Oregon Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce New Gun-Control Law

County sheriffs in Oregon are taking a stand against the state’s newly-adopted gun law and say they will not enforce a major piece of the law that sets limits on magazine capacity because it violates the Second Amendment, wastes law enforcement resources and is the product of “pure anti-gun politics.”

Measure 114, known as the Reduction of Gun Violence Act, was approved by Oregon voters in last week’s midterm election. The new law outlaws ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and requires police to maintain an electronic, searchable database of all firearm permits, provide additional hands-on firearm training, and collect fingerprints from people before issuing permits to purchase a gun.

However, at least five county sheriffs say they will not enforce all or parts of the law, and they are focusing their opposition on language that limits magazine capacity. They argue that the provision infringes on Second Amendment rights, ignores real problems associated with gun violence in the state and will drain already-depleted law enforcement resources.

“The biggest thing is this does absolutely nothing to address the problem,” Sheriff Cody Bowen of Union County told Fox News Digital. “The problem that we have is not… magazine capacity. It’s not background checks. It’s a problem with mental health awareness. It’s a problem with behavior health illness.”

“Our society as a whole is a bigger problem rather than saying that, you know, the guns are killing people,” he said.

Bowen said enforcement of magazine capacity limits is simply not impossible. “There’s just no way possible for us to enforce that and nor would I simply because it’s an infringement on our Second Amendment, you know, our right to keep and bear arms,” he said.

When asked to respond to proponents of the measure who claimed it would curb gun violence in the state, Bowen said that is “100% inaccurate.”

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