Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Portland's new gun control laws

In response to the recent spat of gang related shootings, Sam Adams has been publicly supporting Portland's anti-gun non-profits.  In December, the city also enacted five anti-gun ordinances, mostly aimed at youth offenders and adults who allow youths to have gunes.  Of course, the state legislature in Salem is heading the opposite direction, with numerous bills aimed at making concealed carry much easier.

Especially interesting in the context of Portland's new gun ordinances, is HB 2793 which would modify the definition of "public places" as used in the recently enacted Portland ordinances, making them more difficult to enforce, specifically making it so that a gun inside a vehicle can never be considered to be "in a public place".  Most of these measures have been introduced by Republican representative Kim Thatcher from Newberg, who is a celebrated gun honk.  It is not clear that the representative from Newberg has any interest in a solution to Portland's growing gang problem, but rather wants to use the issue as a pulpit to preach the no gun control gospel.

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