A Senate committee in Oregon has removed key proposed changes to the state’s voter-approved gun control law, Measure 114, during a vote held early Wednesday.
The Senate Rules Committee voted 4-1 to approve a revised and significantly reduced version of House Bill 4145. The updated bill keeps only one provision: delaying the law’s effective date until January 2028 if the Oregon Supreme Court rules that Measure 114 is constitutional. The bill will now move to the Senate floor for consideration.
The earlier version of the legislation, passed by the House last week, included several additional changes. It would have increased the cost of gun purchase permits from $65 to $150 and extended the time authorities have to approve or deny a permit from 30 days to 60 days.
Measure 114 was narrowly approved by voters in November 2022 but has never been implemented because a Harney County judge issued an injunction blocking it. The Oregon Supreme Court heard arguments about the law’s constitutionality last November but has not yet issued a ruling.
The measure requires individuals to obtain a permit before purchasing a firearm, mandates the completion of a background check before a gun transfer can occur, and limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds.
The decision to strip most of the proposed changes from HB 4145 came during a last-minute move by the Senate Rules Committee. Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr supported the revised bill, while Sen. Kim Thatcher cast the lone vote against it, saying the repeated adjustments to the legislation amid the pending court decision made the issue “toxic right now.”
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