A county in Oregon is fighting back on recent legislation mandating background checks for private gun sales. The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted last week to refrain from enforcing the law, which they called an “unfunded mandate”.
The law requires anyone conducting private gun sales to work through a licensed gun dealer so that background checks can be processed.
The Lane County commissioners claim that the cost to enforce this regulation and process numerous checks exceeds what’s available in the budget. Their actions reinforce the need for more consideration when mandates that require more manpower and money are enacted without the support of any funding.
The law was hotly debated before it passed. Those in favor of the law claimed that it helped to stop criminals from obtaining weapons and kept gun sales regulated.
On the other side, gun rights activists felt that the law infringed on their 2nd amendment rights and forced counties to pay for additional and unnecessary processing. They argued that criminals don’t follow laws if they’re trying to buy a gun, so there isn’t much accomplished by paying to check criminal records.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners faced complaints and petitions from unhappy constituents when they backed the original bill, and have now earned back some lost trust. Citizens of Lane County can be assured that it’s representatives are keeping their 2nd Amendment rights in mind when they make decisions.
Lane County has gone a long way to stop infringement on 2nd Amendment rights as well as policies that put undue financial burdens on local departments.
