Brown pushes for stronger gun laws

PORTLAND — In the wake of recent mass shootings, Gov. Kate Brown says it’s time for Congress and the Oregon Statehouse to end the partisan gridlocks on gun reform and strengthen state and federal laws on assault weapons, background checks and illegal firearm purchases, among others.

Brown’s calls on policymakers are part of a series of new gun-related efforts in Oregon she revealed Friday in Portland, alongside Democrats Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici plus several local gun-control advocates and religious leaders.

The Democratic governor said state lawmakers “must” pass new laws during next year’s session that would close loopholes and place prohibitions on certain firearms.

She wants to make sure people who shouldn’t own a gun aren’t able to buy one because authorities weren’t able to complete a background check within the state’s required three-day waiting period — a gap Brown has already vowed to readdress in 2017 after that proposal failed at the Legislature this year. She proposes closing another loophole by broadening the scope of illegal possession for those involved in cases of stalking or domestic violence.

Brown also pressed for a statewide ban on future purchases of extended-capacity magazines, referencing the nation’s deadliest-ever mass shooting last month at a gay Orlando nightclub that killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others.

“Those magazines allowed him to fire his weapon repeatedly without stopping to reload, without pause that might have given his victims or law enforcement a chance to stop him,” Brown said.

Additionally, Brown rallied Congress to outlaw assault rifles nationwide and Bonamici made similar calls on her congressional colleagues, such as streamlined federal mandates on background checks.

Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Firearms Federation gun-rights group, responded with some terse words for Brown’s characterization of the Orlando shooting.

“That guy was in the building for three hours — does she think he never reloaded in three hours?” Starrett told The AP. “It’s just incredibly ignorant, stupid garbage that comes out of these people’s mouths. The reason those people died was because they weren’t prepared to protect themselves.”