PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Democratic lawmakers have introduced three bills that they hope will cut down on the gun violence within the state. For many Portlanders, some kind of fix can't come soon enough.
House Bill 2005 would ban so-called "ghost guns," which are homemade guns assembled from parts that can be purchased without a background check or serial number. House Bill 2006 would raise the age you could purchase a gun from 18 to 21 but would have specific exemptions for hunting, military service and law enforcement requirements.
"I was struck by the fact that six of the nine deadliest shootings in recent years were committed by young people with firearms designed for war," said Rep. Paul Evans, a Democrat from Monmouth.
House Bill 2007 would give local governments the ability to adopt rules restricting guns and concealed carry weapons in their buildings or on their grounds.
"What I recognized is there's things we can do and there's an approach that's reflective of the way Oregon approaches problems that could both respect the rights of gun owners and at the same time make a significant difference in our overall safety," Rep. Evans added.
Over in North Portland, Nick Classen runs SparTek Industries, a company that works to automate manufacturing equipment. On Saturday, someone shot through the building at least 20 times, leaving it riddled with bullet holes.
"We found six or eight laying around the shop, the guys started looking around, we found bullet holes in our electrical panel, in our stairs, in our walls," Classen said.
Classen said he hopes police can patrol the area more to hopefully detour some of the crime. He said some of his employees are on edge about the recent violence.
"What happens if that happens during business hours ... we are really putting our employees in danger," Classen said.
Now Classen said they are thinking about moving the business out of Portland.
The Democratic lawmakers said they are working with Republicans — but because gun-related bills can be so controversial, they don't know how they will be received.