Northwest gun owners are under siege from a classic wallet raid disguised as public safety. Anti-2A Democrats in Oregon and Washington are pushing bills to jack up concealed carry permit fees and introduce exorbitant permit-to-purchase costs, funneling every extra dollar straight into more gun control bureaucracy. Oregon’s HB 2005 eyes hiking concealed handgun license (CHL) fees from $115 to $250 for residents, while Washington’s Senate Bill 5446 proposes similar gouging on concealed pistol licenses alongside new safe storage mandates that could criminalize everyday responsible ownership—like keeping a defensive handgun in your nightstand. This isn’t about safety; it’s a punitive tax on exercising your fundamental rights, designed to price law-abiding citizens out of self-defense while padding the coffers for red-flag laws and ammo restrictions.
Dig deeper, and the playbook is as predictable as it is insidious. These lawmakers know outright bans face steep legal hurdles post-Bruen, so they’re pivoting to soft financial warfare—death by a thousand fee hikes. Washington’s measure explicitly earmarks the revenue for firearm violence prevention, code for funding activist groups and enforcement squads that target 2A supporters. Oregon’s push mirrors California’s model, where sky-high fees (up to $100+ for CCWs) have slashed issuance rates by creating barriers for working-class folks. The safe storage angle? It’s a Trojan horse: vague rules could turn a momentary lapse—like forgetting to lock up during a family emergency—into a felony, eroding at-home readiness without touching criminals who ignore laws anyway.
For the 2A community, this is a clarion call to action. These proposals aren’t isolated; they’re part of a regional domino effect threatening Idaho and beyond, testing the limits of Bruen’s shall-issue mandate. Hit the phones, flood public comment periods, and support groups like the Second Amendment Foundation suing these schemes into oblivion. If we let them monetize our rights, the Second Amendment becomes a pay-to-play privilege. Stand firm—our wallets, and our freedoms, depend on it.
