Eugene Police Chief Skinner in a 2022 press conference
Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner updated the press on the current progress of Ballot Measure 114. Measure 114 implements a permit requirement for purchasing weapons and a ban on high capacity magazines. Skinner stated, “The implementation date happened sooner than we thought it would. When we found out it was December 8 it became very apparent that we were not going to meet that deadline as a state.”
He explained that there are several unanswered questions about who is in charge of all the steps of the permitting process, how the permit will be standardized across the state, what the appeals process is, and the volume of people expected to apply for permits.
There is currently an NRA backed lawsuit against Measure 114, claiming that it is unconstitutional — specifically the permit requirement and the ban on higher capacity magazines. Measure 114 outlaws magazines with more than 10 rounds. According to Skinner the constitutionality is not the issue for his department, “That’s up to the court to decide. For us it’s how do we implement this so that people feel we are being responsive.”
In a letter from the Department of Justice, it was agreed that there do need to be some delays before the measure is fully implemented. Specifically, “the State agrees that the Court should enter an order providing a limited window in which Oregonians will be able to purchase firearms even if they do not have a permit, while also allowing Oregonians to apply for and be issued permits.”
Chief Skinner is also the president of the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, and in that capacity he is concerned about the standardized permitting process. “Until we get a couple of key pieces of information clarified it’s hard to say how long it will take.” He also said that usually the police are given a seat at the table to discuss unintended consequences of ballot measures but they were left out of the discussions of Measure 114.
Some of the infrastructure issues that Skinner described included the fact that this new process doesn’t allow for digital fingerprinting. It all has to be ink and paper, which he said can cause delays and issues. He also had questions concerning who was responsible for validating the fingerprints. “Behind all of this is the human resource piece. We need to be able to have the people to do this work. We are struggling to hire people across the state. Everyone is being asked to do more with less and now we are adding another layer of administrative burden on all of these police departments.”
Several sheriffs around Oregon have already publicly stated that they will not enforce Measure 114. Chief Skinner was asked about his opinions regarding Measure 114. He stated that his only concern is the implementation and giving the voters what they wanted. “I understand there are some constitutional issues being questioned. When voters say ‘Yes,’ it’s my job to implement it and that’s where we’re at. It’s my job to answer the call of the voters and our legislators. Our intent is to put one foot in front of the other so people can get the permit.”
There is a training and demonstration component in Measure 114 as well. According to the bill text, “A firearms training course or class required for issuance of a permit-to-purchase must include: in-person demonstration of the applicant’s ability to lock, load, unload, fire and store a firearm before an instructor certified by a law enforcement agency.”
Chief Skinner has asked the Department of Justice to help clarify where these demonstrations would be taking place. “What does the training component look like? There is a demonstration part, where you have to demonstrate your aptitude in using a firearm. Where is that supposed to happen? I would suggest that it not happen in the lobby of a police department. Who are the certified people offering the training? Is it us or should it be a third party? We need clarity on what this looks like.”
Chief Skinner reiterated his commitment to implementing Measure 114 in a timely and positive manner, “We’re gonna take a stab at some things and see if we can get moving. If we get to a place where we’re given a couple of months to catch our breath and get our feet under us and do this the right way, I think we can land that and I think the outcome of that will be a process that when you’re going through it as a citizen will feel smoother and more consistent. If we take a little time and do this right the end result is a better product for our public.”
Despite the delay enacted last night by the Department of Justice surrounding the permitting process, there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered before people can be hired and before a standard process can be put in place. Chief Skinner has stated that he and the entire OACP is dedicated to streamlining the process for the good of Oregon communities.
