Gun control bill passes state Senate, awaits Governor’s signature

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    SALEM, Oregon (KPTV) — A gun control bill is on Governor Kate Brown’s desk after it passed the state Senate Wednesday. Senate Bill 554 has two components; it would require gun owners to keep their firearms stored securely when it’s not being used by the licensed owner, and it would ban weapons in certain public buildings.

The first several sections of the bill is called the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act, they were victims of the Clackamas Town Center shooting in 2012. Forsyth was Paul Kemp’s brother-in-law.

“It was kind of bittersweet yesterday. I certainly didn’t celebrate at all because it doesn’t change any of the events that happened. It was very preventable. It never should have happened,” Kemp said.

The bill says they were killed after the gunman stole an unsecured firearm and it hopes to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

When a firearm is not being used by the licensed owner, the act says they need to secure the firearm with a trigger or cable lock, in a locked container or in a gun room. If the licensed owner doesn’t adhere to this, they could face a maximum fine of $500 and up to $2,000 if someone under 18 gets ahold of an unsecured firearm.

“When you take a gun safety class, they recommend when you’re not using the firearm you lock it up, the NRA website will tell you that,” Kemp said. “In fact, when you buy a new handgun at a retailer it comes with a trigger lock. Most long guns come with a trigger lock.”

Opponents of SB 554, like Portland State University student Bradley Glaubitz, said his major issue with the bill is the regulations in public buildings. This part of the bill would ban weapons in certain public spaces like the Capitol building or large airport terminals. Glaubitz said that defeats the purpose of someone having a concealed carry license.

“It really kind of hinders people who go through that legal process of going through the sheriffs, checking up, investigating, doing a background check and checking your references and it kind of undermines that process,” Glaubitz said.

Kemp, however, said weapons have no place in those spaces.

“I cannot understand why you need to take a firearm into the Capitol. I can’t take them into banks, can’t take them into so many other places, if I want to have a civil discussion about changing legislation or something, why do I need to be armed?” Kemp said.

FOX 12 reached out to the governor’s office to see if or when she might sign this bill, but we have not gotten a response yet.

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