Oregon Trail Trader Speaks Out on Measure 114
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, December 8th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – The passing of Measure 114, and the ongoing legal situation that triggered in its wake, has generated quite a bit of discussion to say the least. Concerns have been raised among both Oregonians interested in firearms and those directly involved in the distribution of firearms. Recently, one local business involved in firearms sales, Oregon Trail Trader, had the opportunity to give their thoughts on the situation.
Owner Karl Baum’s concerns largely stem from apparent unclear wording within the measure and the potential legal ramifications for current gun owners and sellers. To him, the language was written by individuals not associated with the firearm industry. Baum has spoken to Oregon State Police representatives on the language of 114 though claims they’ve denied or misinterpreted the changes the measure would enact compared to what he himself read. Baum best summarized the confusion he noticed between official sources and Oregon citizens, stating:
“There’s just a lot of confusion out there. You’ve got the feds trying to regulate, you’ve got the state trying to regulate, and you’ve got all these people stuck in a lobster trap in between that are just trying to figure out what the law is.”
Though the 30-day delay to 114’s implementation (as of time of writing) does give him a degree of optimism, the possibility of legal repercussions for the average gun owner/distributor simply due to misunderstanding the new restrictions has him concerned. He expressed fear that prosecution of gun owners may occur, regardless of if they were properly informed. The alleged vagueness of the measure and insufficient communication channels between owners and the state legislature may only exacerbate the issue. Even baring legal prosecution, the potential confusion for customers trying to purchase a firearm while the measure is rolling out brings its own set of issues according to Baum, who elaborated:
“Imagine I sold you a gun four days ago, now I tell you that you can’t pick it up because the law changed. The law just got stayed by the Malheur County Sheriff so it’s illegal. The person that bought a gun a day before you is legal to take their gun, but you’re not because you were 24 hours after that person.”
When it comes to current gun sales, Baum noted there’s ongoing panic buying in a way not dissimilar to COVID-19 trends, but overall, somewhat worse. As he remarked, “this is driven on a scale of, ‘I’ll never own a firearm again.’” For those in the firearm industry, Baum recommends “stay the course” and reach out to state representatives as much as possible over any issues with 114. For Oregon Trail Trader at least, he noted that a major slowdown in gun sales due to potential issues with 114s logistics and approval process may force him to layoff employees. For any resident looking to still buy a gun, Baum simply advises not taking the opportunity for granted.
