Survey finds majority of Oregonians, Willamette Valley residents favor gun restrictions
Oregonians generally believe gun regulations should be more strict, with divides along party and county lines, according to a recent Oregon Values and Beliefs Center poll (M&R Glasgow/Flickr)
A majority of Oregonians and Willamette Valley residents believe gun regulation across the nation and the state should be more strict. This, according to a recent survey conducted by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center–a nonpartisan independent research group.
A reported 59% of respondents statewide said they believed the state’s gun regulations should be tightened. In the Willamette Valley, the figure was 57%. That number closely mirrors a Pew Research poll from April that saw 60% of respondents say gun laws in the U.S. should be more strict.
The findings come as Oregonians are likely to vote in November on a ballot initiative that would tighten background check requirements and ban large capacity ammunition magazines.
The June poll included 1,446 residents over the age of 18 who were contacted using professionally maintained online panels. Control measures were used including pre-testing, validation and real-time monitoring of responses. The survey’s margin of error was about 2.5% and due to rounding.
The starkest contrast, according to the survey, was along political party lines both nationally and at the state level. The Pew Research poll saw 81% of Democrats calling for stricter gun laws and 20% of Republicans. The Oregon Values and Beliefs Center survey had those numbers at 85% for Democrats and 24% for Republicans.
Other findings in the Oregon poll showed a divide based on race with 52% of those who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color wanting stricter gun laws compared to 62% of respondents who identify as white.
Age also played a factor with Oregonians 30 and older significantly more likely than those ages 18-29 to say limiting access to firearms would make no difference in the number of mass shootings. Additionally, only 19% of Oregonians aged 18-29 own a gun compared to 31%-43% in all other age groups.
The survey notes this could be attributed to the cost of guns but that younger Oregonians leaned toward stricter gun laws.
Those living in rural areas are more likely than urban residents to say that current gun laws are sufficient at 25% versus 16%.
-Caitlyn May
