House Bill 2005 would ban two types of ghost guns, 3-D printed firearms made of non-metal material and handgun kits that don鈥檛 meet the legal definition of a firearm and require minimal assembly. Neither type has a serial number and are therefore untraceable by law enforcement. The 3-D printed type pose a unique security concern because they are also undetectable by metal detectors and most X-Ray machines.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e specifically designed ... to avoid all the measures that we have in Oregon to encourage responsible gun ownership,鈥� Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a press conference Tuesday. 鈥淪o they appeal to people who can鈥檛 pass a background check, people who want to stockpile guns without the government knowing about it, and of course, to traffickers.鈥�
Last May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the number of privately made firearms the agency traced had increased by 1,000% between 2016 and 2021. Rosenblum said there isn鈥檛 good data on ghost guns in Oregon but noted that in California, an estimated 50% of shootings are done with untraceable firearms.
The Biden Administration has tried to use executive action to regulate privately made firearms but, without Congressional action, has been largely unsuccessful. Before the new rules took effect late last year, the kits shipped with everything needed to complete the firearm at home. Now, companies are simply selling the parts separately.
鈥淗aving unserialized firearms is just a dumb idea,鈥� Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, said. 鈥淧eople are recognizing that prayers and thoughts are helpful, but clear action is necessary to try to limit what鈥檚 going on in our country and we can do it in a way that鈥檚 still respectful of individual liberty.鈥�
Legislators are also considering bills that would allow cities and counties to prohibit firearms in government buildings and increase the minimum age to own a firearm to 21. People over 18 would still be able to buy certain kinds of rifles and shotguns commonly used for hunting. There is also an exception for military and law enforcement. Federal law bans the sale of handguns to people under 21.
House Bill 2007 builds on a law passed in 2021 allowing local school districts to ban firearms on campus. That law also banned firearms in the State Capitol and the Portland International Airport terminal. Currently, local governments are prohibited from limiting firearms in their buildings.
Rosenblum said about 32 school boards have banned firearms since the law took effect, encompassing approximately 200,000 students.
By Tuesday afternoon, over 200 people had submitted written testimony to the House Judiciary Committee ahead of public hearings Wednesday morning. Supporters said the common sense regulations were important to ensuring safe, thriving communities. Opponents decried the bills as poorly written and yet one more attempt by Democrats to infringe on people鈥檚 liberties. One urged lawmakers to 鈥渇ix Portland鈥� instead.
Evans鈥� constituents aren鈥檛 necessarily eager for more gun laws. Some people are grumpy, he said, and want young people and gun owners to be more responsible. But, he said, people aren鈥檛 self-governing, so voters recognize the need for intervention.
鈥淏ecause we can鈥檛 do everything, that doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 do some things,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淎nd the something we鈥檙e going to do is bring rationality to gun ownership.鈥�
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