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Group Proposes Initiative To Limit Assault Weapons In Oregon

An initiative to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons in Oregon needs 88,000 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot.
George Frey
/
Getty Images
An initiative to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons in Oregon needs 88,000 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot.

Backers of an initiative to restrict the sale of assault weapons in Oregon are gathering signatures. Petitioners Monday submitted a batch gathered during last weekend’s March for Our Lives.

An initiative to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons in Oregon needs 88,000 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot.
Credit George Frey / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
An initiative to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons in Oregon needs 88,000 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot.

If at least 1,000 signatures are found valid, the ballot title drafting process can begin. Rabbi Michael Cahana is one of the chief petitioners. He says it’s important that religious leaders are leading this effort. “We felt that it was really time to, instead of just offering prayers, take action and to speak with a religious voice, to speak with a moral authority that our religions, our diverse religions call out to us, to protect life.”

The proposal will need more than 88,000 signatures by July 6th to make it to the November ballot. But the initiative is opposed by conservatives and will likely face a challenge in the Oregon Supreme Court.

Copyright 2018 KLCC

Rachael McDonald is a reporter and host at KLCC, a JPR News partner. Her reporting comes to JPR through the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.