🌱 Salem Lawmakers To Merge Gun Control Bills + Truancy Task Force

Morning, friends! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new edition of the Salem Patch newsletter. Let's get this week started off right with a quick review of everything you need to know about what's happening around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Cloudy and remaining cool. High: 52 Low: 41.
• Tuesday: Cloudy with showers around. High: 48 Low: 35.

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Here are the top three stories in Salem today:

1. A work session to discuss the three gun bills will take place on Tuesday, Mar. 28, at 8:00 a.m. and can be viewed on the Oregon Legislature's website. House Bill 2005, House Bill 2006, and House Bill 2007 are three separate gun control measures that lawmakers in Salem plan to merge together into one bill. House Bill 2005 would punish those who make, sell, or possess untraceable and undetectable firearms, also known as "ghost guns." A Salem man was indicted in Oregon's largest ghost gun operation in March 2022, according to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. House Bill 2006 would raise the minimum age to possess firearms from 18 to 21, with a few exceptions, and House Bill 2007 would allow cities and counties to restrict concealed carry in public buildings. (KGW 8)
2. Senate Bill 48, which was proposed at the request of state Rep. Kevin Mannix (R-Salem) and would have brought back truancy fines to Oregon, was amended and passed on Mar. 23. The amendment replaces most of the original bill and would create an 18-member task force that would submit suggestions for legislation dealing with chronic absenteeism and truancy. Mannix was pleased that the bill is moving forward and said, "The committee has now recognized that we have a serious problem, that we need to address it. They’re being a little bit careful about how we address it, in terms of not jumping into a statutory change, but they’re willing to move in the direction of taking a look at the problem and looking at all the solutions that are out there." (OPB.org)
3. Today, Mar. 27, the Salem City Council will meet at City Council Chambers. Residents can watch in-person or online. Those who want to watch online can sign-up on the city website anytime from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. today. The council will discuss grant applications for upgrades to Geer Park, a new Salem Housing Authority commissioner, and an application to fund a mini street sweeper. (Subscription: Salem Reporter)

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Today and tomorrow in Salem:

Monday, March 27

• City Of Salem Meetings At Salem Council Chambers (6:00 PM)

Tuesday, March 28

• Multi-Employer Job Fair At Salem Center Mall (11:00 AM)
• Karaoke Night At Front Street Station (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• According to Statesman Journal, Salem police have killed people at higher rate over the last decade than other Oregon cities of the same size. (Statesman Journal via Twitter)
• Salem Art Association's Salem Salon community art exhibition is back for 2023! The non-juried show will be in conjunction with the Salem Art Fair & Festival in July. (Salem Art Association via Facebook)
• When you’re looking for a new place, keeping tabs on all the latest listings can take hours of tedious investigating online. Check out a curated list of the latest homes for sale in the Salem area, including a four-bedroom on Himalaya Street NE for $450,995! (Salem Patch)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right! See you soon for your next update.

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!