Oregon court overturns 2nd Amendment sanctuary ordinance

Feb 16, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

A push to tighten gun laws has had an inverse effect in small rural communities. More than 1,200 local governments across the U.S. have deemed themselves as “second amendment sanctuary cities.” That means local officials say they won’t enforce federal or state gun laws that residents feel overreach their rights under the Constitution.

But one Oregon county’s attempt at overriding gun legislation in its state has been shot down in court. It’s the first major legal challenge of its kind to one of these Second Amendment sanctuaries.

Columbia County in Oregon passed an ordinance that would have made it a sanctuary for the Second Amendment.

Under the ordinance, police would be banned from enforcing certain state gun laws and fines would be imposed on those who tried. The state Court of Appeals ruled it violates a state law that gives the state the power to regulate firearms.

The sanctuary movement across the country really began around 2018. That’s when states started considering stricter gun laws in the wake of an uptick in mass shootings.

Tags: Gun control, Gun sales, Guns, Oregon, Sanctuary City

KARAH RUCKER: A PUSH TO TIGHTEN GUN LAWS HAS HAD AN INVERSE EFFECT IN SMALL RURAL COMMUNITIES. MORE THAN 12 HUNDRED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE US HAVE DEEMED THEMSELVES AS “SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY CITIES”. MEANING LOCAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WON’T ENFORCE FEDERAL OR STATE GUN LAWS THAT RESIDENTS FEEL OVERREACH THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION.

BUT ONE OREGON COUNTY’S ATTEMPT AT OVERRIDING GUN LEGISLATION IN THEIR STATE HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN IN COURT. IT’S THE FIRST MAJOR LEGAL CHALLENGE OF ITS KIND TO ONE OF THESE SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARIES.

COLUMBIA COUNTY IN OREGON PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THEM A SANCTUARY FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

UNDER THE ORDINANCE, POLICE WOULD BE BANNED FROM ENFORCING CERTAIN STATE GUN LAWS AND FINES WOULD BE IMPOSED ON THOSE WHO TRIED. THE STATE COURT OF APPEALS RULED IT VIOLATES A STATE LAW THAT GIVES THE STATE THE POWER TO REGULATE FIREARMS.

THE SANCTUARY MOVEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY REALLY BEGAN AROUND 2018. THAT’S WHEN STATES STARTED CONSIDERING STRICTER GUN LAWS IN THE WAKE OF AN UPTICK IN MASS SHOOTINGS.