The passage of Oregon ballot measure 114 is slated to go into effect on December 8, 2022, despite the fact that ballots are still being counted, according to the Oregon Secretary of State. This measure is a prime example of the state divide passed by only four counties and rejected in 29. Only Multnomah, Washington, Lane and Benton counties passed the measure. Now, the rush to purchase a firearm has overloaded the Firearms Instant Check System (FICS).

Several organizations are planning legal action to find at least parts of Measure 114 unconstitutional. Several county sheriffs have released statements.

Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast stated efforts will go into developing procedures to comply and monitor potential litigation. “We anticipate significant strain on our limited staffing and resources...we will prioritize our services towards the areas of greatest need to best serve the residents and visitors within Marion County, therefore will not be focusing investigations on magazine capacity issues.”

Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan stated, “This is a terrible law for gunowners, crime victims, and public safety. I want to send a clear message to Linn County residents that the Linn County Sheriff's Office is NOT going to be enforcing magazine capacity limits.”

Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen joined with Sheriff Duncan to not uphold the laws under Measure 114.

Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said in an interview with Truth About Guns, that he also does not intend to enforce magazine capacity limits. “That is just the way it’s going to be. The supreme law of the land is a constitution of the United States, and I believe that this measure is totally contrary to the Constitution.”

Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber also believes Measure 114 is unconstitutional, but in a release stated none of the measure outcomes affects their current licensing program.

Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler stated to NewsWatch 12 that making it more difficult for legal gun owners to acquire a gun and repeating background checks does not address the impact that mental illnesses have on gun violence. He is concerned with the number of extra employees that will be required to deal with permits, background checks, safety training, etc.

More county sheriffs are speaking out indicating they will not enforce Measure 114. Among them are Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey,

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The Oregon State Police (OSP) is aware that the public has many questions regarding Ballot Measure 114. The Oregon State Police is working very closely with the Department of Justice, the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association and the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police to assess the required processes that need to be completed to implement this law. OSP, lawmakers and stakeholders must write regulations for the first rules on permits for buying a gun and figure out the cost to enforce.

For the month of November 2022, approximately 63% of the requests received into the FICS unit have been approved. The remaining transactions must be evaluated by an OSP employee to determine what caused the person to be kicked out of the automated process. If applicable a manual correction can be made, and the application can be approved.

OSP suggests checking information when submitting for a Firearms purchase or transfer that could exclude you from the automated process:

• If you have ever been arrested or convicted of a crime in Oregon or any other state.
• If you have incomplete or incorrect information listed on federal ATF Form 4473. Double-check the information for accuracy.
• If your registered DMV address does not match the address listed on federal ATF Form 4473. Update your personal address with DMV.

This unit has been working through these extreme firearms request volumes and will continue to process them as quickly as possible.

The FICS unit’s hours of operation are set in statute, and largely determined by retail hours, seven days a week 363 days a year with only Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day off. Information about the Oregon State Police’s Firearms Instant Check System (FICS) including how to complete a Firearm Pre-Purchase Self-Assessment Questionnaire, can be found on their website.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-11-18 06:31:49

Last Update: 2022-11-17 20:00:25