Second Amendment measure seeks Deschutes ballot

Another gun-related measure could make the Deschutes County ballot in November, if supports gather enough petition signatures.

NewsChannel 21 spoke Friday with one of the Redmond men who filed an initiative called the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance. It would leave laws regulating semi-automatic weapons, ammunition and accessories like bump stocks up to the sheriff to decide whether they are considered constitutional and thus whether or not to enforce them within county limits.

B.J. Soper, one of the chief petitioners, said he is frustrated with the laws being determined at a state level.

“We thought it was really important to make sure that Deschutes County citizens had their voices heard,” Soper said. “It’s very common for people to say on the east side of the Cascades that our voices are lost, that it’s drowned out from the people on the northwest side of Oregon.”

NewsChannel 21 also spoke with Sheriff Shane Nelson to get his take on the proposed measure.

“I support the spirit of the ordinance,” he said. “I do not support enacting ordinances like that, because I believe there is nothing more commanding of respect than the United States Constitution itself.”

But Nelson also said he also respects everyone’s right to try to get county ordinances or laws passed.

Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship said the petition has a ballot title and voters who are dissatisfied with it have until April 27 to put in their own petition for review. If there’s no objection, then supporters can begin gathering more than 4,100 valid voter signatures it needs by Aug. 6 to get on the ballot on Nov. 6 ballot.