Vigil and call to action in response to Sutherland Springs shooting

Join us tonight for a vigil and call to action.  Call your legislators and tell them to ban assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and that you want higher standards for gun ownership.

Senator Ron Wyden: (503) 326-7525

Senator Jeff Merkley: (503) 326-3386

Gov. Brown: (503) 378-4582

Rep. Earl Blumenauer: (503) 231-2300

Rep. Peter DeFazio: (541) 465-6732

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici: (503) 469-6010

Rep. Kurt Schrader: (503) 557-1324

Rep. Greg Walden: (541) 389-4408

In the aftermath of the Sutherland Springs shooting, Ceasefire Oregon is calling for tougher gun laws including a five bullet limit on all high-capacity magazines, a ban on all assault rifles, and is demanding higher standards for gun ownership.

Seven percent of an entire town was shot on Sunday. We will remember the victims and their families, and we will honor them with action. We call on our legislators to pass meaningful and effective legislation. We demand a five bullet limit on high-capacity magazines, a ban on assault rifles, and higher standards for gun ownership.

The reason to limit magazines to five bullets is because Oregon hunters are only allowed to use five rounds when hunting large game. The gun industry should not be allowed to set the standard; the American public should make that decision.

Freeman Martin, the regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, reported that the Sutherland Springs shooter used a Ruger AR 15 rifle to murder 26 people and injure more than 20 others. AR 15 style rifles are commonly used in mass shootings including the shootings in Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas; and others.

Po Murray, chair of Newtown Action Alliance who works with Ceasefire Oregon on calling for an assault weapons ban said, “Enough is enough. The corporate gun lobby’s aggressive pursuit of its agenda to put guns everywhere in America for pure gun industry profits has devastated too many families and communities across this nation. It’s time for Americans to push Donald Trump, Congress, state legislators, and town leaders across the nation to pass meaningful gun violence prevention laws to stop the bloodshed.” Ceasefire Oregon and the Newtown Action Alliance met just last month in Washington, D.C. to host a vigil on the Capitol lawn for the victims of the Las Vegas massacre.

Our national and state laws must include banning assault rifles and high capacity magazines as well as implementing comprehensive background checks for all gun sales. We must prevent people with a history of domestic violence, stalking, and drug or alcohol abuse from purchasing or possessing a firearm.

NO on these bills:

HR 3668: SHARE Act (“Don’t Share the Violence”)

HR 367: Hearing Protection Act (“Deadly Silence Act”) aka HR 3139 & S 1505

S 446: National Federally Mandated Concealed Carry (Reciprocity)

HR 38 National Federally Mandated Concealed Carry (Reciprocity)

HR 358: Interstate Transportation of Firearms (“Make Gun Trafficking Great Again”)

HR 34 National Guns in K-12 Schools

YES on these bills:

S 2009 National Background Checks for Every Gun Sale

S 1923 National Background Check Completion Act of 2017

HR 4052 National Keep Americans Safe Act (No high-capacity magazines)

S 1916 National Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act (Ban bump stocks)

HR 3999 National Ban Bump Stocks

HR 4168 National Close the Bump Stock Loophole Act

HR 3947 National Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act (Regulates bump stocks)

S 1945 National Keep Americans Safe Act (Regulate high-capacity magazines)

HR 3361 National SECURE Firearm Storage Act

HR 3984 National Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act (Repeals PLCCA)

HR 2841 National Disarm Hate Act

HR 4025 National Multiple Firearm Sales Reporting Modernization Act of 2017

HR 2670 National Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act

HR 4018 National Three Day Waiting Period for Firearm Purchases

HR 1478 National Gun Violence Research Act

HR 810 National Hadiya Pendleton & Nyasia Pryear-Yard Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act

S 1185 National Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2017

S 2043/HR 4198: Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2017. To promote the economic security and safety of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and for other purposes.

S 2044: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect more victims of domestic violence by preventing their abusers from possessing or receiving firearms, and for other purposes.

Firearm Safety Package of 2017: These bills are likely to be reintroduced in 2018

• Due to an error during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, SB 797 became SB 1065 and was sent to the Senate Rules Committee (which has different rules).

In 2017, the Firearm Safety Package included:

• Close the Charleston Loophole
  • Prohibit transfer of firearm by gun dealer or private party if Department of State Police is unable to determine whether recipient is qualified to receive firearm.
  • Currently, a gun seller is permitted to complete a gun sale if the background check takes longer than 3 business days.
    • The gun seller is not currently held criminally liable if the sale is completed after 3 business days if the buyer is a prohibited purchaser.
    • This loophole is how the Charleston AME Church shooter obtained his gun even though he is a prohibited purchaser.
• Close Dating Partner (“Boyfriend/Girlfriend”) Loophole
  • Modifies definition of relationship status pertaining to types of court orders and misdemeanor convictions that cause person to be prohibited from possessing firearms.
  • Currently, dating partners who have never lived together or do not have a child together lack protection provided under certain court orders and convictions for domestic violence. Closing this loophole would allow an abused dating partner to be protected under law as an abused person who had been married to, living with, or had a child with an abuser.
• No Guns for Stalkers
  • Provides that conviction for stalking causes person to be prohibited from possessing firearm unless person obtains relief from prohibition.
• Law Enforcement Tools to Prosecute “Lie and Try” Purchasers (prohibited purchasers who attempt to buy a firearm)
  • Requires Department of State Police to notify United States Attorney for District of Oregon and all state and local law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction if prohibited firearm purchaser attempts to by a gun.
  • Requires department to notify attempted unlawful purchaser’s probation officer or court that issued protective order, if applicable.
  • Requires department to make notification within 24 hours unless investigation would be compromised.
  • Requires law enforcement agency or prosecuting attorney’s office receiving notification to report to department on action taken after notification and outcome of action.
• Requires department to publish written report detailing attempted unlawful purchases, including information on investigations and criminal prosecutions.