Columbia County voters will see a gun sanctuary ordinance on their ballots this year that could limit the ability of officials to enforce existing firearms regulations.
If passed, measure 5-278 would prevent Columbia County from “devoting resources or participating in any way in the enforcement of any law or regulation that affected an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, firearm accessories, or ammunition,” according to election office documents.
The ordinance was filed by Chris and Raven Brumbles of Deer Island, according to filing documents. Chris Brumbles is the Columbia County Coordinator for the Oregon Firearm Federation, according to its website.
“With the Oregon Legislature tightly in the grasp of Portland liberals, the danger of new, Bloomberg-funded attacks on your rights is a constant threat. Well, if you live in Columbia County, there is something you can do about it,” a post on the Oregon Firearm Federation’s website says. “You can help your county pass a Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance.”
According to the Corvallis Advocate, eight Oregon counties passed a version of that ordinance in November 2018: Baker, Columbia, Douglas, Klamath, Lake, Linn, Umatilla and Union.
In Columbia County’s ordinance, the laws and regulations that would no longer be enforced include registering or tracking firearms or ammunition, registering or tracking of gun owners, background checks, forbidding ownership, restricting capacity or hand grips, confiscating guns, prohibiting open or concealed carry, and any restrictions on “non-fully automatic firearms,” the ordinance says.
Any official found to violate the ordinance could be fined up to $2,000 dollars for individuals and $4,000 dollars for a corporation, as well as other civil penalties.
There would be exceptions, according to the measure. Law enforcement could still follow laws that relate to convicted felons, could still enforce firearm crimes and could still “take any actions necessary to comply with court orders.”
And the ordinance does not permit possession of firearms in state or federal buildings, nor does it stop people in the county from “voluntarily participating” in permitting, registering or licensing that might be required outside of the county.
Any peace officer would be able to enforce the ordinance if it passes, the ordinance says.
