Following Advocacy from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers, Oregon House Passes Life-Saving Gun Safety Omnibus Bill  

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement today after House lawmakers passed HB 2005, an omnibus bill that tackles gun violence in Oregon by prohibiting ghost guns, raising the age to purchase certain firearms, and granting local governments the authority to prohibit guns on their property. Since its introduction, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers have been testifying in support of the bill, which now goes to the Senate. 

“This is a vital step in tackling gun violence at every level,” said Amie Wexler, a volunteer with the Oregon Chapter of Moms Demand Action. “The goal of this bill is to save lives and we thank our representatives for their leadership and swift action on passing this important measure. We look forward to continuing partnering with our gun sense champions in both chambers, as well as Governor Tina Kotek to turn this into law and make Oregon a leader in the fight against gun violence.”

HB 2005 is an omnibus bill that will accomplish three things:

• Prohibit ghost guns by prohibiting the sale, transfer, possession, and manufacture of a firearm without a serial number, the sale, transfer, and possession of unserialized firearm components, and the sale, transfer, possession, and manufacture of 3-D printed guns or guns that cannot be picked up by metal detectors.
• Raise the age to 21 to purchase semi-automatic assault rifles. 
• Allow local jurisdictions to prohibit firearms in government buildings, including city halls, and other locations. 

In an average year, 587 people die by guns in Oregon. With a rate of 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people, the state has the 34th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Each year, gun violence costs Oregon $8.1 billion, of which $89.1 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in Oregon is available here. To speak to a local volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please reach out to [email protected].