July 21, 2021
For immediate release

Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance Battle-Tested in Oregon Today

Springfield, VA – Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) and the Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF) are defending a twice-passed, citizen ballot measure known as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance (SASO)” in Columbia County, Oregon.

Second Amendment sanctuary ordinances — championed by GOA — tell the state and federal government that gun control will not be enforced by that locality. Currently, these Ordinances have passed in over 60 percent of counties across the country.

In a betrayal to their sworn constitutional oath and the will of their constituents, the Columbia Board of County Commissioners joined with Everytown for Gun Safety attorneys to seek a Court review of the citizen-passed SASO. This was a despicable effort to invalidate the mandate of the People and the constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms. Today, oral argument was heard by the Columbia County Circuit Court.

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA and GOF, said:

Especially at a time when the right of self-defense is under such tremendous assault from federal and state governments, it is incumbent upon Lesser Magistrates such as County Commissioners to stand for the rights of the People. However, in Columbia County, Oregon, this Board has done just the opposite. They have sold out the will of the People and their rights, hoping to keep their hands clean by having the courts do the dirty work to undermine measures popularly enacted by the people.

Nonetheless, GOA and GOF are willing to “battle-test” a Second Amendment sanctuary ordinance for the first time in the court system. And we will never stop fighting for an uninfringed right to keep and bear arms, as well as defend the centuries-old practice of Lesser Magistrates interposing themselves to protect the people from unconstitutional laws.

The GOA, GOF and OFF brief can be read here.

Erich Pratt, or another GOA spokesperson, is available for interviews. Gun Owners of America, and its sister organization Gun Owners Foundation, are nonprofits dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.

— GOA —