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Tiger News : Oregon Measure 114: A Brief Overview
Oregon Measure 114, passed by voters in November 2022, represented a significant shift in the state's approach to gun control. As a calculated set of regulations designed to disarm and restrict access, the measure stirred considerable debates. Measure 114 created serious concerns regarding the infringement on the Second Amendment rights of Oregonians, and posed impractical hoops for responsible gun owners.
The Core Issues with Measure 114:
1. Erosion of Your Constitutional Rights
Measure 114 undermines the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. By implementing a permit-to-purchase requirement, the measure introduces a new layer of bureaucracy that gun owners had to navigate. We argue that this process infringes upon the right to bear arms by creating a permitting scheme to obstruct lawful access to firearms. Also give way to more copy cat measure to creates laws found similarly in California.
2. Permit-to-Purchase Scheme: An Unnecessary Barrier
The permit-to-purchase system mandated by Measure 114 required individuals to undergo additional red tape and complete a firearm safety course before purchasing a gun. In the 2A community most find that this system imposes unnecessary barriers on law-abiding citizens. We argue that individuals who are legally allowed to own firearms should not face regulations in this manner. Instead, suggest that efforts should focus on crime, drug abuse and those struggling with mental health issues who are in desperate need of assistance here in Oregon.
3. High-Capacity Magazine Ban:
Measure 114's prohibition on "high capacity" magazines, defined as those holding more than ten rounds, which for a popular rifles like the AR-15, that come with a 30 round standard magazine right out of the box. Such bans are unlikely to achieve their intended goal of reducing gun violence. Best example of this would states like California and New York who have very strict gun laws and prohibited access. Criminals and individuals who intend on committing violent acts are unlikely to be deterred by restrictions on magazine capacity seeing as how they don't follow the rules. This disproportionately affect responsible gun owners who use high-capacity magazines for legitimate purposes, such as competitive shooting, self-defense, and defense against certain animals.
4. Impact on Self-Defense and Training
The requirement for firearm safety courses, while intended to promote “responsible gun ownership”, is an infringement on the 2nd Amendment rights to those who cannot afford such courses and delayed their ability to exercise a right. These courses impose financial and scheduling burdens on individuals exercising a right who are in some cases already familiarized with gun safety. Additionally in a self-defense scenario which often require quick and decisive action, and delays in acquiring said weapon would impede individuals' ability to protect themselves and their families effectively.
5. Broader Implications for Gun Ownership
Measure 114's impact extended beyond its immediate provisions, raising concerns about its broader implications for gun ownership in Oregon. Gun owners understood the measure could set a precedent for more restrictive regulations in the state, potentially leading to a patchwork of laws that make lawful gun ownership more complex and challenging to accomplish. Measures like 114 could have led ultimately to a national trend of increasingly stringent gun control policies that encroach upon citizen’s rights and ultimately leading to crime surges. A polite society is an armed one as the old saying goes.
Zombie Measure 114
Oregon Measure 114, a set of regulations on firearm purchases and ownership, represented a significant shift in the state's gun control landscape that was going to create major problems for legal gun owners. Thankfully out of Harney County Circuit Court, Judge Robert Raschio permanently enjoined this measure in November 2023 and in April 2024 Oregon Court of Appeals denied a motion to allow this law to take effect. Measure 114 will always be a lesson to gun owners that your rights are constantly being challenged here in the state or Oregon as well as other states in the union. Remaining vigilant on new proposed laws is a must. We must ensure that laws like these do not go into effect here in Oregon. There are still state leaders that wish to resurrect this law despite it's defeat. In that case we will be here to double tap.
