PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregonians will vote Tuesday on a list of measures, including one that would add a firearms permit and training requirement for new gun buyers and another that would make Oregon the first state to require health care as a human right.
Measure 114 would require residents to obtain a permit to purchase a gun, ban high-capacity magazines larger than 10 rounds except in a few circumstances, and create a statewide database of firearms…
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregonians will vote Tuesday on a list of measures, including one that would add a firearms permit and training requirement for new gun buyers and another that would make Oregon the first state to require health care as a human right.
Measure 114 would require residents to obtain a permit to purchase a gun, ban high-capacity magazines larger than 10 rounds except in a few circumstances, and create a statewide database of firearms.
To qualify for a permit, an applicant must complete an approved in-person firearms safety course, pay a fee, provide personal information, undergo fingerprinting and photography, and pass a federal criminal background check. Permits would be processed by local police chiefs, county sheriffs, or their designees.
The ban on large-capacity magazines would not apply to current owners, law enforcement, or the military.
Proponents of the measure say it would reduce suicides, which account for 82% of gun deaths in the state, mass shootings and other types of gun violence.
Opponents, including the left-wing Socialist Rifle Association, say it would infringe on constitutionally protected rights and could reduce access to guns among marginalized communities and people of color if law enforcement agencies are the arbiters of the permitting process. The permit fee and the cost of the firearms course could also be barriers to access, they say.
The health care proposal, Measure 111, would make Oregon the first state in the nation to amend its constitution to explicitly declare affordable health care a fundamental human right.
The proposed amendment reads: “It is the obligation of the state to ensure that all Oregonians have access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right.”
It does not define “cost effective, clinically appropriate, and affordable,” nor does it say who would foot the bill.
The Oregon Health Authority says that 94% of Oregonians currently have insurance coverage and more are eligible for the Oregon Medicaid plan or a subsidy to lower the cost of commercial insurance.
Opponents say the amendment could trigger legal and political challenges if it passes.
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