Friends and Neighbors,
Weak gun laws and unfettered access to firearms have made it far too easy for people to take their own lives and the lives of others. Gun violence tears at the fabric of our society, traumatizing millions. In addition to the devastating human toll gun violence exacts on Americans, shootings have an economic impact including medical expenses, law enforcement and criminal justice costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. Much of this cost is passed on to taxpayers. Oregon is rated C + by Gifford’s Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. For reference Texas and South Carolina get F’s, Ohio has a D, Massachusetts has an A and like Oregon, Florida has a C.
|
|
What Oregon Does Well:
Universal Background Checks
Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law that allows family or household members and law enforcement officers to petition a civil court for an order preventing a person in crisis from accessing firearms temporarily.
Firearm Prohibitions for Domestic Violence Misdemeanants
What Oregon Still Needs:
Safe Storage: These laws are intended to help prevent unauthorized users, including children, from accessing and using firearms, which can reduce tragedies due to suicide, unintentional discharges, and gun theft. I will be fighting to pass safe storage legislation in the February 2020 session. Find more info here: https://www.stateofsafetyaction.org
Waiting Periods: By delaying immediate access to firearms, waiting periods create an important “cooling off” period that can help prevent impulsive acts of gun violence, including gun homicides and suicides. Waiting periods can also give law enforcement agencies additional time to complete background checks that sometimes cannot be completed within the three-day window provided by the federal law (also known as closing the Charleston loophole). In 2017 Oregon attempted to close this loophole but failed in the senate. I will fight to bring this bill back to the Capitol. Find more info here: https://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/background-checks/background-check-procedures/
HB 2013
On July 23rd I joined Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, State of Safety Action, & Lift Every Voice Oregon as Governor Kate Brown signed bipartisan legislation HB2013. This important bill will protect families in Oregon by requiring convicted domestic abusers and convicted stalkers to turn in their guns. Removing guns from abusers and stalkers is crucial, as access to a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed, and according to the Oregon Violent Death Reporting System, 62 percent of intimate partner homicide victims in Oregon were killed with a firearm between 2011-2015. House Bill 2013 is an important next step in preventing gun violence. It provides law enforcement with the clarity they need to ensure that the intimate partner loophole is actually closed, and those individuals who shouldn’t have guns, don’t. This legislation will save lives.
|
|
Oregon Moms Demand Action Go To D.C
This weekend nearly 2,000 volunteers gathered in D.C. for their annual leadership training including many Oregon moms. . After learning about the horrific act of mass gun violence in El Paso, Texas, Brenda Moss whose son, Shawn, was killed by gun violence shared a powerful message.
|
|
WLHS Robotics Team
Recently I was invited to visit West Linn High School Robotics Team as they hosted a summer camp for middle schoolers and incoming freshmen. When I visited they were learning laser engraving. On top of making a robot, the team has done a lot for the school including creating 3D-printed mouthpieces for the school band, repairing the football team’s water station, and making and installing locks for classrooms to insure the safety of students. While it is fantastic our students can create these tools for safety, knowing they were made to protect them in case of an active shooter breaks my heart. We must do better for our students!
|
|
|
Gun violence is a public health issue and my job as a nurse and a legislator is fighting for public health. I Am Determined!
In Unity,
Rachel Prusak
|
|
|
|
