Prozanski may have Dodged a Ballot

Oregon Senator Floyd Prozanski, author and chief architect of the most aggressive and far reaching gun control law in recent Oregon history may have narrowly avoided being on a special ballot this fall, facing a recall vote which could have resulted in his removal from office.  Even though the Oregon Secretary of State’s office ruled that the petitions turned in yielded approximately 200 fewer signatures than the required 8,415 needed to place the recall on the ballot, Chief Petitioner Pamela Duffy told the Beacon “It’s not done as far as we’re concerned.” Senate Bill 941, the controversial gun control law which requires background checks for all private gun sales or even transfer of possession, was the driving force behind the recall effort. The Oregon Citizens to Recall Senator Floyd Prozanski Committee turned in 10,504 signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office on Friday September 4, 2015, more than 2,000 over the required number needed. Acting Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins was appointed by her predecessor Kate Brown, after Brown was tapped to take over as Oregon Governor following Kitzhaber’s resignation. Atkins is a former Chief of Staff for the Oregon House Democrat Caucus, and former staffer for Senator Jeff Merkley.  Atkins refused to certify the signatures turned in by the recall committee after a determination was made, not by counting and certifying the actual signatures, but by a statistical sampling. There were two samplings taken, one yielding a count of 8,208, the other 8,062. Both samples if proved accurate are shy of the 8,415 needed to place the Prozanski recall on the ballot. There were hundreds of additional signatures, collected in gun stores, that never got turned in, due to challenges made by the opponents of the recall. Duffy says they are going to pursue every angle to see to it that the certification process was accurate and honest. In a prepared statement she said; “The fact that we got so close sends a strong message to arrogant, out of touch politicians like Prozanski that the people are energized enough to act, especially considering 17% of petition signers were Democrats and another 15% were non affiliated voters.We are considering all of our options to appeal the official results or the possibility of a recount”.  Those opposing the recall and supporting Prozanski’s legislation are backed by former New York mayor and billionaire, Michael Bloomberg. From an article on Oregon Firearms Federation’s website: “Needless to say, Prozanski and the Bloomberg cabal have claimed that this is a “victory” for gun control. However, nowhere do they mention the over 10,000 people who sought to have Prozanski removed from office, nor do they mention that the commissioners in both counties that Prozanski’s Senate District spans have passed resolutions against enforcing Prozanski’s anti right’s bill.” Meanwhile Prozanksi is enjoying the moment saying he was “grateful” for the “continued support.”