Keep domestic abusers away from guns

The Salem area knows too well the pain of domestic violence. Every year, more names are added to that sad tally.

The Mid-Valley is not unique. Throughout Oregon, domestic violence has claimed the lives of family members, bystanders and police officers, as well as abusers themselves. At least 321 people died from domestic violence in Oregon during 2003-2014.

Society has become almost numb to the brutal statistics:

•In an average year, 29 Oregonians are killed in domestic violence.

•Nationally, the vast majority of barricaded individuals or hostage situations involve domestic violence.

•Fifty-seven percent of mass shootings involve domestic violence.

Firearms certainly are not the only weapon for abusers. Last week a Turner woman was arrested on an assault charge for allegedly attacking her would-be boyfriend with a baseball bat.

But firearms play a disproportionate role, according to the Oregon Alliance to End Violence Against Women:

•Firearms are used in at least 60 percent of the domestic violence deaths in Oregon each year.

•Nearly 75 percent of all homicides or suicides are related to domestic violence.

•There is a 20-times higher risk of homicide in homes where there is a history of domestic violence and guns are accessible.

•Domestic violence involving firearms is 12 times more likely to lead to a fatality.

That is why Senate Bill 525 in the Oregon Legislature is needed. It would allow authorities to remove a person's firearms in either of these situations:

•If a person is subject to a domestic violence restraining order that has been upheld by a judge after that person had the opportunity to contest the order at a court hearing.

•If a person is convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. (Most felons already are banned from possessing guns.)

This is not a new concept. The Violence Against Women Act added those protections to federal law in the mid-1990s. However, most law enforcement occurs locally, instead of federally, so states need their own laws. Most states have adopted similar regulations.

Oregon has not.

"This gap in our laws puts Oregon law enforcement and prosecutors at a severe disadvantage when trying to hold these perpetrators accountable," Marion County District Attorney Walt Beglau wrote in a March 25 letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. "This legal gap also poses a significant safety risk to our law enforcement and to domestic violence victims."

Beglau and many other law-enforcement officials support this common-sense legislation.

However, the concern is that the bill will be overlooked or derailed amid the Legislature's contentious debate about a different gun bill, Senate Bill 941, which would expand background checks on firearms sales.

The domestic-violence legislation should stand on its own merits. It deserves strong bipartisan support because of its potential to save the lives of family members, bystanders and police officers.

Domestic violence calls are emotional, unpredictable situations, which make them especially scary for the responding police officers. The presence of firearms elevates the risk because someone might grab a gun and use it in the heat of the moment.

It's certainly true that a person who is intent on harming someone can always find a weapon. But when people do not have quick access to weapons, there is a greater chance that they will calm down, regain control of their emotions and act more rationally.

Senate Bill 525 is a rational proposal and, based on the experiences of other states, an effective one. It would make Oregon safer.

What's next

Senate Bill 525 is among a number of bills scheduled for a work session of the Senate Judiciary Committee at 8 a.m. Friday in Room 343 of the Oregon Capitol.