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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 Portland dispensary fined $2,500 for handing out products in parking lot ... Surveillance video captures Medford surgery center thief ... Rogue River offers guided tour through Palmerton Park Arboretum ... Portland dispensary fined $2,500 for handing out products in parking lot ... Surveillance video captures Medford surgery center thief ... Rogue River offers guided tour through Palmerton Park Arboretum ... OREGON LEGISLATURE Oregon committee hears bill preventing child access to guns Comment By Sheila V. Kumar The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Sheila V. Kumar The Associated Press Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 4:45 PM By Sheila V. Kumar The Associated Press Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 4:45 PM » Social News SALEM — Two days after Oregon senators passed legislation expanding background checks to cover most private gun sales, lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on a proposal making it a crime for adults to endanger minors by letting them gain unsupervised access to firearms. Under the measure, gun owners who keep firearms on their premises could be punished with up to a year in prison or a $6,250 fine if a minor gets access to a gun that wasn't locked up. There are exceptions for firearms that are stolen and for temporary transfers done while hunting or for target practice. Those found guilty of allowing an unsupervised minor to access to guns would also barred from owning a firearm for five years. "It's not about prohibiting gun ownership or limiting gun ownership. It's simply about keeping guns out of the hands of children who are often the victim of unintentional injury or death from misuse of firearms that are left unsecured," said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a Beaverton physician. If the bill passes, it would require gun dealers to prominently post a notice of the new requirement to lock firearms up around children. Opponents of the proposal told the Senate Committee on Judiciary the bill could take away a person's right to self-defense if the person is in a situation where the firearm isn't easily accessible while the person is in danger. Kevin Starrett, director of the Oregon Firearms Federation activist group, argued there were far more accidental overdoses from prescription drugs, swimming-pool accidents and physician errors than accidental gun deaths. He said substituting "prescription drugs" every time "firearms" appeared in the bill "might actually achieve something beyond the further demonization of gun owners." "It's interesting the sponsors of 945 are so horrified by the tiny number of accidental crimes by minors who get possession of firearms when the fact is that, while any misuse of a firearm is one too many, there are far more accidental deaths cause by plenty of other things," Starrett said. According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 28 states and Washington D.C. have similar laws in place to prevent child access to firearms. On Tuesday, the Senate advanced legislation tightening gun-control measures by expanding background checks to all private gun sales except when the buyer and seller are closely related. Similar proposals had failed twice before, but Oregon Democrats have been able to push through gun-control measures this year because they upped their Senate majority by two seats in last November's election, which was partly funded by billionaire Michael Bloomberg's group Everytown for Gun Safety. Gun-rights advocates have filed petitions to recall three Democratic legislators who have supported a bill requiring background checks for private gun sales. They're targeting Rep. Val Hoyle of Eugene, Rep. Susan McLain of Forest Grove and Sen. Chuck Riley of Hillsboro, who received $75,000 last year from Everytown in his successful bid to unseat a Republican incumbent who was against expanded background checks. By Sheila V. Kumar The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Sheila V. Kumar The Associated Press Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 4:45 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... 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