The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, February 16, 2023, Image 3
LOCA^NATION The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Thursday, February 16, 2023 3A Second Amendment sanctuary measure overturned in Oregon ANDREW SELSKY I Associated Press A man enters a gun shop in Salem, Ore., on Feb. 19, 2021. An Oregon court decided Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, that local governments can’t declare themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and ban police from enforcing certain gun laws within their borders. BY CLAIRE RUSH AND LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. — Local governments in Oregon can’t declare them selves Second Amendment sanctuaries and ban police from enforcing certain gun laws, a state appeals court decided Wednesday, in the first court case filed over a concept that hundreds of U.S. counties have adopted in recent years. The measure in ques tion, which was approved in Columbia County, for bids local officials from enforcing most federal and state gun laws and would impose thousands of dol lars in fines on those who try. The state Court of Appeals ruled that it vio lates a law giving the state the power to regulate firearms. The ordinance would effectively, it found, “create a ‘patchwork quilt’ of firearms laws in Oregon, where firearms regula tions that applied in some counties would not apply in Columbia County,” some thing lawmakers specifi cally wanted to avoid. Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions have been adopted by some 1,200 local governments around the U.S., includ ing in Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Illi nois and Florida, experts say. Many are symbolic, but some carry legal force like the one in Columbia County, a conservative, rural logging area in deep- blue Oregon. The sanctuary move ment took off around 2018 as states considered stricter gun laws in the wake of mass shootings, but it had not previously faced a major legal challenge. The Oregon case was filed in 2021 under a pro vision in state law that allows a judge to examine a measure before it goes into effect. A trial court judge originally declined to rule, a decision that was appealed to the higher court. The ordinance’s support ers included the Oregon Firearms Federation, which said in a statement Wednesday that the rul ing “calls into question the legitimacy of the court and the likelihood of getting fair rulings from it.” Opponents included the legal arm of the group Everytown for Gun Safety, which had argued that the ordinance violated the U.S. Constitution. Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law, called the court’s decision “a win for public safety and the rule of law.” “Opponents of gun safety laws have every right to advocate for change at the ballot box, statehouse, or Congress, but claim ing to nullify them at the local level is both unconsti tutional and dangerous,” Tirschwell said. State Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who has also sued two other Second Amendment sanctuary counties, also applauded the ruling. “Today’s opinion by the Court of Appeals makes it clear that common sense requirements like safe storage and background checks apply throughout Oregon,” Rosenblum said. “Hopefully, other counties with similar measures on the books will see the writ ing on the wall.” PAYCHECK ■ Continued from 1A caused anxiety because it was the first time where folks who were used to seeing those pending deposits, depending on their banks, sometimes popping up on Thursday night or first thing Friday morning,” he said. “We’re trying to reinforce with our workforce that, if you did get paid on Friday, you got paid on time.” Couch said ADP has assigned additional per sonnel to oversee NGHS’ payroll operations to guarantee employees receive their checks on pay day as expected. Lane closures set as part of upcoming 1-985 bridge work BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Motorists are urged to “consider alternative routes to avoid delays” as overnight lane closures on Interstate 985 are set to start Wednes day night and end Friday morning, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. A half-mile stretch of one of the two northbound lanes between Exit 17 and mile marker 18 will be closed nightly between 8 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. A half-mile stretch of one of the two south bound lanes along that same stretch will be closed nightly between 7 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Weather permitting, “tem porary barrier walls will be installed along the inside and outside shoulder of 1-985,” a GDOT press release states. The Feb. 15-17 lane clo sures are related to GDOT’s replacement of Elachee Bridge over 1-985. In addition to the bridge’s replacement, the extent of other work will include pedestrian upgrades and new beautification features, involving rock facing and ornamental fencing. Improvements on the bridge are expected to be complete by Oct. 31. Dave Hollis, former exec for Disney dies at 47 DALLAS — Dave Hollis, who left his post as a Dis ney executive to help his wife run a successful life style empire, has died at his home in Texas. He was 47. Hollis, whose ex-wife Rachel Hollis wrote the bestseller “Girl, Wash Your Face,” was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at his home in Dripping Springs, a city on the out skirts of Austin, according to Hays County Justice of the Peace Andrew Cable. An autopsy will be per formed to determine the cause of death since Hollis, who was last seen the eve ning before, was “youthful and didn’t have a long medi cal history,” Cable said. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Rachel Hollis asked for prayers as the family tries to “navigate through the unthinkable.” “We are devastated,” she wrote. “I have no words and my heart is too broken.” Dave Hollis worked for Disney for 17 years and had been head of distribution for the company for seven years when he left in 2018 to join his wife’s venture. The parents of four moved from Los Angeles to the Aus tin area, collaborated on livestreams, podcasts and organized life-affirming conferences. In their pod cast, “Rise Together,” they focused on marriage. When Rachel Hollis announced on Instagram in 2020 that they were get ting divorced, she said they had worked “endlessly” over the prior three years to make their marriage work but came to the con clusion that “it is healthier and more respectful for us to choose this as the end of our journey as a married couple.” Hollis also wrote moti vational books. His book “Get Out of Your Own Way: A Skeptic’s Guide to Growth and Fulfillment” was published in 2020 and he released “Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For” in 2021. Associated Press We love our community, and we know you do, too. So this February, though days can be rough and the news can be grim, we’re asking you to share something you love about Hall County. It could be a place, a special moment or certain characteristics of our community — whatever makes you smile when you think of Hall. Scan to Submit 300 words or less and we’ll publish a selection of the best on our Opinion page. Let’s put some good vibes back into our community! Z\xt Antics gainesvilletimes.com Honestly local. HALL March 9 9am-noon COME OUT AND JOIN US FOR HEALTH DEMONSTRATIONS, AND INFORMATION FOR ALL AGES. Frances Meadows Aquatic Center 1545 Community Way Gainesville, GA 30501 Sponsored by it Northeast Georgia Health System Interested in a Booth at our Healthy Hall Event? Email: marketin3@3ainesviMetimes.com today for more information and to resen/e your space. All vendors are welcome. She Stmcs gainesvilletimes.com marketing@gainesviMetimes.com