09.27.2023
The state trial against Measure 114 has concluded. One attorney defending gun rights faced off against an army of state hacks and did a damn good job.
Throughout the trial the judge had some hard questions for the state’s lawyers, whose job we did not envy.
Towards the end of the days of proceedings, the 9th Circuit decision came in striking down California’s magazine ban. The timing was another blow to the state’s failing efforts to reinvent the Second Amendment.
In the closing moments of the trial the judge complimented GOA’s lawyer, Tony Aiello, for the excellent job he did.
The judge now has about 60 days to reach a decision. While it is always risky to predict how a judge will rule, we think the trial went as well as possible considering the state has endless resources and supporters of the Constitution have to pay for their lawyer and the state’s.
We are hopeful for a victory in the state trial but the state has already announced their intentions to appeal should they lose. The leftists who control Oregon are determined to do everything in their power to eliminate as many rights as possible, so this battle will continue for some time. We are grateful for our friends at Gun Owners of America for funding the state challenge.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Firearms Federation federal lawsuit moves forward in the 9th Circuit where we believe all these battles will end up eventually. The defeat of the California ban is a very positive sign for that fight.
In other news, the disastrous reign of Vikki Breese Iverson in the House Republican Caucus has ended. While she is still a House Rep she has stepped down as minority leader.
While that is good news, the bad news is there is a better than even chance that she will use the legal troubles facing Republican Senators to try to move to a Senate seat.
As you know, a number of Republican Senators are facing a legal challenge against their ability to run again as a result of their walkout and Ballot Measure 113.
It is unclear at this time if they will be able to run again, but if Senator Lynn Findley is excluded from running again, many are predicting that Iverson will try for his seat.
Remember, the House Republicans did not walk out even when they faced no liability for doing so. As a result they allowed some terrible legislation to pass including HB 2005,the so called “ghost gun” bill. They also protected their own political futures and in Iverson’s case the chance to move up to the Senate where she can continue to cave to the Democrat’s agenda in the upper house.
You will also recall that Iverson promised a lawsuit against HB 2005 (which they allowed to pass). At this point there is no indication that that promise was anything except a mirage.
Iverson has been replaced by Jeff Helfrich. We cannot predict what his leadership will bring, we can only hope that his experience will provide a willingness to fight which has been sadly missing in the Oregon House for years.
You can view this alert in a browser here: https://www.oregonfirearms.org/harney-trial-ends-house-republicans-have-new-leader