Given that Oregon’s firearm homicide rate has risen by 172% in the last ten years, public safety continues to be a major worry for Oregonians. We need to address the enormous quantity of illicit firearms on our streets, even though Portland has made some strides in lowering gun crime. Most of the thousands of firearms found at Oregon crime scenes each year are linked to in-state dealers.
Gun dealers may be very helpful in keeping illicit firearms out of our neighborhoods, but state-level regulation is necessary. Federal supervision is severely underfunded and has insufficient power. Bad actors operate with no repercussions, and federally licensed gun dealers are inspected on average once every ten years.
House Bill 3076 will uphold responsible gun ownership while saving lives and giving dealers the resources and training they need to help stop the proliferation of firearms in our neighborhoods. It would prove:
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State-based licensing and annual reporting;
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Inventory tracking and reporting requirements;
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Mandated secure storage of inventory and other security practices, such as cameras;
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Employee background checks and training to recognize illegal purchases;
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Annual inspections to hold bad actors accountable; and
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Engagement of law enforcement and ethical gun dealers for policy co-creation.
Strong gun dealer laws, which have been implemented in 15 other states, have been linked to a 36% decrease in firearm homicides. Legislators in Oregon must take immediate action to halt the illegal gun trade on our streets.
Sisters, Jess Marks
Marks serves as the Alliance for a Safe Oregon’s executive director.
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