Reducing Gun Violence – Act Now

This Action of the Week comes, in part, from one of the young people who presented at our annual meeting.

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Gun violence has not been in the headlines lately. But we know sooner or later another mass shooting will take place. Advocates for reducing gun violence need to let elected officials know NOW what we expect them to support during the 2019 legislative session.

What can we do now?
Passing effective laws during the 2019 legislative session means working now on the issue. Most of those presently holding legislative office will hold those same positions next year. So contacting them now will put the issue on their table and let them know that we still feel the urgency for getting legislation passed whether the issue is in the headlines or not.

What kind of legislation?
Legislative proposals divide into two groups: Safe storage, and legislative limits on guns and availability.

​Safe Storage: Safe gun storage, based on the idea that preventing children, and others from gaining unauthorized access to firearms may be the most important part of responsible gun ownership. Oregon should join other states which have passed safe storage laws. See this fact sheet for additional details.

Legislative limits on guns and availability: Students for Change and March for Our Lives PDX have approached Sen. Rob Wagner with a list of proposed legal changes regarding guns. He has submitted these to Legislative Council with the support of other Senators and Representatives. Here are their proposed reforms:

• Permit to Purchase and firearm training
• Violent misdemeanor surrender of arms
• Limit gun sales to 1 firearm/30 days
• Limit sales of ammunition in correlation with firearms 
• Anti-theft and theft reporting requirement
• Waiting period of 2 weeks and enforcement of background check completion whether or not the waiting period has elapsed
• Limiting high capacity magazine size to 5 rounds or less

Other gun violence prevention organizations have other proposals as well.Lift Every Voice Oregon has two proposals: banning large capacity magazines and banning future sales of assault weapons.

Your Action of the Week is to write your Oregon state senator and representative, asking them to support any and all of these changes. DO IT NOW. Get on the record. Voice your desire for reducing gun violence.