Gun Owners Caucus – Concealed Handgun Bill: HB2727

Greetings Gun Owners Caucus:

If you have not yet written your state legislatures to weigh in the on topic of keeping concealed handgun license (CHL) records private, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.

HB2727, a bill which would protect CHL holders’ information from public release, is currently being considered in the House Judiciary Committee. Many Democratic law-makers are co-sponsors of this bill but it is still seeking broader support.

The text of the bill can be found here: http://www.leg.state..or.us/09reg/measures/hb2700.dir/hb2727.intro.html

The website link above includes a list of sponsors and co-sponsors. If your representative is on that list, be sure to thank them. If they aren’t on the list, make sure they know how you feel. Information for contacting your state representatives (and senators, who also need to know) can be found here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/

Protecting CHL is good public safety policy and is a position endorsed by the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, the Multnomah County Democratic Party (by voice vote at the March meeting), and by every member of the Gun Owners Caucus with whom I’ve spoken. Discussions of why this is important can be found on the caucus blog, “Blue Steel Democrats.”

Briefly stated, keeping this records private protects your privacy and your safety by stopping criminals from using CHL records as a roadmap to finding firearms, from keeping stalkers from checking to see if their victims are ready to defend themselves, and from employers with anti-gun agendas from checking up on and discriminating against prospective eimployees. This is an excellent opportunity for Democrats to support gun owners’ rights, privacy rights, public safety and our law enforcement professionals all at the same time. Let’s make sure we do that.

In February, an online paper in Tennessee published the names, phone numbers and home addresses of all CHL holders in the state in an online article on the Internet. Be glad this hasn’t happened yet in Oregon, but also take steps to protect your Constitutional rights to privacy and fire arms ownership by contacting your legislator this week and urge them to support HB 2727. Thanks.

Regards,
Zak Johnson, Chair
Gun Owners Caucus of the Democratic Party of Oregon

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Zakariah..Johnson@gmail.com
(m) 503-863-0783
(h) 503-230-2314

Add comment April 1st, 2009