Oregon Concealed Handgun License Bill Under Debate

SALEM, Ore.- Oregon's senate reviewed a bill on Tuesday which would make it harder to get a concealed handgun license (CHL).

Senator Kim Thatcher thinks this is the wrong direction to head for protecting their people, and said that concealed gun holders are some of the "most upstanding people in the state."

According to research, less than one-hundredth of one percent (.0074%) of Oregon concealed handgun license holders commit felonies. The FBI has indicated that nearly 3.2% of active shooter situations are stopped by someone with a CHL. Other researchers have put that number as high as 16.5%.

“Thanks to our rigorous concealed carry licensing program in Oregon, CHL holders are the good guys with guns,” added Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod (R-Lyons). “This bill is a “solution” in search of a problem. The sponsors have failed to bring forth any evidence that this bill would make anyone safer. It would do the opposite. With violent crime on the rise, we can’t afford to severely curtail Oregonians’ right to self-defense."