The Creepy, the Bad, and the Questionable: Gun Edition

Portland Mercury:

Two firearm-related bills met similar fates yesterday in the Oregon Senate after much debate between invested lawmakers. In the end, gun rights advocates came up on top. The conclusion can only be laid out as follows: The Creepy: With a 24-5 vote, the Senate slashedHouse Bill 4045, a measure that would forebode public agencies to share basic information of concealed handgun holders. So much for ever linking handgun holders with gun-related crimes. Fortunately, Sen. Fred Girod, a Republican from Stayton shared his cemented reasoning to clear up the concern. "I have a concealed hand gun license," he said. "It's nobody's business." The Bad: I know it's not my place to label things "bad" or "good," but I'm just going off of the general reaction from Senate Bill 1594's opposition. This bill tackles the much-discussed issue of permitting concealed handgun on school campuses. This echoes a similar measure presented by the Oregon University System last September that was quickly nixed by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Following the most recent Ohio school shooting, this topic sparked vehement rebuttal. But to no avail. The measure narrow passed with a 15-14 vote. The Questionable: Remember how narrowly the last bill was voted against? (If you answered no, simply read two sentences prior). Turns out this vote could have been tilted if Sen. Bruce Starr, a Republican from Hillsboro, didn't have to take his child to an orthodontist appointment and actually showed up to the showdown. Alright, so maybe he would of played the Republican role and voted against it along with his fellow right wingers — BUT who knows, Starr could of been a wild card. Also, I think it's great that the Oregonian included the orthodontist part. All in all, gun slingers and supporters left Salem satisfied yesterday. Now, you'll never know if that lurky kid sitting next to you in lecture is packing heat. Beware. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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