Oregon GOP legislative leaders respond to Gov. Brown’s anti-gun agenda

Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli
House Republican Leader Mike McLane

Salem, Ore. – Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) released the following statement following Governor Kate Brown’s announcement Friday of her gun control plan that includes requiring Oregon State Police to retain firearms transaction data for five years:

“Kate Brown’s reckless attempt to politicize gun control while tension is significantly heightened across the country may propel us into a debate on the confiscation of private property and criminalization of law-abiding citizens and cause the kind of provocation almost guaranteed to produce more violence and anger.

“Instead of attacking the freedom and rights of law-abiding citizens through gun registries and bans, we should unite to address the real problem of inadequate mental health funding that leaves struggling individuals without the help they desperately need.

“The Governor will not mention that many mass shootings in Oregon have been by people who cannot legally own or possess a firearm, but obtained access to firearms illegally, including by theft. Treating the cause of the problems leading to hostility, including inadequate mental health care, is the only way to reduce incidents of random gun violence in Oregon and throughout the nation.”

Salem, Ore. – House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s firearm policy agenda:

“Oregon House Republicans welcome a conversation about how to address violence in our communities, but it is absolutely critical that those conversations maintain the appropriate level of respect for Oregonians’ constitutional rights and the thousands upon thousands of gun owners in this state who responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights and Article I, Section 27 rights every day. Sadly, this element of the conversation is all too often an afterthought for politicians in Salem.

“We can and, indeed should, do more to address violence in our communities, but I firmly believe that these solutions should be borne out of bipartisan consensus and honest efforts to find common ground that works.”