Oregon judge to decide in new trial whether gun control law is constitutional

PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon judge is set to decide whether a gun control law approved by voters in November violates the state’s constitution in a trial scheduled to start Monday.

The law, one of the toughest in the nation, was among the first gun restrictions to be passed after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year changed the guidance judges are expected to follow when considering Second Amendment cases.

Measure 114 has been tied up in federal and state court since it was narrowly passed by voters in November 2022, casting confusion over its fate.

The law requires people to complete a gun safety training course and undergo a criminal background check in order to obtain a permit to buy a firearm. The measure also bans high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds.

Circuit Court Judge Robert S. Raschio will preside over the trial this week in Harney County, a vast rural area in southeastern Oregon. Raschio temporarily blocked the law from taking effect in December after gun owners filed a lawsuit arguing it infringed upon the right to bear arms under the Oregon Constitution.

The Oregon measure was passed after a Supreme Court ruling in June 2022 created new standards for

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