Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gov. Brown orders Oregon agencies to cut water use ... Firefighters on high alert for new lightning-caused blazes ... Crews gain on Cable Crossing fire, which has cost $2.5 million to fight so far ... Gov. Brown orders Oregon agencies to cut water use ... Firefighters on high alert for new lightning-caused blazes ... Crews gain on Cable Crossing fire, which has cost $2.5 million to fight so far ... LEGISLATURE 5 things to know about Oregon's gun-control bill Comment By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Mar. 28, 2015 at 8:40 PM By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Mar. 28, 2015 at 8:40 PM » Social News SALEM — An Oregon Senate committee will hear public testimony this week on a proposal by gun-control advocates to require a background check any time someone sells or gives a firearm to another person who isn't a relative. Here are five things to know about Oregon's universal background-check proposal. What it does The bill requires gun buyers and sellers who aren't related to visit a licensed gun dealer that can, for a fee, run a background check through the Oregon State Police. Oregon law prohibits giving a gun to minors, felons, people with recent convictions for violent behavior or those who have been found by a court to have a mental illness. If someone tries to buy a gun but fails a background check, the State Police would be required to notify the local sheriff and police chief. Background checks would not be required when someone transfers to a gun to these relatives: spouse or domestic partner, parent or stepparent, child or stepchild, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle, first cousin, niece or nephew. The seller of a gun would face a misdemeanor for a first offense, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine. A second offense would be a felony, with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The bill would take effect 90 days after it's passed. What they're saying The debate is falling along familiar lines. Gun-control advocates say the bill would make it tougher for people who shouldn't haveguns to get ahold of them. They acknowledge that background checks won't prevent all gun-related violence, but they say the background-check requirements haven't caught up with the information tools of the Internet age. "My goal is to keep individuals who shouldn't have access to guns from having easy access to guns," said Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat who is sponsoring the bill. Gun-rights supporters say the bill would trample on their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. They say the bill will only affect people who try to abide by the law, because crafty criminals won't be deterred from finding a weapon. They also complain that the Oregon State Police background-check system sometimes returns faulty results. "If they were saying, 'Yes, it's an inconvenience for you people, but at least we're getting bad guys off the street,' I'd still object to it philosophically, but they'd have a practical argument," said Kevin Starrett, head of the Oregon Firearms Federation. "But they're not getting bad people off the street." How to weigh in The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a public hearing on the measure 8 a.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol in Salem. Members of the public are invited to testify, but there's no guarantee that everyone will get a chance. Oregonians also can also email or call their senator. Contact information for all 30 senators is on the Legislature's website, www.oregonlegislature.gov  . What the prospects are For the past four years, the Oregon Senate's 16-14 divide between Republicans and Democrats has been a roadblock for gun-control initiatives. Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose, who represents a rural area and takes a skeptical eye towardgun restrictions, has joined all 14 Republicans to block them. But after Democrats picked up two additional seats in the November election, the bill now faces much stronger prospects of success. The tougher challenge could be in the House, where lawmakers face more frequent elections and haven't been asked to weigh in recently on gun control. Democrats have 35 of the 60 seats, however, so the bill can survive even if four Democrats are opposed. A national context The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says Oregon would be the eighth state to require background checks on private gunsales and the fifth since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. The seven states with expanded background checks are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Mar. 28, 2015 at 8:40 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501