Why It Matters: Oregon’s law-abiding hunters and shooters have long played a vital role in funding conservation and wildlife management efforts throughout the state. Under the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user pays-public benefits” structure, Oregon’s sportsmen and women generate tens of millions of dollars each year for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. These funds are generated through license sales and a 10-11% federal excise tax on sporting-related goods, including firearm purchases. If implemented, Measure 114 will impact conservation funding in the state by decreasing the tax revenue available for wildlife management and conservation.
Highlights:
- By a margin of less than 1.5%, Oregon voters narrowly passed Measure 114 on the November ballot. As drafted, Measure 114 will ban all standard capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds and will require an exhaustive permitting process to purchase a firearm. The measure also has the potential to shut down the sale of all firearms beginning on December 8th until the permitting process is established.
- Over 20 national and state organizations banded together in opposition to the ballot measure, forming the Sportsmen Opposed to Gun Violence Coalition, which quickly became one of the larger opposition efforts in the state and focused on informing voters about the devastating consequences the measure would have on hunting, recreational shooting, and conservation.
- The Sportsmen’s Coalition, led by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and the Oregon Hunters Association, is continuing to meet and is currently exploring all legal and legislative options as the measure’s implementation date of December 8th creeps closer.
By a narrow margin of less than 1.5%, Measure 114, which will ban all standard capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds and require a permit to purchase a firearm, has passed in Oregon. In an incredible effort by the sportsmen’s community, over 20 national and state organizations quickly organized as the Sportsmen Opposed to Gun Violence Coalition to push back against the initiative and to help inform voters about the severe impacts the measure will have on recreational shooting, hunting, and conservation funding. The coalition, which is continuing to grow even after the passage of Measure 114, ran radio and digital ads leading up to the November 8th election to help ensure that sportsmen and women across the state were aware of the effects that Measure 114 would have on Oregon’s conservation funding and the state’s rich outdoor heritage. Following the passage of Measure 114, the coalition is continuing to meet and is currently exploring all legal and legislative options.
Measure 114, as passed, will ban standard capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds and will establish an exhaustive permit process to purchase a firearm. To obtain the permit, Oregon’s hunters and recreational shooters will be required to take a yet-to-be-established firearm training course that is offered by law enforcement or law enforcement-certified instructors. Without a permitting system or in-person training course established, and without funding to implement these requirements, Measure 114 has the potential to shut down all gun sales in Oregon on December 8th when that portion of the initiative takes effect. Even once established, the lengthy permitting process and training requirements will place additional burdens and costs on new hunters and shooters, raising concerns about the impact it will have on R3 efforts and future hunter participation numbers.
Joining the fight to protect outdoor recreation in Oregon, the ongoing Sportsmen Opposed to Gun Violence coalition is now focused on legal and legislative efforts and is comprised of the following organizations: Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Oregon Hunters Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International, Mule Deer Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, National Deer Association, Oregon United Sporting Dogs Association, Oregon Trappers Association, Hunting Works for Oregon, National Trappers Association, Furtakers of America, Oregon Angler Alliance, Oregon Outdoor Council, Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation, Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges, Oregon State Shooting Association, Oregon Arms Collectors, and Oregon Gun Owners. More information on the coalition and the initiative can be found at www.SportsmenNo114.org.
