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Greetings from Salem!
The issue of background checks took center stage this week, as SB 941 was narrowly approved by the House of Representatives, and now heads to Governor Brown for her signature. This was a very contentious issue, and there were people passionately in favor, and opposed to the measure. SB 941 does not limit the 2nd Amendment rights to own and sell guns. Under current Oregon law, a person must undergo a criminal history background check when buying a firearm from a gun dealer, or from a private party at a gun show. The background check is conducted by the Oregon State Police and determines whether the buyer is prohibited under state or federal law from receiving a fire arm, due to felony convictions, domestic violence convictions, mental health adjudications, restraining orders, violent misdemeanors and other conditions. SB 941 only adds background checks for transfers/sales between non-relatives and strangers such as internet sales. I ultimately voted yes for the bill, as SB 941 seemed the lesser of two evils. The promise of a ballot initiative that would have been a lot more restrictive on gun ownership with no exemptions from criminal background checks. As first introduced, SB 941 was extremely restrictive, but it was amended to allow weapon transfers between family members, and also exempts vintage gun collectors. Temporary transfers are also allowed for many things, including target shooting, firearms safety courses, for hunting, trapping, weapons repair, and for the purpose of preventing imminent death or serious physical injury. I was also able to negotiate three additional background check exemptions that will be included in another bill this session. I have checked several internet sites, and many of the sellers require a check. In my opinion, it would be foolish to sell a gun to a stranger over the internet, or by mail. If that gun is used in a crime the seller would be charged as an accomplice. I understand how important this is, my office literally received thousands of emails and phone calls regarding SB 941, with constituents from House District 32 on both sides of this issue.
On Tuesday I testified before the Senate Rules Committee in support of HB 3042, which was suggested by Seaside Middle School student Hayley Rollins and designates April 14th as an annual day to honor Oregon artists. The bill was well-received by the committee, who unanimously approved it, sending it to the Senate floor with a “Do-Pass” recommendation. Senator Betsy Johnson and I are co-sponsoring this legislation, and Senator Johnson will be carrying the bill on the Senate floor.
House Concurrent Resolution 25, honoring Nehalem Mayor Shirley Kalkhoven was unanimously approved on a House floor vote on Wednesday. Shirley's daughter Rachel and husband Brian, and son Allen Kalkhoven were able to attend the floor session to witness the appreciation shown for their mother’s service to the community, region and state. After I introduced HCR 25, Representatives David Gomberg, Paul Evans, Alisa Keny-Guyer, and Tobias Read all had positive comments about their interactions with Shirley, relating to community support, mayoral issues and transportation. Shirley was a driving force behind many worthy causes and organizations, we miss her tremendously, but appreciate her service and contributions to Nehalem, Tillamook Co, the North coast region and Oregon.
Friday is Oregon Military Family Appreciation Day at the Capitol, the event begins at 8:00am in Hearing Room 50, there will be meetings with legislators, breakout discussions, and conclude with a small ceremony at the WWII memorial at 11:00am. The 2009 Legislative Assembly established May 8th as Military Family Appreciation Day in the hopes of advancing awareness and supporting programs for military veterans and their families. This annual day was founded to recognize and show appreciation for those who have served, their families, and is also an opportunity to come together, share stories and support one another.
Young Entrepreneurs Business Week (YEBW) is being offered this summer in partnership with the Associated Oregon Industries (AOI). Founded in 2007, this program helps high school aged students receive practical business knowledge, understanding and appreciation. YEBW’s program and curriculum is an on-campus immersion experience in entrepreneurship, business fundamentals, financial investments and leadership development. It is designed for high school students with an interest in career preparation, leadership development, business and college exposure. The program will be held in mid-July at the University of Portland, the end of July at the University of Oregon, and early August at Oregon State University. More information on this program is available at info@yebw.com. This is a wonderful opportunity, which is designed to give our young people the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in school, work and life. Pacific Seafood Group is partnering with AOI and offering 15 scholarships for high school students to attend Business week tuition free. This is a $1,295 value, but the deadline to complete the application is May 22, 2015. Contact Troy Coady, program director at troy@yebw.org, or 503-576-4860 for information and application materials.
In order to best represent my district, I need to hear about your concerns. My door is always open to constituents from House District 32, and I enjoy meeting with friends and neighbors when they visit Salem. My office has moved to the fourth floor, I’m now in H-481. If you are planning to visit the Capitol, let my office know a few days in advance so we can schedule an appointment. If you have a concern or comment about a state agency or legislation under consideration, you can write, phone or email my office. We have been inundated with action alert emails from advocacy websites, and in those cases, we sometimes lose contacts from our constituents. If you want to weigh in on an issue, it is better to do it individually. If I missed one of your messages due to the thousands of spam messages I have been receiving, I apologize.
If you are interested in the legislative process, you can learn all about the Oregon Legislature, follow proposed bills, and watch committee meetings and floor sessions live, by accessing the Oregon Legislative Information System via the following link:
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Pages/Legislative-Video.aspx
It is my privilege to represent you in the Oregon House of Representatives and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Representative Deborah Boone
House District 32
email: Rep.DeborahBoone@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1432
address: 900 Court St NE, H-481, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boone
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