by DCG
This past November, Washington voters approved numerous gun control laws that include a mandate on how you store your firearms in your home. Now the demorats in Oregon are following their lead to infringe upon their citizens’ rights.
The Oregonian reports that demorats plan to introduce legislation next year that says you must store firearms in your home with a lock. From their report:
“Gun owners who fail to follow through could be fined as much as $500, or $2,000 if a child gets unauthorized access to the firearm, according to a summary of the proposal released by supporters on Tuesday. They did not include a copy of the actual legislation, which will be introduced by Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, D-Portland, and Sen. James Manning, D-Eugene, after the session begins in January.
The proposal also would make it easier for shooting victims to sue for damages if the gun owner failed to secure the weapon, report the loss or theft of the gun in a timely manner or supervise a child using the gun. That provision would not apply if the gun was used in self-defense or defense of another person, according to a news release from the new gun advocacy nonprofit State of Safety Action.
Smith Warner and Manning say they will name the bill after Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth, the two people killed in the mass shooting at Clackamas Town Center. Tuesday was the six-year anniversary of the murders.
“The weapon that took my mom’s life was unsecured and taken from its owner’s home,” said Jenna Yuille, Cindy Yuille’s daughter, in a press release. “If it had been properly locked and stored, my mom might still be here today.” Jenna Yuille is now working with State of Safety Action.
Forsyth’s brother-in-law Paul Kemp is also working with the group. “Responsible gun owners always safely secure their weapons when not being carried,” Kemp said in a news release, noting that he is a gun owner. “It is time that all gun owners do that. There have to be consequences for those reckless and careless gun owners who don’t secure their firearms.
Supporters of the proposal repeatedly compared it to traffic safety laws. “It’s like a seatbelt law, you’re working to change behavior,” said Henry Wessinger, president of State of Safety Action, in an interview Tuesday. He said the group learned through polling that 75 percent of Oregon gun owners already lock up their weapons.
Read the whole story here.
Wonder if any of these demorats have ever thought of changing the behavior of criminals? Oh wait, you really can’t make enough laws to guarantee good behavior from those willing to break the law.
DCG