Giffords Applauds Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee for Approving Legislation that Protects Oregonians from Gun Violence
SB 978 protects Oregonians by strengthening the state’s gun safety laws; included is a ban on undetectable firearms that allows criminals to get their hands on guns without a background check
April 9, 2019— Giffords , the gun safety organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, praised the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee for passing SB 978, a bill to strengthen Oregon gun laws that includes a ban on manufacturing undetectable firearms without a license and a background check and serialization requirement for unfinished frames and receivers, the components used to make do-it-yourself firearms.
“Today’s vote is a step forward in reducing the threat of gun violence in Oregon,” said Robin Lloyd, managing director at Giffords. “This law will save lives by making sure minors don’t get their hands on a gun, stolen firearms are reported, and the manufacturing of untraceable ghost guns is stopped. The senate judiciary committee’s commitment to protecting Oregonians was heard loud and clear with today’s committee vote. They acted with courage, and we look forward to the Senate moving quickly to pass this lifesaving legislation.”
SB 978 includes commonsense efforts to reduce gun violence like requiring safe storage of firearms, holding gun owners accountable to make sure kids don’t get their hands on a gun, requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms, and providing increased regulation of 3D-printed guns and unfinished frames or receivers, parts used to produce ghost guns.
In the latest edition of the Annual Gun Law Scorecard , Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence graded and ranked each state on the strength of its gun laws and found that Oregon received a C+. Oregon strengthened its moderately strong gun laws in 2018 by prohibiting stalkers from owning firearms, expanding domestic violence protections to apply to dating partners, and improving law enforcement’s ability to investigate attempted firearm purchases by prohibited people.
A comprehensive report released by Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Economic Cost of Gun Violence in Oregon , notes that local businesses are severely impacted when gun violence occurs, as shootings keep customers and tourists away and often limit hours of operation. On average, there are 911 shootings in Oregon each year, resulting in directly measurable cost of over $891 million. That includes:
- Healthcare costs: $36 million
- Law enforcement and criminal justice expenses: $30 million
- Costs to employers: $5 million
- Lost income: $820 billion
Much of this tab is picked up by the public. Up to 85% of gunshot victims, for example, are either uninsured or on some form of publicly funded insurance. Additionally, law enforcement efforts are funded entirely by taxpayer dollars. As a result, the direct annual cost of gun violence to Oregon taxpayers is approximately $133 million.
Even more striking, when indirect costs that impact families and communities, such as pain and suffering, are factored in, the overall estimate of the economic cost of gun violence in Oregon rises to $2.6 billion per year.