When Oregon changed gun laws in 2018 to allow weapons to be taken away from domestic abusers who weren’t married to their partners, the bill didn’t include specifics steps for how law enforcement and district attorneys could comply.
The Oregon House passed legislation Tuesday that would fix that. House Bill 2013 creates a statewide process for jurisdictions to comply with the so-called “boyfriend loophole” fix.
Because last year’s legislation didn’t include specific protocols, enforcement levels vary across the state. In Multnomah and Washington counties, sheriffs have protocols to allow someone to give up their guns. In other counties, there’s nothing.
“We took the best practices and created a statewide protocol so you can prove to the court that you’ve given your guns to law enforcement, a licensed firearms dealer, or a third party who knows they can’t give your gun back until the court allows it,” said House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland.
Opponents of the bill said these decisions are better left to city and county governments, rather than the state.
"My concern is with the power of the state of Oregon," said House Minority Leader Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, speaking on the floor before the vote.
"Counties can already do essentially what this bill does," he added.
The bill passed 43-15, with support from seven Republicans. It heads to the Senate next.
Copyright 2019 Oregon Public Broadcasting