Oregon on the Record spoke with local sheriffs as well as policy and legal experts about the legality and enforcement of the recently passed voter initiative Measure 114. The law would require additional permitting and training for anyone wanting to purchase a firearm and would also ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Legally, the State Attorney General can expect sheriffs to enforce the law, but as a practical matter, there isn’t much they can do to force sheriffs to do so.Norman Williams - Constitutional Law Professor
Both Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan and Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harrold expressed to us their reservations about the measure. Both law enforcement officers claim that a lack of resources will make enforcement of Measure 114 difficult if not impossible.
Brett Burkhardt, associate professor at Oregon State’s School of public policy has written extensively about law enforcement and told us about the very unique role that sheriffs play in our society as elected, and not appointed, law enforcement officers.
We also spoke with constitutional law professor Norman Williams from Willamette University. He told us what the law says about the enforcement power of sheriffs and also talked about how there isn’t much the state can do to compel sheriffs to enforce the law.
“Legally, the State Attorney General can expect sheriffs to enforce the law, but as a practical matter, there isn’t much they can do to force sheriffs to do so,” said Williams.
