Rep. Reschke: Opposing 2 bills that diminishes 2A rights

By Representative E. Werner Reschke

The attacks on Second Amendment rights continue with three major bills that attack our constitutional right to bear arms. The only thing these bills do is give is punish law-abiding gun owners and small businesses that are in full compliance with federal law.

On Tuesday, two of the bills that significantly reduce the rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms, while doing nothing to reduce crime, passed out of the Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 3075 makes it harder to lawfully obtain a firearm by increasing the firearm permit provisions in Ballot Measure 114, including adding additional eligibility requirements, fees, and doubling the wait time to issue permits to 60 days.

House Bill 3076 directs the Department of Justice to create a state licensure program, adding additional, unnecessary oversight to an industry that already follows extensive federal regulations, including background checks, ATF licensing, and strict compliance laws.

These bills are an absurd attempt to target law-abiding Oregon gun-owners with expensive regulations on law-abiding citizens that many of them cannot afford. They will ban standard size magazines, impose fees on the exercise of a constitutional right, and place prohibitive regulations on every local gunsmith and gun store, forcing these small businesses to close.

Furthermore, HB 3076 writes a blank check to the Department of Justice to enforce what’s already codified in federal law is bad policy.

The attack continued on Wednesday, as work session was held for Senate Bill 243 in the Senate. This bill would establish a 72-hour waiting period on gun purchases, raise the age to purchase a gun to 21 years old with exceptions from some hunting riffles and shotguns, ban switch devices, and allow city and counties to bar people, including people with concealed gun licenses, from carrying guns in certain public buildings and adjacent grounds.

977 people voiced opposition to the bill while 165 people supported it.

I will stand steadfastly opposed to any form of these bills that diminishes your Second Amendment rights.