Trouble at the bake sale
I got an email message this morning from the people who are trying to get gun control measures on the ballot in Oregon this November, because the Legislature, led by people like Tina Kotek, consistently refuses to do the right thing. The email says that the gun control advocates are pretty much giving up on half of their campaign.
Timeline for IP17 (Requires Permit to Purchase and Limits large-capacity magazines):
No change in timeline. We will do all we can to get this to the November ballot.
Please continue to gather signatures for IP17.
Timeline for IP18 (Prohibits Sale of Semiautomatic Assault Firearms):
Based on consultation with experts and data available we believe that IP18 will have the strongest chance of becoming law if we change our timeline and expand the options.
So, please do not collect any more signatures for IP18.
This is pretty depressing news. The measure they're giving up on (for now, at least) would ban the manufacture, import, possession, use, purchase, or other transfer of semiautomatic assault firearms.
The one that's still alive would require all firearm purchasers to get a permit, involving a background check, a firearm safety training class, and a live-fire training session. It would also prohibit magazines of more than 10 rounds.
This is all speculation on my part, but maybe they're afraid that with the low turnout expected in November, the assault rifle measure is going to fail. Or maybe they're having more trouble getting signatures for that one. Maybe it's even interfering with getting signatures for the other one. Whatever is causing the measure-ectomy, it's not good news, in my book.
I also worry about the measure that they're going to keep going on. I'm no expert on Oregon election law, but I seem to recall that a measure can't take on more than one subject. Are permits and magazine size two different subjects? Has that issue already been resolved?
If you don't get around enough to be approached by a signature-gatherer (I don't), you can still sign IP 17 at home and mail it in to them. The details are here.
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