The Oregon Court of Appeals set a national precedent on Feb. 15 when it struck down a voter-approved Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance (SASO) that claimed state and federal firearms regulations didn’t apply in Columbia County, just north of Portland.
The ruling deals a blow to the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement, which has gained momentum around the country in recent years.
More than 1,900 cities, towns, and counties have declared themselves sanctuaries in the fight against gun-control efforts.
“Today’s opinion by the Court of Appeals made it clear that common sense requirements like safe storage and background checks apply throughout Oregon,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.
“Hopefully, other counties with similar measures on the books will see the writing on the wall.”
Win for Controlling Guns
A three-judge panel unanimously found that Columbia County’s SASO was preempted by Oregon firearms laws.
“The ordinance, with limited exception, purports to nullify all firearm regulations enacted by the Legislative Assembly,” Judge Douglas Tookey wrote on behalf of the court.
“If allowed to stand, it would, effectively, create a ‘patchwork quilt’ of firearms laws in Oregon, where firearms regulations that applied in some counties would not apply in Columbia County.”
Gun-control advocates celebrated the ruling.
“Today’s ruling is a win for public safety and the rule of law,” wrote Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law, which challenged the ordinance in court on behalf of Everytown.
“The people of Oregon expect their local leaders to both put their safety first and to comply with state law and with the U.S. Constitution—picking and choosing which state and federal laws apply to them does neither.”
Everytown praised the ruling and said it struck a blow against the “constitutional sheriffs movement,” which claims that sheriffs can preempt other law enforcement officials on such matters.
