Supporters of Oregon’s gun control Measure 114 declared victory, but delays in implementation are likely with rule-making uncertainty. State police, lawmakers, and proponents must write the regulations for the state’s first-ever permits to buy a gun and determine how much the rules will cost to carry out, reports Oregon Live. At least one Oregon sheriff has promised not to enforce the ban on large-capacity magazines, while gun rights advocates are gearing up to block the measure, arguing it violates their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Voters narrowly approved the proposition, 51 percent to 49 percent. Its passage was the culmination of a grassroots, interfaith push by Lift Every Voice Oregon that began .after the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fl., which killed 17 students and staff. The Oregon Firearms Federation, the Second Amendment Foundation, and other gun rights advocates will ask a judge to block Measure 114. It’s too early to tell if the law will survive constitutional scrutiny in view of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June overturning a New York gun safety law, said Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA School of Law. He suspects part of Measure 114 may withstand review, such as the requirement for a background check before a gun sale. Others may not, such as the ban of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Measure 114 kicks in on Jan. 15. State police are likely to seek an extension – which could last months -- to allow time for the legislature to hash out the gun permit system. Under the measure, anyone who wants to buy a gun must get a permit from a sheriff’s office, pay an expected fee of $65, complete an approved firearms safety course at their own expense, submit a photo ID, be fingerprinted, and pass a criminal background check. Lift Every Voice Oregon committee members are working with lawmakers and police on setting up a Measure 114 committee to write the rules on everything from the information sought on permit application forms to the type of courses required for safety training. Other issues to be decided: Whether state police need more employees to compile a database of permits and others who are rejected; how much money or staff county sheriffs’ offices will need to handle the permit process and what resources are needed to help state police do additional background checks.