Fearing a federal gun seizure that has been touted in scare tactics by the NRA over the last three decades, conservative local government leaders have declared their jurisdictions “Second Amendment sanctuaries,” areas where federal and state laws would not be enforced.
An upcoming court case in Oregon, however, will challenge the legality of localities choosing to not enforce things like waiting periods and background checks, as the Associated Press reports. Columbia County, a jurisdiction with 52,000 residents in northwest, passed a measure that would impose thousands of dollars in fines for businesses, individuals and law enforcement agencies who try to enforce or adhere to laws based on state and local levels.
The measure is being brought to the courts through a unique quick in Oregon law that lets municipalities have a court rule on the legality of a measure before it is put into effect. At least four residents of the county have filed the legal suit to fight the implementation of the Second Amendment sanctuary measure.
While the measure explicitly supports some gun control laws, like banning felons from having guns, it notes that other–like background checks on gun buyers and restrictions on where guns can be carried–are blocked under the measure.
One gun owner who joined the suit said she values the right to own a gun but believes it should come with safety measures like background checks and secure storage.
Another, the owner of a local gun shop, voted for the measure when it was on the ballot, but now believes it goes to far because he supports background checks.
“We need to make sure that people are safe. We need to make sure that people are responsible,” he said. “But as more rules are in place, we just need to make sure that we’re not overregulated.”