Oregon Moms Demand Action, Everytown Applaud Oregon Senate For Passing Legislation To Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Domestic Abusers

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded the Oregon Senate for passing House Bill 2013, legislation that would help keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. The bill previously passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a unanimous vote and cleared the House with strong bipartisan support. Today, the full Senate passed the bill on a strong bipartisan vote of 25-3. Gov. Brown testified in support of the bill and has indicated she plans to sign the bill into law.

“This is a huge moment for Oregon women and families,” said Jennifer Langston, a member of the Everytown Survivor Network and a volunteer with the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action, who is a two-time survivor of gun violence. In 2006, she was a victim of a home invasion, where her roommate survived an injury by gun. In 2014, Jennifer survived a gunshot from her suicidal live-in boyfriend. “I’m so proud to see our legislature working to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. No one should have to live through what I went through, and no one should have their life cut short because a partner or family member has access to a gun when they shouldn’t. I’m thankful to all the legislators who have stood up for public safety in Oregon, and I look forward to Gov. Brown signing this crucial legislation into law.”

Under current Oregon law, domestic abusers and convicted stalkers are prohibited from having guns, but the law does not require them to turn in any guns they may already own. This means that many abusers and stalkers, who are legally prohibited from possessing firearms, come home to guns they already own when returning from court or after completing short sentences.

HB 2013 will protect families in Oregon by requiring convicted domestic abusers, abusers subject to final orders of protection and convicted stalkers to turn in their guns immediately. Removing guns from abusers and stalkers is crucial, as access to a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed, and according to the Oregon Violent Death Reporting System, 62 percent of intimate partner homicide victims in Oregon were killed with a firearm between 2011-2015. With today’s vote, Oregon will become the 17th state to require those convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to relinquish their guns and the 21st state to require those subject to final domestic violence restraining orders to relinquish their guns. States that require prohibited domestic abusers to relinquish their guns have a 10-12 percent lower total rate of intimate partner homicide and a 14-16 percent lower rate of intimate partner gun homicide.