The Beaver State, like other progressive strong-holds, has a tendency to dominate the news concerning Second Amendment issues. We all know that’s not because they have a reputation for being awesome about coming up with new freedom enhancing laws. They’re talked about often because they work on strengthening their death-grip to squeeze out what liberty is left in Oregon. A week ago we covered a rare occasion, a bill introduced that would do actual good in Oregon. Today we’ll avert our attention to a notice from our friends at the Oregon Firearms Federation. OFF warns of Senate Bill 551 and potential pitfalls due to ambiguity in the language.

Senate Bill 551, in its original, unamended form “Requires school districts to provide specified information related to secure storage of medications and firearms. Directs Oregon Health Authority to make information available to school districts.”

The bill makes no mention of what that “specified information” is.

It makes no mention of who determines what “specified information” will be provided.

There is no indication that anyone with professional knowledge of firearms and their proper storage will be consulted in the creation or distribution of the “specified information.”

The concerns of the group come well received as Oregon has been trampling on the rights of gun owners for quite some time now. Once a more liberty embracing state, with live and let live attitudes. Now, the party of “acceptance” and “inclusion,” of course wants to subvert civil-liberties of people they don’t see eye to eye with, forgetting the let live portion of being somewhat of a Bohemian haven.

The recent ram-rodding of gun-control measures through a ballot initiative last year did not really rally the anti-gun base entirely. Yes, measure 114, which added all kinds of new restrictions to the process of being and becoming a gun owner, did pass. However, people would be remiss to not point out that the passage was not by a very large majority. The people are divided on the issues and there is still hope in the state.

The notice further discusses the unconstitutional and dangerous policies that were implemented in 2021 concerning so-called safe storage.

In 2021 Oregon Democrats rammed through SB 554 which mandated that self defense firearms be locked up and useless. It required the use of dangerous trigger locks and it prohibited persons under 18 from having access to family firearms to protect themselves in their own home, no matter how well trained and responsible they were.

This ignorant one-size-fits-all policy has placed people in danger of both criminal attack and criminal penalties.

Now the same people who enacted this dangerous legislation want to use schools to promote an anti-gun, anti-self defense agenda.

Alleged root causes are pointed out in the legislation, with one section touting, “the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated troubling trends with children and firearms.” Without going into the weeds too far here, pandemic related “challenges” have everything to do with progressive governments’ irrational responses in handling the situation.

Other challenges probably included gun owning Oregonians getting more opportunities to take their kids out shooting because of all the free time. These pinko strong-holds can’t have a population of people passing on the tradition of the shooting sports to their children, now can they? That whole culture is challenged by the disarmament party.

Responsible firearms owners store their firearms in a manner that makes the most sense for their personal circumstances. Democrats in Oregon have interfered with their ability to do so and put them at risk.

We believe that amendments may be added to this bill but in a Democrat controlled legislature we do not anticipate that amendments will improve it.

If the state is going to mandate that schools provide information on the storage of firearms, the state should also mandate that schools provide students with non-biased and professional information on the safe handling of firearms, a suggestion Oregon Democrats regularly resist.

The citizens of Oregon have a rough road ahead. The continual assaults to their civil liberties is not likely to end. While governmental entities aren’t held accountable for knowingly creating unconstitutional policy, many are left with turning to the courts to stave off each and every infringement, one by one. Naturally it’s a double whammy for proponents of freedom because their tax dollars end up funding the opposition in thier lawsuits.

The Oregon Firearms Federation urges citizens to reach out to the Senate Education Committee to voice their opinion on the matter. They are scheduled to take up the topic on March 7, 2023 at 3 p.m. They also invite Oregonians to sign up to testify HERE or submit written testimony HERE.