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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 Ashland $97K from turf goal ... C.W. Smith will run for Senate ... Death at U.S. Cellular not considered suspicious ... Ashland $97K from turf goal ... C.W. Smith will run for Senate ... Death at U.S. Cellular not considered suspicious ... OUR VIEW Our View: Background check system needs a tuneup Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Oregon lawmakers failed during their recent session to pass a bill closing the so-called "Charleston Loophole" in the law governing background checks on prospective gun buyers. But in practice, it turns out, that loophole doesn't get used in Oregon. Federal and state firearms laws say if a background check isn't completed in three days, the sale can go through. Gun-control advocates say that can mean people with problems in their background that don't turn up right away can wind up getting a gun they shouldn't possess. Dylann Roof, accused of killing nine parishioners in a Charleston, S.C., church last year, bought the handgun he allegedly used when his background check was not completed in three days. After the shootings, it was determined he had a record of drug possession that would have been grounds for rejecting the purchase, but clerical errors kept the FBI from determining that. The Oregon bill would have barred any gun sale until the background check was completed, no matter how long it took. The measure didn't pass, but many would-be Oregon gun buyers are stuck in limbo anyway. The Oregon State Police can't always complete a background check quickly. And gun dealers are unwilling to take the risk of selling a gun without an approved background check, even after three days. So the prospective purchasers, by all accounts law-abiding people who already own guns, must wait, sometimes for months, without explanation. The gun department at Medford's Black Bird Shopping Center has 15 pending sales dating back as far as Thanksgiving. Good Guys Guns has 37 transactions dating back to October. The OSP says 94 to 96 percent of checks are completed within minutes. More than 99 percent are approved. The agency says requests that are given a "pend" or "delay" status may involve missing details or incomplete information, but OSP won't say whether the number of those cases has increased and if so, why. The agency's apparent tardiness in dealing with these requests in unacceptable and its refusal to make any comment only adds to the perception that it is not competently handling the task. Nationally, polls consistently show huge majorities of Americans support background checks — as many as 92 percent — and up to 83 percent of gun owners agree. But it's hard to make the case for expanding that system if the agency responsible can't make it work properly. Gov. Kate Brown should ask the OSP why its background check system is leaving apparently qualified gun buyers waiting months to make a simple purchase. While she's at it, she should remind the public agency that it is a public agency, funded by the very public to whom it declines to give an explanation. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM » 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 2016 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