SALEM – Fireworks wouldn’t just be for the Fourth of July in Oregon anymore under a bill introduced Wednesday at the Oregon capitol. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale, would allow licensed fireworks retailers to sell their goodies in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve, the Chinese New Year, and the Hindu holiday Diwali.
Gorsek said he was approached by a lobbyist representing wholesalers and retailers, who said that Oregonians of south and east Asian descent were asking to be able to purchase fireworks closer to the dates their holidays are celebrated.Currently, Oregon law permits fireworks to be sold only from June 23 through July 6. There are no restrictions on when those fireworks can be lit.
Gorsek said he introduced the bill in the name of cultural inclusivity. “I just think it’s important to expand this and allow different cultural groups the chance to fully support and celebrate their particular holidays,” he said.
Diwali is a harvest festival that’s sometimes called the “Festival of Lights.” It’s typically celebrated in late October or early November. The Chinese New Year falls anywhere from late January to early February.
Gorsek’s bill would allow fireworks to be sold in the five days preceding each of those holidays. It would also allow the sale of fireworks from December 15 through January 2.
Gorsek emphasized the measure would not change what kind of fireworks could be sold, just the time of year that sales could take place.
“This bill doesn’t make it legal to fire off bottle rockets and all of that, so all of the prohibitions that we have about things that fly through the air would still remain in force,” he said.
Of course, bottle rockets and fireworks with greater fire power than are legal to buy in Oregon would still be widely available by crossing the state line.
While the city of Vancouver has banned the sale and discharge of all fireworks, most other Clark County locations follow Washington state law, which allows fireworks sales for eight days around Independence Day and during the five days leading up to New Year’s Eve. Unlike Oregon, the state of Washington restricts the discharge of fireworks to the holiday period for which they were sold.