[ad_1]
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Just days after Oregon’s Community Safety Firearms Act went into effect, Multnomah County has prohibited handguns in some public buildings.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the emergency ordinance at a meeting on Thursday, amending local code to remove the “affirmative defense” policy for those with concealed carry licenses.
The policy was brought forward by District 2 Commissioner Shannon Singleton and District 3 Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. According to Brim-Edwards, there are almost 37,000 concealed carry license holders throughout the county.
“We know that our buildings serve vulnerable populations, and presence of firearms in public buildings — even when carried by individuals with a concealed handgun license — can contribute to a culture of fear and undermine trust safety with the community, as well as increase the risk of accidental discharge, intimidation or escalation during conflicts,” Singleton said during their presentation.
Local leaders noted that counties were left out of Oregon Senate Bill 554, a 2021 measure that established that school administrators could determine whether concealed weapons are allowed in their public buildings. It wasn’t until Monday that this year’s Senate Bill 243 went into effect, allowing more local jurisdictions to establish their own concealed carry rules.
But the newly-approved Multnomah County ordinance comes with a few exceptions. People who receive authorization from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and government workers whose employers require them to carry firearms are exempt from the amendment.
Officials are also still determining which buildings will be eligible for the ordinance. The county will spend the next 45 to 60 days conducting internal communications and outreach before signage is installed at the eligible buildings and the rule goes into effect, according to Chief Operating Officer Christopher Neal.
People who violate the new policy could potentially be excluded from certain facilities.
“This is really a small but important step that we can do as a board to create safer spaces in our county and to take advantage of the tools we have available to do that at the local government level — which frankly aren’t a lot of tools that we have,” County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
[ad_2]
Jashayla Pettigrew
Source link