Oregon House OKs wider gun-purchase ban for abusers

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers are seeking to expand a ban on the purchase or possession of firearms by people with domestic violence records or restraining orders.

The proposal would add to the list of those who could be barred from ownership after a conviction, add to the list of those who could be barred after a receiving a restraining order, and add stalking as a qualifying crime. The state House approved the measure 37-23 Thursday, sending it to the Senate.

Supporters of the bill said it would close a loophole in existing state law that allows some intimate partners to be excluded, even after an otherwise qualifying crime.

Along with expanding the prohibition, the law would require reporting of some domestic violence crimes to a database.