Harney Co judge orders voter-approved gun control law struck down

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon judge has entered the final order striking down a gun control law that was narrowly approved by voters in 2022.

Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio signed the general judgment on Monday. The judgment finalizes the opinion Raschio issued in November finding the law violated the right to bear arms under the Oregon Constitution.

The law, one of the toughest in the nation, was among the first gun restrictions to be passed after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year changed the guidance judges are expected to follow when considering Second Amendment cases.

The law requires people to undergo a criminal background check and complete a gun safety training course to obtain a permit to buy a firearm. It also bans high-capacity magazines.

Measure 114 has been tied up in state and federal court since it was approved by voters in November 2022.

The state trial stemmed from a lawsuit filed by gun owners claiming the law violated the right to bear arms under the state constitution. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, one of the defendants in the case, vowed to appeal the ruling.