APRIL 2020 HIGHLIGHTS

GOOD NEWS - SUPREME COURT APPROVED CERTIFIED BALLOT TITLES

April 10, 2020 – The Oregon Supreme Court approved the Certified Ballot Title for all three Initiative Petitions: 60, 61 and 62. 

We appreciate the speed at which the Court issued these decisions. More importantly, we also appreciate the result. The ballot titles clearly and accurately describe the changes LEVO is seeking in this initiative process to make this state safer from dangerous firearms, equipped with magazines of 20, 50, or even 100 rounds of ammunition.  

The Ballot Title for Initiative Petition 60 provides:

BALLOT TITLE

Adds restrictions on certain semiautomatic firearm purchases/transfers; prohibits ammunition magazines over ten rounds; exceptions

Result of “Yes” vote: “Yes” vote requires completed background check, safety training, waiting period, age 21 to purchase/transfer certain semiautomatic firearms; prohibits ammunition magazines over ten rounds; exceptions.

Result of “No” vote: “No” vote retains current law: minimum age 18 (some handgun purchases 21); background check request, safety course, waiting period not required; no magazine restrictions.

Summary: Oregon law currently requires minimum age 18 for firearm purchase/transfer (federal law requires age 21 for some handgun purchases), seller/transferor to request criminal background check. No safety course or waiting period required; no limits on capacity of ammunition magazines. Measure adds purchase/transfer restrictions on certain semiautomatic firearms (some covered firearms identified by model, others by design features). Measure requires all purchases/transfers of semiautomatic firearms to occur through a “gun dealer” (defined); purchaser/transferee minimum age 21; completed approved safety training; completed criminal background check; 5-business-day waiting period. Measure prohibits magazines that can contain more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Exceptions for law enforcement, armed forces, and magazines owned on or before measure’s effective date. Other provisions.

(Click HERE for the complete IP 60 text)

MORE GOOD NEWS: SIGNATURE SHEETS HAVE BEEN APPROVED

April 28, 2020: The Secretary of State approved the signature sheets and they are ready to circulate!

NOT SO GOOD NEWS: THE COVID-19 VIRUS MAKES IT UNSAFE TO COLLECT SIGNATURES

It is very disappointing - we are ready to go - but after careful consideration and review of all options, LEVO’s Core Leadership Team has determined that attempting to collect signatures is not safe. For the sake of public health, including the health of our volunteers, and to model ethical and responsible leadership, the LEVO Team has decided that we must put everything on hold. We have been meeting weekly through Zoom and are assessing the reality before us and the health and well-being of all.