Oregon’s contentious scheme to more than double the cost of firearm permits is a step closer to reality after the state House passed a bill to implement it.
Ballot Measure 114 languished in legislative purgatory since it was to take effect in December 2022. That expansive bill includes a permit-to-purchase system, a prohibition on standard-capacity magazines, and a new background check requirement.
State lawmakers renewed their push to hike gun permit fees
Unfortunately for Oregon’s powerful anti-Second Amendment lobby, BM 114 was rejected by multiple judges who recognized it as a legal overreach. The current bill, HB 4145, is the latest effort to finally get BM 114 established into law.
There are some interesting changes afoot in the House.
BM 114 initially set the gun permit fee at $65, but that was not enough for gun rights opponents. According to Oregon Public Radio, the House chose to jack the cost for the public up to $150, and that’s not all.
Last week’s action will almost certainly lead to a renewed legal battle
Elected officials decided that the original $50 charge for permit renewal did not fleece enough dollars from law-abiding citizens. With that in mind, HB 4145 raises the government charge to $110.
The bill now moves on to the Oregon Senate.
It is obvious but it bears repeating. These fees are levied on upstanding citizens who seek to exercise their freedom to keep and bear arms the right way.
There is virtually no effect on criminals or violent crime, and any honest lawmaker would admit this. But the steps necessary to truly enhance public safety are the antithesis of what anti-gunners stand for, and they are unapologetic.
Kudos to Second Amendment supporters for holding up this monstrosity for as long as they have; now is the time for renewed legal action. It is clear that Oregon’s political leaders do not have the stomach to stand up to anti-gun forces, so this is where 2A organizations step up and carry out their missions.
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