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The legislation comes as the Oregon Supreme Court weighs whether to uphold Measure 114, approved by voters in 2022, but which has never taken effect because of court challenges.
The Oregon House on Wednesday moved to strengthen some of the nation’s strictest state-level firearm safety provisions narrowly enacted by Oregon voters in 2022, after a tense dispute during a committee hearing over the bill brought the chamber to a standstill on Monday.
Along with banning magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition, Measure 114 required completed background checks, permits and firearm safety training before purchasing guns.
But the law still hasn’t taken effect because it promptly drew legal challenges in both state and federal courts.
House Bill 4145 would serve as a roadmap for rolling that measure out. It would give authorities 60 instead of the current 30 days required to either issue a permit or provide a written denial, and it would exempt background checks and permit application information from public records requests.
The bill would also increase maximum permit fees the state is allowed to collect from $50 to $110, while pushing back implementation of the permit requirement until 2028.
The bill passed in a 33-19 vote along mostly party lines after an emotional debate among lawmakers, who shared dueling stories of defending themselves with firearms and losing loved ones to gun violence.
One dissenting Democrat, Rep. Paul Evans of Monmouth, a veteran, objected to establishing a permitting process for the constitutionally established right to bear arms.
Another Democrat in opposition, Rep. Farrah Chaichi of Beaverton, has previously raised concerns about the increased fees’ impact on low-income and rural Oregonians, as well as the bill’s exemption of law enforcement from the high-capacity magazine ban.
Rep. Dacia Grayber, a Portland Democrat and chief sponsor of the legislation, told lawmakers that she would fight for legislation that “makes a difference for one family listening today.” She appeared to hold back tears as she spoke about the suicide of her adult stepdaughter last year. “She was in counseling, and she was able, legally, to go to a gun range, and that day purchase a firearm and end her life.”
The proposed legislation requires officers conducting permit background checks to check fingerprints of applicants through state databases and then submit a request for review through the FBI. The bill directs Oregon law enforcement to request that the FBI return fingerprint cards after it completes its background checks.
Republicans on Wednesday were unable to gather enough votes to send the bill back to the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
Democrats have characterized the bill as a slew of technical fixes to implement Measure 114 and carry out the will of voters, pointing to studies showing a correlation between permit-to-purchase laws in other states and fewer instances of gun violence.
“It does not replace the will of the voters,” Rep. Sarah Finger McDonald, D-Corvallis, said. “It operationalizes it, it clarifies it and it ensures that when Measure 114 is implemented, it will function in a way that is workable, constitutional and fair.”
Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, said the bill creates barriers for lawful firearm owners while raising concerns about affordability for increased permit fees. She doubted that criminals with guns would follow the bill’s provisions.
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