Sen. Findley fends off criticism for not walking out on gun legislation

Published 3:30 pm Thursday, April 22, 2021

State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, batted away criticism during a virtual town hall Wednesday for not walking away from the legislative session last month to block proposed gun legislation that would ban handguns from the Capitol and other state buildings.

Senate Bill 554, approved in a 16-7 vote over the objections of Republicans, would also allow local governments, school districts and universities to set their own rules expanding gun prohibitions.

Findley said he stated many times the specific reasons why he did not walk out. He said SB 554 did not have an emergency clause in the bill, which is a provision that would make it operable right away if signed by Gov. Kate Brown and make it harder for opponents to refer the change to voters.

Additionally, Findley said walking out of the session would not have killed the bill. He said lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a budget and would have been called back to Salem for a special session, and the first item on the agenda would have been SB 554.

He said the Republicans walked out on recent cap and trade bills because they had emergency clauses on them. Findley said, during those sessions, the Republicans told the Democrats they would not have walked if they removed the emergency clause.

Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, said the people who oppose gun control legislation had not emailed the Democrats who support those measures. He said the process has been “beyond frustrating.”

“They’re not making their voice known to the opposition,” he said. “I’m getting kicked by the people that want to see more gun laws on the books, and I’m getting kicked by the people that support me and the view that I have.”

Findley said House Bill 2510, known as the “safe-storage bill,” would require Oregonians to lock their guns when not in use and is “clearly unconstitutional.”

The bill would create penalties if guns are not stored properly and require owners to report stolen guns, and help facilitate lawsuits against owners whose improperly stored firearms are stolen and used to cause injuries or property damage.

Findley said HB 2510 was scheduled for a vote on the House floor, but it was canceled.

Owens said the reason for that is Democrats in both the House and the Senate oppose each other’s bills. He said they are trying to figure out the next step.

He said Democrats were trying to add an amendment, which would blend the two concepts of SB 554 and HB 2510.

He said they do not know what the end product of the bill will be. Owens said, because the proposed legislation is unconstitutional, it may be struck down by the courts.

“Some of these bills we all consider bad, especially the ones that come at our constitutional rights,” Owens said, “but we are in a tough position where we are getting attacked from both sides.”

“Some of these bills we all consider bad, especially the ones that come at our constitutional rights, but we are in a tough position where we are getting attacked from both sides.”

—Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane