Oregon Ballot Measure 43 - Ban Assault Weapon And High-Capacity Magazine Sales

Clergy members of all faiths, youth, advocates, and Oregonians who are gun owners and non-gun owners have come together as a coalition to stop the carnage in our schools, our streets, and throughout our country. The coalition, "Lift Every Voice," has one goal: to make the state a safer place for all Oregonians.

We have filed Measure 43 as a ballot initiative for the November 2018 election. Measure 43 would prohibit the future sale or transfer of semiautomatic rifles and large-capacity magazines. Any such firearms or ammunition, described clearly in the measure, owned at the time the act becomes effective must be registered with the state, sold out of state, permanently disabled or can be given to law enforcement for disposal. The same safety measures will be applied to large-capacity magazines, defined as a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds.

The ballot measure has been filed. Sponsorship signatures were turned in on Saturday, March 24. The push for 88,184 signatures will not begin until we have cleared any court challenges. At this time, we do not expect to be able to begin collecting those signatures until June.  Until then, this is an "initiative petition" (IP 43).

Sign up here to receive email alerts from Ceasefire Oregon about Measure 43, how you can help, and pending federal firearm legislation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will people be forced to surrender their guns?

No. People will be required to register the firearms and magazines described in Measure 43. The firearms and magazines may also be sold out of state, permanently disabled or given to law enforcement for disposal.

Is this Constitutional?

Yes. Seven other states (HI, CA, NJ, NY, MD, MA, CT) and the District of Columbia already have similar laws banning assault rifles.

Is this divisive or controversial?

No. A Quinnipiac Poll from last month (February 2018) showed that 67% of Americans support an outright ban on the sale of  assault rifles. )

Why doesn’t the Oregon legislature pass this as a bill?

The Oregon legislature did not pass a similar bill (HB 3200) in 2013 after the Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook shootings. They have not been willing to address this issue since then.

How will this bill protect Oregonians?

When access to assault weapons is restricted, deaths due to mass shootings decrease. A 2014 study found that “both state and federal assault weapons bans have statistically significant and negative effects on mass shooting fatalities.” Everytown for Gun Safety, Assault Weapons Bans on Public Mass Shootings,” Applied Economics Letters 22, no. 4 (2014): 281-284, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2014.939367.

HERE IS THE CURRENT LANGUAGE OF MEASURE 43

The Campaign to Stop the Sale and Transfer of Weapons of War

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OREGON:

SECTION 1. Sections 2 to 5 of this 2018 Act are added to and made a part of ORS 166.250 to 166.470.

SECTION 2. The people of the State of Oregon find and declare that a reduction in the availability of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines will promote the public health and safety of the residents of this state.

SECTION 3. As used in sections 2 to 6 of this 2018 Act: (1)(a) “Assault weapon” means any:

(A) Semiautomatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following:

(i) Any grip of the weapon, including a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock or any other stock, the use of which would allow an individual to grip the weapon, resulting in any finger on the trigger hand in addition to the trigger finger being directly below any portion of the action of the weapon when firing;

(ii) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the nontrigger hand;

(iii) A folding or telescoping stock;

(iv) A shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel;

(v) A forward pistol grip; (vi) A flash suppressor, muzzle brake, muzzle compensator, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, muzzle brake, or muzzle compensator;

(vii) A bayonet mount; or

(viii) A grenade launcher or flare launcher;

(B) Semiautomatic pistol, or any semiautomatic, centerfire or rimfire rifle with a fixed magazine, that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition;

(C) Semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has an overall length of less than thirty inches;

(D) Semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following:

(i) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the nontrigger hand;

(ii) A folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock;

(iii) A shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel;

(iv) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at any location outside of the pistol grip; or (v) A threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor or forward pistol grip; 2

(E) Semiautomatic shotgun that has both of the following:

(i) Any grip of the weapon, including a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock or any other stock, the use of which would allow an individual to grip the weapon, resulting in any finger on the trigger hand in addition to the trigger finger being directly below any portion of the action of the weapon when firing; and

(ii) A folding or telescoping stock;

(F) Semiautomatic shotgun that has at least one of the following:

(i) A fixed magazine capacity in excess of ten rounds; or

(ii) An ability to accept a detachable magazine;

(G) Shotgun with a revolving cylinder; and

(H) Conversion kit, part or combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled if those parts are in the possession or under control of the same person. (b) “Assault weapon” does not include any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable.

(2) “Criminal background check” has the meaning given that term in ORS 166.432.

(3) “Department” means Department of State Police.

(4) “Detachable magazine” means an ammunition feeding device that can be loaded or unloaded while detached from a firearm and readily inserted into a firearm.

(5) “Fixed magazine” means an ammunition feeding device contained in or permanently attached to a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without disassembly of the firearm action.

(6) “Large capacity magazine” means any ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds or any conversion kit or combination of parts from which such a device can be assembled, but does not include any of the following:

(a) A feeding device that has been permanently altered so that it cannot accommodate more than 10 rounds;

(b) A .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device; or (c) A tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-action firearm.

SECTION 4.

(1) Notwithstanding ORS 166.250 to 166.470, and except as provided in subsections (2) to (4) of this Section 4, a person commits the crime of unlawful possession or transfer of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine if the person manufactures, imports, possesses, purchases, sells or transfers any assault weapon or large capacity magazine.

(2) Subsection (1) of this Section 4 does not apply to: 3 (a) Any government officer, agent or employee, member of the Armed Forces of the United States or peace officer as that term is defined in ORS 133.005 if that person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon or large capacity magazine and does so while acting within the scope of that person’s duties; (b) The manufacture of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine by a firearms manufacturer for the purpose of sale to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law enforcement agency in this state for use by that agency or its employees, provided the manufacturer is properly licensed under federal, state and local laws; or (c) The sale or transfer of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine by a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law enforcement agency in this state for use by that agency or its employees for law enforcement purposes.

(3) Any person who, prior to the effective date of this law, was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine shall, within 120 days after the effective date of this 2018 Act, without being subject to prosecution: (a) Remove the assault weapon or large capacity magazine from the state; (b) Sell the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 for lawful sale or transfer under subsection (2) of this section; (c) Surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a law enforcement agency for destruction; (d) Render the assault weapon permanently inoperable; or (e) If eligible, register the assault weapon or large capacity magazine with the Department as provided in Section 5 of this 2018 Act.

(4) Any person who acquires an assault weapon or large capacity magazine, for which registration was previously properly obtained under Section 5 of this Act, by inheritance, bequest or succession, or by virtue of the person’s role as executor or other legal representative of an estate or trust, shall, within 120 days after acquiring title, without being subject to prosecution under this section: (a) Surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a law enforcement agency for destruction; (b) Transfer the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 for lawful sale or transfer under subsection (2)(c) of this section; (c) Render the assault weapon permanently inoperable; or (d) If eligible, register the assault weapon or large capacity magazine with the Department and meet all of the requirements under Section 5 of this 2018 Act, except the time for registering shall run from the date of acquiring title.

(5) Any person who moves into the state and immediately prior to moving is in lawful possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine, shall, unless exempt under Section 4(2)-(4) of this Act, within 120 days:

(a) Surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a law enforcement agency for destruction;

(b) Transfer the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 for lawful sale or transfer under subsection (2)(c) of this section; or 4

(c) Render the assault weapon permanently inoperable. (6) Unlawful possession or transfer of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine is a Class B felony.

SECTION 5.

(1) Any person seeking to register an assault weapon or large capacity magazine with the Department shall do so as provided in this section within 120 days after the effective date of this 2018 Act.

(2) In order to register an assault weapon under this section, the owner of the assault weapon must: (a) Submit to the Department, on a form approved by the Department, the owner’s name and address and the identification number of each assault weapon owned by the owner: (b) Be the lawful owner of the assault weapon prior to the effective date of this 2018 Act; and (c) Allow the Department to conduct a criminal background check of the person to confirm that the person is not a prohibited possessor under ORS 166.250.

(3) In order to register a large capacity magazine under this section, a person must: (a) Submit to the Department, on a form approved by the Department, the owner’s name and address and information sufficient to identify any large magazine owned or possessed by the owner; (b) Be the lawful owner of the large capacity magazine prior to the effective date of this 2018 Act; and (c) Allow the Department to conduct a criminal background check of the person to confirm that the person is not a prohibited possessor under ORS 166.250.

(4) A person seeking to register an assault weapon or large capacity magazine must submit evidence satisfactory to the Department to establish that: (a) The owner has securely stored the assault weapon or large capacity magazine pursuant to existing law and, in addition, as provided in any rules and regulations adopted by the Department specifically relating to assault weapons and large capacity magazines; (b) The owner possesses any lawful assault weapon or large capacity magazine only:

(A) On property owned or immediately controlled by the registered owner;

(B) On property owned by another with the owner’s express permission in a manner consistent with subsection (4)(a) in this section;

(C) On the premises of a firearms dealer or gunsmith licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 for the purpose of lawful repair;

(D) While engaged in the legal use of the assault weapon or large capacity magazine, at a public or private shooting range, shooting gallery or other area designed and built for the purpose of target shooting;

(E) At a firearms competition or exhibition, display or educational project about firearms sponsored, conducted by approved or under the auspices of a law enforcement agency or a national or state-recognized entity that fosters proficiency in firearms use or promotes firearms education; or

(F) While transporting the weapon in a vehicle as permitted in ORS 166.250 to one of the locations authorized under this statute.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown's Initiative To Reduce Gun Violence

A statement from Ceasefire Oregon...

Ceasefire Oregon is proud to be part of Governor Brown's new initiative to reduce gun violence.

Governor Brown's initiative includes:

• Prohibiting purchases of extended-capacity magazines. This type of ammunition enables shooters to fire 10, 30 or even 50 bullets before stopping to reload the gun.  
• Expanding the types of relationships that qualify under domestic violence by closing the "boyfriend loophole." This legislation will ensure that people convicted of certain domestic violence and stalking crimes will no longer have access to firearms. 
• Closing the Charleston loophole so individuals who should not own a gun are not able to buy one simply because authorities were unable to complete a background check in a few days.
• Strengthening existing law through executive order to give law enforcement the tools needed to track and analyze gun transactions.
• Establishing a work group to review and assess firearms-related domestic violence offenses.
• Directing the Oregon Health Authority, through executive action, to report annually on gun violence, its effect of public health and to recommend policies to reduce gun violence in Oregon.

In addition, Governor Brown calls upon Congress to end gun violence by:

• Banning assault weapons and extended-capacity magazines. (S. 4269)
• Strengthening anti-terrorist legislation so individuals on the FBI's watch list are prohibited from purchasing a firearm in the United States.  (H.R. 1076)

Governor Brown's actions are strong, positive steps we can take to stop the gun violence that we witness daily. Please call her office now at (503) 378-4582 to thank her. 

   

To stay up to date on the Governor's actions and to learn what you can do to stop gun violence, visit our website at ceasefireoregon.org and encourage your friends to do the same.

   

Working together, we can put an end to the scourge of gun violence. 

Addendum:  The transcript of Gov. Brown's speech can be found HERE.  You can find an additional fact sheet of Gov. Brown's "Oregonians United to End Gun Violence" announcement HERE.

Meet Rockne Newell: Another "Law Abiding" Gun Advocate Turned Mass Murderer

(UPDATED -- See below)

Monday night was the monthly meeting of the Ross Township council, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.  But what would otherwise have been another quiet meeting turned into chaos and death.

In a scene repeated far, far too often in America, a deranged lunatic gun nut, armed with an assault rifle, burst in and opened fire.

Rockne Newell was about to have his land condemned because of the trash on his property (pics

Rockne Newell, gun rights proponent turned mass murderer
(Pocono Record/AP)

HERE), losing a longstanding feud with the Township.  Armed with a Ruger Mini-14 .223 assault rifle with scope (the same used in other mass shootings, including the one in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik), Newell stormed in and fired into the assembly, hitting four people, including at least one town official.  From an article:

“I heard more than 10 shots,” Pocono Record reporter Chris Reber said in a first-person account. “It was automatic, like a string of firecrackers.” ... 

Two people died at the scene, and a third person died after being flown to a hospital. Police confirmed that at least one of the dead was a township official but gave no details. A fourth person was undergoing surgery late Monday for undisclosed injuries. ... 

 “The thing that got my attention: plaster flying out, blowing out through the walls. Witnesses would later tell me they saw pictures exploding away from the walls,” [witness] Reber said in his account told to his editors, Marta Gouger and Chris Mele.

When the gun ran out of ammo or jammed, Newell then went to go back to his car to get a .44 Magnum Revolver and returned.  Luckily, another couple witnesses tackled him, then one of them got the gun from Newell and shot him twice in the leg:

Gunshots went off as Kozen struggled to restrain the shooter with the help of a second man, identified by police as local resident Mark Kresh. 

The victims were identified as David Fleetwood, Gerard Kozic and James LaGuardia, according to a criminal complaint, NBC Philadelphia reported. 

Eyewitnesses described the struggle between Kozen and the gunman to local newspaperThe Pocono Record.  

"I saw Bernie struggling with him. Bernie got the gun and shot him in the leg twice," Ross Township Supervisor Tina Drake told the paper. 

Kozen told the Record that he was assisting another man who had been shot when the shooter "walked by me into the meeting room, I guess to shoot more people."

Three victims have died so far. A fourth is in the hospital. And Newell was injured as well.

The really eerie thing about this shooting is its proximity to another, recent town meeting in Pennsylvania that involved another gun nut, only a little more than an hour's drive west of the Ross Township hall.  Less than a week ago, in Gilberton, PA, a borough meeting suspended the employment of Police Chief Mark Kessler, after he used police full-auto assault rifles in his inflammatory, insurrectionist, and threatening videos.

And outside the council meeting that day was a small horde of extremist militia members, assault rifles in hand, standing around, blocking entry into the building, and rudely shouting down anyone who dared to talk.  It was like some third world country there, and local residents testified how fearful they were of him.

Though that episode ended without shots fired, one can easily imagine it turning uglier.  What if the Borough council had chosen to terminate Kessler instead of just suspend him? 

But the message was the same:  Keep government out of my gun "rights" and my personal life or, if I disagree with you, I will shoot you to death.  That's what Kessler insinuated when he called a picture of a deranged murderous clown "Nancy Pelosi" and shot her multiple times.  Is it really a big jump to go from saying it to doing it?  Probably not in the minds of weak-minded individuals like Rockne Newell.

I wonder what Mr. Newell thought about Mark Kessler and the display of extremists just to the west of him there in PA?  

Like so many other gun nuts, he echoed the gun lobby's paranoia and "gun rights" talking points.  

screencap of a pro-gun post from Newell's Facebook page

On his Facebook page, Newell also posted a picture that suggested why people need guns, including an assault rifle for when "people try to take them away" (see screencapture pic).  "I love this!" he wrote about it.

Later, on March 5, he posted a link to a White House petition calling for elimination of armed guards around politicians.

On February 26, Newell posts a link to a news article about a 4-year old boy who shot and killed himself with his father's gun.  Did Newell show sadness or call for people to secure their guns?  No.  Instead, he states:

Think on this had his father stole an assault rifle this boy would still be alive because an assault rifle is too long for a 4 year old to shoot himself!

Also on his Facebook page he has a long diatribe, where he goes on about "gun control." In part of that, he states,

1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. 2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. 

He also wrote,

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens. Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson. With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'.

That's right.  As I always say, lunatic gun nuts who go on killing sprees always think they are the sane ones who are defending gun rights as law-abiding citizens.

Yep.  Meet Rockne Newell, another "law-abiding citizen" gun owner... until he wasn't.

UPDATE (1/25/15):  In December, the main man who tackled and subdued Newell, township parks director Bernard Kozen, was one of 18 people from around the country who were honored for their heroism by the Carnegie Heroes Fund Commission.  **Please note that Kozen did not need a gun to subdue the shooter.**  From an article:

The parks director of a Pennsylvania township who helped subdue a gunman charged with killing three people at a municipal meeting last year is among 19 people being honored with medals and cash from the Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Heroes Fund Commission.

Bernard Kozen was the 56-year-old parks director of Ross Township when he tackled, disarmed and subdued 60-year-old Rockne Newell on Aug. 5, 2013. Newell is awaiting trial and faces the possible death penalty for allegedly killing three people in a dispute over his property. ....

Kozen, who had taken refuge in an office, could have run to safety behind Newell but instead tackled him and, with the help of another man, overpowered Newell, the awards commission said.

The hero awards honor those who risk their lives for others.

.

Wayne LaPierre Supports Assault Rifles For Insurrection Against The Government

Remember when Wayne LaPierre, in his pro-gun arrogance, pronounced to the world, "The guys with the guns make the rules!"

He went a step further last week when he testified to Congress about gun regulation.  He said, in effect, that he supports assault rifles for the sake of trying to even the odds in an insurrectionist uprising against our government, a la the Revolutionary War.

Josh Horowitz, Executive Director of the Coalition To Stop Gun Violence, recently blogged on this:

Following last week's high-profile Senate Judiciary hearing in response to the tragedy at Newtown, the media paid extensive attention to National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre's flip-flop on the issue of closing the Gun Show Loophole and witness Gayle Trotter's ridiculous assertion that "guns make women safer." 

What went largely unnoticed was perhaps the most telling moment of the hearing, which involved this exchange between LaPierre and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin:

DURBIN: Mr. LaPierre, I run into some of your members in Illinois and here's what they tell me, "Senator, you don't get the Second Amendment." Your NRA members say, "You just don't get it. It's not just about hunting. It's not just about sports. It's not just about shooting targets. It's not just about defending ourselves from criminals," as Ms. Trotter testified. "We need the firepower and the ability to protect ourselves from our government--from our government, from the police--if they knock on our doors and we need to fight back." Do you agree with that point of view? 

LAPIERRE: Senator, I think without any doubt, if you look at why our founding fathers put it there, they had lived under the tyranny of King George and they wanted to make sure that these free people in this new country would never be subjugated again and have to live under tyranny.

During a hearing in which Republican Senators actively tried to portray assault weapons as merely "scary-looking" pieces of plastic with no real functional purpose, LaPierre's statement revealed that they are in fact weapons of choice for individuals ready to wage war on our government. This was certainly not the first time LaPierre had made such a declaration -- remember, this is the guy who told us "the guys with the guns make the rules" at a CPAC conference -- but his statement on Wednesday was nonetheless remarkable because it so clearly articulated the insurrectionist ideaon a national stage, linking it directly to the need for unfettered access to assault weapons. Now, no doubt remains about the type of "firepower" citizens would need in order to fight LaPierre's "tyranny" ... The same type of firepower that Adam Lanza used to kill 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary.

The Second Amendment was written to allow states to organize their own armed militias as an alternative to a standing army, for the purpose of securing their borders against invasion by foreign armies or insurrections within their borders, NOT so common citizens can arm themselves and stage insurrections if they don't like their government.  In fact, Article III section iii of the Constitution specifically spells out that insurrections are not to be tolerated, and that it was in part the duty of the state militias to put insurrections down.  And they did so.  Shay's Rebellion is an example.  


But the insurrectionists among the pro-gun extremists, including Wayne, have a revisionist interpretation that fits their own paranoia about being governed.  I've written on this before.  In their fevered, gun-fetish mind, they conveniently omit the first part of the Second Amendment, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" and just quote the second half, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" as if the two parts weren't related.

They also love to quote from the Federalist Papers, which have a goodly amount of talk by the founding fathers about insurrection against tyranny.  Of course, those documents were aimed at sparking the citizenry into rising up against King George.  Those same founding fathers changed their tune when the war was over.  But it doesn't really matter.  The law of our land isn't the Federalist Papers.  It's the Constitution.

The NRA has a long history of stoking paranoia and insurrectionist talk.  Just look to a recent statement by board member Ted Nugent, for instance, where he shamelessly said (with a healthy dose of anti-Obama-isms),

I'm part of a very great experiment in self-government where we the people determine our own pursuit of happiness and our own individual freedom and liberty not to be confused with the Barack Obama gang who believes in we the sheeple and actually is attempting to re-implement the tyranny of King George that we escaped from in 1776. And if you want another Concord Bridge, I got some buddies.

And, sadly, the extremist guys out there eat it up, consuming this paranoia by the pint and spitting it back out as if it were fact.  See here for some examples.  

There's a better name for this type of insurrectionist talk:  TREASON.

And they dare to call themselves "patriotic."  Why is it the treasonous types always drape themselves in the flag?

Hey, here's a thought for you gun guys:  No tyrannical government has been overthrown by armed citizenry, including the Revolutionary War.  Without interference from allies of the revolutionaries, such as France, Washington's army would have fallen.  Hunting rifles weren't enough.  And in modern times, every nation that has overthrown a despot has done so either through peaceful protest and democratic reforms (i.e. India, Estonia, USSR, East Germany, Tunisia) or involvement and arms from other nations, like us (i.e. Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan).  All those little assault weapons and handguns in the hands of American citizens aren't likely to amount to much against the might of the military.

Of course, there's no sign at all (to sane people) that our government is going to be tyrannical   And we have this other means of removing governments, too... every four years.

It's time for NRA members and the public to recognize how extreme the NRA has grown.  If any insurrection is needed, it's an insurrection by NRA members against their own leadership.

Outlaw High-Capacity Ammo Magazines Now

High-capacity ammo magazines of more than 10 rounds are good for one thing only: killing large numbers of humans quickly.  It's what they were designed to do.  And they do it very efficiently.

It's overkill for self-defense.  I have yet to hear of a single case where that many bullets needed to be fired for home defense.

It's overkill for hunting.  If you can't hit your target in three rounds or less, hunting isn't for you.  Go back to plinking.  As one Vietnam veteran told me the other day, "You don't need that many rounds unless you're tryin' to kill the whole damned herd."

And then there's this recent analysis by Mother Jones magazine:  

"A Killing Machine": Half of All Mass Shooters Used High-Capacity Magazines

As lawmakers across the country and in the nation's capital debate possible restrictions on high-capacity magazines, one question emerges: Are these ammunition-feeding devices, which allow a shooter to fire many times without reloading, in fact commonly used by mass killers? We examined the data from Mother Jones' continuing investigation into mass shootings and found that high-capacity magazines have been used in at least 31 of the 62 cases we analyzed. A half-dozen of these crimes occurred in the last two years alone.  

In the shooting that injured Rep. Gabby Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, Jared Loughner emptied a 33-round magazine in 30 seconds, killing 6 and injuring 13. Inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Holmes used 40- and 100-round magazines to injure and kill an unprecedented 70 victims. At Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Adam Lanza used high-capacity magazines to fire upwards of 150 bullets as he slaughtered 20 kids and 6 adults. 

"It turns a killer into a killing machine," says David Chipman, who served for 25 years as a special agent in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Outlawing high-capacity magazines won't prevent gun crimes from happening, Chipman notes, but might well reduce the carnage: "Maybe 3 kids get killed instead of 20."

That's right.  Half of all mass shooters since 1984, in the 62 cases analyzed, have used high-capacity ammo magazines.  

They have a listing of those shootings at that link, and stats like the numbers killed and injured, the weapons used, and the size of the magazines used.

Without the high-cap ammo mags, there would have been no "mass" in mass shootings.

Here in Oregon, Senate Bill 346 will ban the sale or transfer of ammo magazines greater than 10 rounds, except by law enforcement or military.  It creates a crime of unlawfully transferring large capacity magazines, and punishes by maximum of one year's imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both.

It's time to stand up for public safety and ban these devices of mass murder!


ADDENDUM:  Here are the stories of 151 of the victims from those mass shootings.

What Do The Families Of The Newtown Massacre Have To Say About Gun Regulation?

There have been strong opinions on both sides of the gun violence issue since the horrifying massacre of school children in Newtown. 

But what do the parents and families in Newtown think?

Recently, I was reading a post at the Mikeb302000 blog about the NRA's shameful attack ad that targeted the President's kids, and left a comment there.  That's when a pro-gun extremist there challenged my opinion by writing (with the usual tactfulness):

Why don't you go to Newtown and tell the parents of those killed there what you think. Dumb ass.

Apparently he doesn't read the news.  You see, the parents of those children, and others in the Newtown community, have spoken out in favor of stronger gun regulation.

Examples:

-->  Monday, there was a legislative hearing on gun violence at the Connecticut capitol building in Hartford.  Doing everything possible to stall any meaningful conversation, as usual, the gun guys actually heckled the parents of the dead children as they delivered their testimony.

Let me repeat:  they heckled the parents of the dead children (just as they have harassed another hero of the massacre who gave shelter to some of the child survivors).

Here is video of the heckling.

Neil Heslin, father of slain Sandy Hook
student Jesse Lewis, testifying as he's heckled.

In fact, there were parents of three different kids who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, all of whom delivered testimony in favor of stricter gun regulation in Connecticut.

From the Connecticut Post:

"The Second Amendment!" was shouted by several gun enthusiasts in the meeting room as Neil Heslin, holding a photo of his 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, asked why Bushmaster assault-style weapons are allowed to be sold in the state. 

"There are a lot of things that should be changed to prevent what happened," said Heslin, who grew up using guns and seemed undisturbed by the interruption of his testimony. 

Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney, co-chairman of the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group, threatened to empty the meeting room in the Legislative Office Building -- jammed with hundreds of people -- if the outbursts and chatter from the audience continued. 

"That wasn't just a killing, it was a massacre," said Heslin, who recalled dropping off his son at Sandy Hook Elementary School shortly before Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults. "I just hope some good can come out of this." 

Another father of a 6-year-old boy murdered in the shootings fought back tears as he told lawmakers to make any changes in gun laws simple. 

"I don't believe it's so complex," said Mark Mattioli, whose son, James, was among the first-graders slaughtered on Dec.14. 

"We need civility across our nation," said Mattioli, who appeared with his wife, Cindy, before the legislative panel. "The problem is not gun laws. It's a lack of civility." 

Veronique Pozner, whose son, Noah, was killed in the massacre, said his grave is only a five-minute drive from Chalk Hill School in Monroe. 

Pozner said her two other children, both Sandy Hook School students, are haunted by their brother's death, especially his twin sister. 

"It is our feeling that assault weapons should be comprehensively banned in the state of Connecticut," she said. "Faster weapons equal more fatalities."

Also in that hearing, the state chiefs of police said they supported mandatory background checks, and a state, and during the news conferences the state teacher's union said 85% of their members opposed arming teachers.

Here is video of Neil Heslin testifying, though it does not include the heckling in it:

and here is a link to a little video and description of Heslin's son, Jesse Lewis.

--> Last Saturday, thousands marched in D.C. for support of gun control measures.  Marching along with them were many residents of Newtown, including parents and pastors.

Marchers in Washington, D.C., along with Newtown residents

-->  The parents of one of the slain children in Newtown, Chase Kowalski created a fund in their son's name, which will be used to foster gun control, after his mother had a vision of her son visiting her (bolding added):

Becky takes a deep breath on Wednesday in the funeral home and says, “Okay, the best day of my life started on Sunday morning when my son came to me in a vision. He came to tell me to explain to my husband that the scope of this event was so large and that there were so many people around the country and the world we were touching. I felt that my son was here in this vision to tell me that the not-for-profit scholarship organization that we are starting in Chase’s honor will save lives, change building codes, demand gun and ammunition control, and that in Chase’s name I would like to bring God back to America. These are the first starting goals of the organization.”

--> The parents of Noah Pozner, a child slain at Sandy Hook, has been in communication with the White House and has made recommendations in support of stronger gun reforms:

Pozner's family has submitted a detailed proposal to a White House task force, recommending a range of legal reforms including federal grants to review security at public schools and requiring gun owners to lock weapons if mentally ill or dangerous people could access them otherwise. 

Pozner also says it's not right that the law protects the release of any mental health information on the gunman. She says she plans to challenge that because it could shed light. 

"Those are all answers that I feel that we're entitled to," she says. 

The family also is suggesting a new law requiring people to notify police within 24 hours if they know about an imminent threat of harm or death made by a person who has access to guns or explosive devices.

--> The police chief of Newtown has called for a ban on assault rifles, high-capacity ammo magazines, and better background checks:

The police chief of Newtown, Conn., the site of the Sandy Hook school massacre, urged the White House to ban assault rifles, saying he was "sickened" by the unimaginable horror that has rocked his quiet family community.   

“Ban assault weapons, restrict those magazines that have so many bullets in them, shore up any loopholes in our criminal background checks,” Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe told NBC News, when asked what his message to President Obama would be. ...

“We do a good job of securing dynamite in our society," Kehoe said. "(Assault rifles) are another form of dynamite...I think they should ban them.”
 

Remember, Newtown is also the home of the National Shooting Sports Federation, which aggressively markets assault rifles, rebranding them as "modern sport rifles" and marketing them as no different than hunting rifles.

Newtown school superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson
testifying for help in reducing gun violence

-->  The superintendent of the Newtown school district calls for help in protecting her students "without creating fortresses."

What do I say to the parents who want to be assured that when they put their children on the bus to school that they will come home.  How do I protect our students without creating fortresses. 

-->  A congressman who represents Newtown, reacted badly to the NRA's "guns-in-school" suggestion:

Democratic congressman and senator-elect Chris Murphy, whose congressional district includes Newtown, tweeted a sharp reaction from Connecticut after the group's comments: "Walking out of another funeral and was handed the NRA transcript. The most revolting, tone deaf statement I've ever seen."

-->  As did another resident of Newtown:

“How dare they?” fumed Elizabeth Murphy, 42, who lives in [Newtown]. “We are all still grieving. This is the wrong time to discuss their goal of putting more guns on the street . . . The bodies haven’t even all been buried yet.”

-->  And another resident:

Lee Shull a Newtown resident: “I don’t think it’s reasonable for assault weapons in any way in our society -except for military or police”.

-->  And three other Newtown residents:

Newtown resident David Stout, 49,an energy consultant and hunter, said he had hoped to hear an honest announcement from the NRA regarding background checks on all gun sales or closing other loopholes – not putting more armed guards in schools.

"Folks in Newtown are appalled by that suggestion," said Stout, who owns several hunting rifles. "I understand we want to protect our kids, but there are other ways to do that. We don't want to turn our schools into prisons." ....

"It's ridiculous we can't all come together and say, 'Ok, what makes sense?'" Stout said. "Something has to change."

He added: "More guns is not the solution."

Martin Blanco, 49, a stay-at-home Newtown dad, said the NRA missed a real opportunity to endear residents of Newtown and across the USA with sensible recommendations on gun legislation. Instead, he called their suggestion of putting armed guards in schools "madness."

"Just an awful slap in the face, particularly to the people in Sandy Hook," he said.

"The overwhelming majority of people in this town will find it a foolish, self-serving statement that has no place in Newtown or the United States of America," he said.

Craig Mittleman, 50, a Newtown emergency physician, said he wasn't surprised by the NRA's position but was nonetheless appalled by the brazenness of the comments, especially coming just a week after the incident. 
"Completely ludicrous," Mittleman said of LaPierre's suggestion of placing armed guards in schools. "It is an insensitive response at a time like this when there are families I know and have a connection with who have just sustained the greatest loss any human being can ever encounter."

Like others in Newtown, Mittleman said he had hoped to hear a more conciliatory tone from LaPierre and a sign that the gun lobby would cooperate with Congress to improve gun laws, not arm more Americans.

"I think even the most ardent gun owners in town are going to see the shame in that comment," he said.

-->  A number of the grieving parents and other residents have formed a group called Sandy Hook Promise:  SandyHookPromise.org.  Their promise:

I Promise to honor the 26 lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

I Promise to do everything I can to encourage and support common sense solutions that make my community and our country safer from similar acts of violence

 

They have not come out in support or opposition to any one particular policy yet, but they have released a statement in support of the President's plan.

As usual, the victims and families of victims of gun violence overwhelmingly come out in favor of stronger gun reform.  Once you've held a dead or dying child in your arms, guns lose their false symbolism of freedom and justice and become exactly what they were intended to be -- a killing machine -- which has once again fallen into the wrong hands.  It's time to listen to the families of Newtown and support stronger gun reforms to make a new trajectory for our communities away from gun violence.

UPDATE (1/31/13):  Today, the father, David Wheeler, of another Sandy Hook child victim, Ben Wheeler,  gave testimony in favor of stronger regulation of guns.  

Speaking in front of a 52-member task force, Wheeler decried the inability of agencies to share relevant information about at-risk individuals’ personal histories, mental states, and proximity to firearms. He also advocated a ban on military-style assault weapons, saying they “belong in an armory under lock and key,” and for annual registration of personal firearms. 

Finally, Wheeler invoked Thomas Jefferson’s inalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence. “I do not think the composition of that foundational phrase was an accident,” he said. “I do not think the order of those important words was haphazard or casual. The liberty of any person to own a military-style assault weapon and a high-capacity magazine and keep them in their home is second to the right of my son to his life.”

Here is video:

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UPDATE (2/10/13):  See a compilation of very moving testimony by a number of Sandy Hook parents and other community members who dealt with the shooting, here, all of whom are supportive of changes to our gun regulation system to keep this from happening again:

..

ADDENDUM (2/14/13):  From an article: "Mother of Sandy Hook Victim Noah Pozner Targets Gun Violence":

Veronique Pozner: "This is not about the right to bear arms. It is about the right to bear weapons with the capacity for mass destruction. We’re talking about a 223 caliber that is designed to penetrate a steel helmet on a battlefield, that was modified for that purpose, or to take down a 250, 200 pound deer, going into 40 pound children. You know, do these weapons have a place in our society? I say they don’t. Who am I? Well not anyone other than a mother who lost a child."

ADDENDUM (3/13/13):  An organization and website has been started by parents of slain Sandy Hook victims and others in Newtown, to support stronger gun legislation.  They are called "Newtown Action Alliance." From their "About" page:

NewtownAction is an action-based grassroots organization founded by Newtown residents in the weeks after December 14, 2012. 

We are dedicated to reversing the escalating gun violence epidemic in this nation through the introduction of smarter, safer gun laws and broader cultural change.
Our membership is open to anyone who wants to help make this nation a safer place for our families and children. 

Our immediate goals: 

Support state legislators as they work to pass smarter, safer gun laws. 

Support federal lawmakers as they work to pass smarter, safer gun laws. 

Work together with other gun safety organizations towards safer schools, streets, towns, and cities.

Their Twitter page:  https://twitter.com/NewtownAction

Their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/NewtownActionAlliance?fref=ts

UPDATE (3/28/13):  See here for a video, where some family members of the victims speak out for stronger gun regulation:  http://www.demandaction.org/newtown-families 

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