After protesters interrupted a Portland council meeting Wednesday, one councilor is looking to loosen the city’s rules around carrying guns in City Hall.
Councilor Loretta Smith, who represents East Portland in District 1, has drafted a city ordinance to allow city councilors to openly carry a firearm while conducting city business. Smith has never carried a firearm.
“It’s a defensive mechanism,” Smith told OPB. “If people know that you’re a serious person and you’re going to protect yourself they’re not going to be as quick to mess with you.”…