Support Gun Safety in the Legislature:
Submit Testimony
We have an opportunity to make real progress on gun safety this year in the Oregon Legislature. Already lawmakers are considering proposals to:
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Raise the age to purchase and own semi automatic firearms to age 21 (HB 2005).
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Ban ghost guns, which are untraceable, homemade guns that are sold without background checks (HB 2006).
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Allow local governments to regulate firearms in sensitive areas (HB 2007).
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Invest in upstream, community-driven programs to prevent gun violence.
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Below you'll find guidance and instructions on how to write and submit your testimony.
HOW TO SIGN UP TO TESTIFY IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY
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The House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on HB2005, HB2006 and HB2007 at 5:00pm on Wednesday March 22. We need supporters to come in person to show support. And we need folks to sign up to give brief testimony, either in person or virtually.
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This page has information about how to sign up to testify, how to write your testimony, and how to submit your testimony.
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If you can testify during the 5pm hearing on Wednesday March 22 -- whether in person or virtually, -- you'll need to sign up in advance.
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To sign up to testify, go to this page, which is the legislative home to one of the gun safety bills, HB2005.
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Click the button "Register to Testify".
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Select the Meeting Date: 3/22/23 at 5:00pm. Then fill out the information with your name, contact info and note whether you plan to attend in person or virtually.
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If you sign up to testify virtually, watch your email for a link that you can use to log in at the appropriate time.
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Contact us at info@oralliance.org with any questions!
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY TO THE LEGISLATURE
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If you can't testify in person or online on Wednesday, then you can submit written testimony online in advance.
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After you write your testimony using the guidance below, you'll need to submit it to the House Judiciary Committee, which will hold the hearing on these three bills.
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Click on this link to go to the legislative home to one of the gun safety bills, HB2005. Then click "Submit Testimony".
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Enter your name, email address and your city. Click "support" to show you support the bill.
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Click "Text Testimony" at the bottom of the screen and then copy and paste your testimony in the form that appears at the below.
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Then when you're done — and this is important — go ahead and do this process again for HB2006 using this link and one more time for HB2007 using this final link. That way your testimony will be counted in support of each bill.
TEMPLATE FOR DRAFTING YOUR TESTIMONY
Your written testimony can be short and simple or you can add as much detail as you like. If you log in or show up at the Capitol Building in person to testify in front of the legislative committee, you will likely have about 2 minutes to speak.
Here is a sample version of testimony that you can copy and paste and then make it your own.
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[Date]
Re: Testimony in support of House Bill 2005, House Bill 2006 and House Bill 2007
Dear Chair Kropf, Vice-Chairs Andersen and Wallen, and Members of the House Committee on Judiciary:
My name is [FULL NAME] and I am writing to urge your support for House Bills 2005, 2006 and 2007 as they are critical gun safety policies that will prevent violence and save lives.
Safety is essential for a thriving community. Schools, grocery stores, workplaces and houses of worship should be safe spaces to learn, work and gather. But every year, there are more mass shootings and other gun-related violence in our communities.
In November, Oregonians voted to make our communities safer by passing Measure 114. While the gun lobby has blocked Measure 114’s implementation in federal and state courts, more work can be done in the Legislature to protect our communities. HB 2005, HB 2006 and HB 2007 are three such policies.
[OPTIONAL: ADD PERSONAL CONNECTION]
A ghost gun is a homemade, untraceable gun that can be purchased with no background check. These guns are increasingly a weapon of choice for gun traffickers and people prohibited from possessing firearms. Prohibiting ghost guns by passing House Bill 2005 could save lives and ensure all gun purchases are tracked and take place only with a background check.
Research shows that individuals aged 18-to-20 years old commit gun homicides at a rate nearly three times greater than adults 21 or older. Passing House Bill 2005 and raising the age to purchase and own semiautomatic rifles to 21 years old could prevent violence and save lives.
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And local jurisdictions like cities and counties should have the authority allowed under HB 2007 to protect public safety by prohibiting guns in official government buildings if they so choose.
Passing HB 2005, HB 2006 and HB 2007 will make our communities safer places to live, work, learn and play. I urge you to vote yes.
Sincerely,
[NAME AND ADDRESS]
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IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about this process, feel free to reach out to our team at info@oralliance.org.