Oregon Supreme Court upholds order blocking Measure 114 gun control law

OREGON, USA — The Oregon Supreme Court denied a petition to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked Measure 114, a gun control law that was narrowly approved by voters in 2022, from taking effect, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). 

Though the justices acknowledged “the legal status of Measure 114 is of significant concern to many Oregonians,” they declined to get involved whilst the dispute is active through the trial court.

Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio had signed the general judgment in January, which finalized the opinion he issued in November, finding the law violated the right to bear arms under the Oregon Constitution.

Raschio also argued that Measure 114 "does not increase public safety," with plaintiff attorneys saying that the measure would make gun owners guilty until proven innocent by requiring those who possessed high-capacity magazines prior to the law taking effect to prove when they purchased it.

The law, one of the toughest in the nation, was among the first gun restrictions to be passed. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling changed the guidance judges are expected to follow when considering Second Amendment cases.

Measure 114 requires a police-issued, five-year permit and a federal criminal background check on all gun purchases, as well as required gun safety training. The measure bans the sale of magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Measure 114 has been tied up in state and federal court since it was approved by voters in Nov. 2022.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, one of the defendants in the case, had vowed to appeal the ruling when it was struck down.