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Sheriff elated over gun show measure Jackson County Sheriff Bob Kennedy says he�s thrilled that Oregon voters have closed the gun show "loophole." Kennedy was a chief petitioner for Measure 5, getting involved after a bill to require criminal background checks at gun shows failed to pass in the Oregon Senate last year by one vote. With 57 percent of the Jackson County ballots tallied, the measure was passing in Jackson County with 57.8 percent of the vote. Statewide, as of Wednesday night, the measure was winning with 61 percent. Quoting federal statistics, Kennedy said criminals acquire guns in three ways: by stealing, by borrowing and by buying them at gun shows. "We can�t do much about one and two, but we can do something about three," he said. Despite efforts from organizations such as the National Rifle Association, next year background checks will be required on all sales of firearms at gun shows in Oregon. Currently, only licensed dealers are required to conduct checks. In 1999, 10,000 criminals were lodged in the Jackson County Jail, Kennedy said. At least 56 percent of these people will return within a year, and those inmates average 11 prior arrests. "These are the people that can walk into a gun show and buy a gun," he added. "This is a loophole that should have closed some time ago." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.