Oregon Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Commend Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s Leadership as State Prepares to Implement Ban on Ghost Guns

Attorney General Rosenblum’s Announcement Comes After Federal Court Allows the Implementation of Oregon’s Ghost Gun Law to Move Forward While Case is Pending

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statements following Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s announcement of guidance on the state’s ban on ghost guns. The fact sheet advises residents and gun owners in Oregon that after September 1, 2024, it will be illegal to possess unserialized ghost guns, pursuant to a 2023 law. The guidance from AG Rosenblum comes one week after a federal court allowed the state’s ghost guns law to take effect while the case is pending. 

“The days of criminals getting their way – bypassing our gun laws and choosing ghost guns as their weapon of choice – are numbered,” said Amy Long, a volunteer with the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action. “When advocates, experts and government officials work together, we save lives and protect Oregon families from senseless acts of gun violence. Passing gun safety laws is critical, but in order for those laws to have the most impact, states must dedicate significant efforts to implementation and public education. We thank Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and her office  for staying focused on this issue and seeing it across the finish line.” 

In 2023, Governor Tina Kotek signed HB 2005, legislation that prohibited untraceable ghost guns and their unserialized essential component parts. Ghost guns – unserialized firearms that can be built at home with parts bought online – represent one of the fastest-growing gun safety problems facing our country. When Governor Kotek signed the law, Oregon became the 13th state in the country to outlaw unserialized firearms and unserialized component parts. Presently, 15 states and D.C. prohibit ghost guns. 

In an average year, 600 people die by guns in Oregon. With a rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people, Oregon has the 32nd-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. 78% of gun deaths in Oregon are by firearm suicide. Gun violence costs Oregon $8.1 billion each year, of which $89.1 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in Oregon is available here.