The Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence Announces Gun Violence Prevention Summit
Center for American Progress Action Fund releases new poll at summit that shows gun background checks are as popular as pizza among Oregon voters
Portland, OR — On Tuesday, January 28, leaders of the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence and the Center for American Progress Action Fund will convene more than 100 local advocates and concerned citizens at a day-long summit to plan how to strategize, organize, and communicate to make the universal background checks effort a success in 2014.
The summit is part of a series of similar events by the Center for American Progress Action Fund aimed at empowering leaders at the state and regional level to take action even as federal efforts to strengthen and reform firearm safety remain mired in congressional gridlock.
“Leaders from Oregon law enforcement, public health, education, faith communities, and responsible gun owners are all coming together to help enact common-sense policies to reduce gun violence,” said Jake Weigler, spokesperson for the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence. “The vast majority Oregonians want to close the loophole that lets criminals buy guns without undergoing a background check and we will be making that case in the upcoming legislative session.”
In conjunction with the summit, the Center for American Progress Action Fund commissioned and released a new poll of Oregon voters conducted by Public Policy Polling between January 22-23, 2014.
The new poll of 710 registered voters in Oregon shows, among other things, that:
- Oregonians overwhelmingly support gun background checks: 78 percent of respondents support requiring criminal background checks on all gun buyers. That makes universal background checks almost as popular as pizza in Oregon—81 percent of Oregon voters reported liking pizza.
- The poll also showed that three-quarters of Oregon voters—75 percent—who have a gun in their home support background checks on all gun sales.
- Additionally, the poll showed that Oregonians are less likely to support politicians who do not support stronger gun background checks. When asked about whether they were more or less likely to support legislators who opposed the background check bill in the Oregon state legislature this session, nearly twice as many Oregon voters—50 percent—said they were less likely to vote for their legislator in 2014, compared to only 29 percent of Oregonians who said they were more likely to vote for them.
- Similarly, voters are more likely to vote for Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) in his upcoming election because he voted in favor of a bill that would have expanded criminal background checks to all gun sales. Forty-nine percent said they were more likely to vote for him because of that vote, and only 24 percent were less likely.
- Oregonians overwhelmingly support stronger laws: 77 percent of Oregonians agree with the proposition that “We can both protect responsible gun owners’ Second Amendment rights and still make it more difficult for criminals and other dangerous people to obtain guns.”
“Oregon has an opportunity this year to succeed where Congress has not: to pass universal background checks to all gun sales and make their communities safer,” said Allison Zelman, Gun Policy Campaign Manager at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “Leadership and innovative strategy here in Oregon is providing an inspiring example to others of what can be done at the state level and beyond. We are excited to work with local advocates to fight for stronger laws to reduce gun violence and save lives.”
The January 28 summit will feature elected officials and law enforcement leaders, along with experts in legislative and political strategy, media and message training, community organizing, and other topics. A panel of community leaders will commence activities. Other groups participating in the summit include Americans for Responsible Solutions, Organizing for Action, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
WHEN:
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The event will be open to press between 10:00 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET
WHERE (LOCATION CHANGE):
West End Ballroom
1220 SW Taylor St.
Portland, OR 97205
To attend the summit or speak to any of the organizers, contact Emma Shapiro at [email protected] or 202.418.8182 or Penny Okamoto at [email protected] or 503.451.3630.
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The Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence is a coalition of organizations united in their commitment to make Oregon safer by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals.