Looks like most of the gun control bills the Dems were pushing in Oregon have died for this year, but they are vowing to come back for another try in 2017. The article notes the failed recall petitions against representatives who voted for it. That tactic isn’t going to work everywhere and in all circumstances. Colorado’s recalls had the added boost that the magazine ban mobilized a lot more people than would have been had it just been the private transfer ban (which I don’t think a lot of the rank and file really understand well).
Looking back to a decade ago, the big anti-gun states were California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Maryland and Hawaii were somewhat unfriendly, but they had a ban on “assault pistols” and a magazine law that was relatively meaningless. I would now put Maryland in the hard anti-gun column, and to keep Hawaii company, we now have Colorado, and maybe Oregon if we don’t stop it there.
This is why I think federal preemption is going to be important going into the future. We can’t fight a war of attrition with Mike Bloomberg state-by-state until we lose enough ground to lose federally as well. We have to solidly and decisively deal him a blow so hard he’ll find other things to spend his time and money on. Unfortunately, the party we need to accomplish this is currently a train wreck.
[T]hey are vowing to come back for another try in 2017.
Nothing new there. They try their crap every year. The old, failed bills will be re-introduced, verbatim, next session.
2016 is just the first year in a while the Dems had a majority (as opposed to a deadlock) in both chambers.
This was supposed to be a “short session”, though. Oregon previously had biennial sessions (wherein if we fight them off, we’re good for almost two years), but the “short sessions” were enacted by referendum so the Legislature could convene in “off-years” to address budget shortfalls and emergencies. That vision is what sold the voters.
That the Dems used the short session to push a leftist agenda instead of budget deficits shows how desperate they are to pass their pet bills and avoid accountability.
I, for one, would love to see some backlash from this. Say, a referendum to either 1. go back to biennial Legislative sessions, or 2. amend the state Constitution so that ONLY bills to address budget concerns and bona fide emergencies (i.e. natural disasters) can be introduced during short sessions.
I think Illinois was pretty damn anti-gun 10 years ago. I bailed on Daleyvile and the Land of Obama in 2001 as it seemed totally hopeless. Other people were willing to stay and fight and things are significantly better today.
Illinois is probably the best example of what Sebastian is getting it. Almost uniquely, the Federal Courts have been (half-assedly) enforcing the 2nd Amendment and rolling back some of the worst gun control laws in Illinois. Weirdly enough, today gun rights are stronger in Illinois than they are in California because of this outside intervention.
States like Oregon which have had a tradition of respect for gun-rights are running headlong into their new tradition of Democratic Party domination.
I think it is only a matter of time before the gun control laws of such Blue States get as bad as in California or New Jersey.
Absent outside intervention, of course.
States like Oregon which have had a tradition of respect for gun-rights are running headlong into their new tradition of Democratic Party domination.
That and Oregon Democrats in general (and Portland Democrats in particular) seem to have a “keep up with the Joneses” attitude when it comes to comparing our state with California and Washington. Whatever leftist agenda item CA or WA passes, the OR Legislature is soon to consider.
As if our Northern and Southern neighbors (especially Southern) are doing so well under their respective “Progressive” regimes.