Guns

A federal judge in Portland will hear oral arguments Friday on whether Oregon’s Measure 114, which is scheduled to go into law Dec. 8, violates Americans’ constitutionally protected right to bear arms.

Less than two weeks remain for Oregon officials to hammer out a complex permitting regime for firearm ownership under Measure 114, and that could put the state in a constitutionally precarious spot.

A growing list of Oregon sheriffs are telling their constituents they won’t enforce voter approved gun restrictions despite not yet knowing how some aspects of the law will work and not having a clear role in enforcing others.

The measure, which narrowly passed this month, bans magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds and requires Oregonians to get a permit to buy a gun.

Since the passage of Measure 114, the daily average number of background check requests filed by gun dealers has nearly quadrupled.

The measure that would tighten Oregon’s gun laws was leading by a narrow margin on Wednesday morning, according to early returns. With votes continuing to be counted in several Oregon counties, including some of the most populous, proponents are hoping their lead will grow.

ShotSpotter, which sells technology meant to locate gunshots, has ramped up legal and PR spending to push back against criticism that its tech doesn’t work. In Portland, records suggest much of the sales pitch was intentionally hidden from public view.

A new "merchant code" for credit cards will categorize purchases made at gun stores. But there are limitations on its usefulness — including that most guns in the U.S. aren't bought at such outlets.

Councilor Melanie Kebler said at a recent meeting of the Bend City Council that she wanted to look into avenues she and her colleagues can take to implement more firearm restrictions in the city.

Two people died from gunshot wounds in Portland this weekend in what has become a sadly common occurrence in a city faced with more and more shootings.