Posted on May 7, 2022

Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund 2022 Endorsements

By Penny Okamoto, Executive Director of Ceasefire Oregon

This election cycle, the Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund endorsed candidates who either made gun violence prevention a major issue in their campaign without encouragement from us or who, as legislators, did not flinch from taking strong stands on the bills the will be effective at reducing gun violence.

Consider what Oregon is facing:

Death by gunshot has increased sharply throughout Oregon, increasing 46% from 2021 over 2019.
The Charleston Loophole was not closed during the pandemic enabling prohibited gun purchasers to buy guns without a completed background check.
Gun sales are skyrocketing, including the sales of military-style assault firearms.
As of April 30, 2022, the number of Oregonians fatally shot has already doubled from the same time period in 2019.

The Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund examined the gun violence prevention bills submitted to the Oregon legislature that failed to pass. Since 2017, the Oregon legislature had at least a dozen opportunities to pass strong, meaning laws that would have reduced the gun violence we are witnessing throughout Oregon today.

3 bills to ban ghost guns (SB 1577, 2022; SB 396, 2021, SB 978, 2019)
At least 4 bills to close the Charleston Loophole and require a completed background check for gun sales. (HB 2543, 2021; HB 2251, 2019; SB 1065, 2017; HB 4147, 2015). A bill proposed for 2022 was considered but pulled by the sponsor.
Two licensing bills (SB 604, 2021; SB 501, 2019)
A bill to limit high-capacity magazines to 10 rounds (HB 3265, 2019)
2 bills to regulate military-style assault firearms, one bill was spurred by the 2013 killings at Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook (HB 3223, 2019; SB 700, 2013)
1 omnibus bill that required hands-on training for a gun purchase (SB 501, 2019)
3 bills to allow gun sellers to not sell firearms to people under 21 years of age. At least one bill was submitted at the request of gun sellers. (HB 3329, 2019; HB 3149 2019; HB 2251, 2019)

The Democratically-led legislature enacted some gun violence prevention legislation in the past years. Since 2016, however, they have repeatedly failed to pass the most effective bills submitted to the legislature including licensing (permit to purchase), closing the Charleston Loophole, banning ghost guns, and limiting high-capacity magazines to ten rounds.

We have been told by legislators that the legislature has done “a lot” over the years and they don’t feel the need to do more now.

The thousands of Oregonians whose loved ones have been fatally shot or who have suffered from gunshot injury–or have been terrorized at gunpoint disagree.

No more excuses. No more finger pointing. We need legislators who can take powerful action to stem this tide of gun death and injury.

Please vote as soon as possible. Thank you.

The Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund proudly endorses:

Donations to the Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund can be made here.