd protesting there, afterwards would have been used condoms, old couches, water bottles, syringes, cigarette butts, human waste/effluvia, and perhaps orphaned farm animals left everywhere.