Signatures Due Thursday for Proposed Repeal of Oregon Gun Control Measure

Referendum petition 302 would negate law allowing state to take guns away from people deemed at risk to themselves or others.

John Semm lets a customer examine a rifle at Shooter's Service Center in St. Johns. (Ryan LaBriere)

Just days after a mass shooting left 59 dead and more than 520 wounded in Las Vegas, two Oregon lawmakers are set to turn in signatures Thursday in an effort to repeal a modest gun control measure the Legislature passed earlier this year.

On Aug. 24, State Reps. Bill Post (R-Keizer) and Mike Nearman (R-Independence) filed paperwork to begin the process of repealing Senate Bill 719, which Gov. Kate Brown signed into law on Aug. 15.

Rep. Mike Nearman

The new law allows "a law enforcement officer or a family or household member of a person may file a petition requesting that the court issue an extreme risk protection order enjoining the person from having in the person's custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing or receiving, or attempting to purchase or receive, a deadly weapon."

If a person seeks what the law calls "an extreme risk protection order," that person must file an affidavit or swear under oath that the person who possesses the weapons is a danger to himself or others.

The court must hear and rule on the petition no later than one judicial business day after a petition is filed.

The new law is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2018.

During contentious legislative hearings, Second Amendment supporters railed against the legislation, saying it violated their constitutional rights.

Post, one of the co-petitioners seeking a repeal, says this week's events have no bearing on the new law or his attempt to repeal it.

"I don't see that the tragedy in Las Vegas has anything to do with this petition as there's been nothing that I've seen of a 'suicidal' situation, which SB 719 claims to fix," Post said in an email.

Rep. Bill Post

Post added that Nearman, who was not immediately available for comment, is heading up the signature gathering effort for the repeal and so Post is unaware of how much progress the campaign has made toward collecting the 58,789 valid signatures required to put the measure on the Jan. 23, 2018 special election ballot.

"I do hope we get to the 'magic' number and turn them in on Thursday," Post said.

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