Ashland, Oregon (February 25, 2025) – In November 2022, Oregon voters narrowly passed Measure 114, a groundbreaking gun control law that has never taken effect. Held up by a series of court challenges, it may be years before the law’s fate is settled. But there is plenty to talk about before the litigation runs its course. Join local law enforcement leaders at the Ashland Library on Tuesday, March 4, to hear about the current state of Oregon gun laws from 4:00 – 5:30 PM.
Presenter Tighe O’Meara, Ashland Police Chief, grew up in Detroit where he attended both the Detroit Waldorf School and Detroit Public Schools. Chief O’Meara graduated from Hillsdale College with a BA in Psychology and went on later to obtain a master’s degree in management from Southern Oregon University. He joined the Ashland Police Department in January of 2010. Since joining APD, Chief O’Meara has served as a Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant and as the Deputy Chief over both the operations and support divisions of the department. He has attended several advanced police schools including the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations School, the Oregon Executive Development Institute’s leadership school, and most recently the Senior Management Institute for Police held at Boston University. Chief O’Meara is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum.
Presenter Nathan Sickler, Jackson County Sheriff, moved to the Rogue Valley in 1995 to attend Southern Oregon University. He graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and began his career in law enforcement. He has served in both city and county law enforcement agencies and held positions in patrol, detectives and administration prior to being appointed to the position of Sheriff in 2017. Since then, he has been elected by the people two additional times and has served for the past 8 years. He is invested in this community and considers it an honor to serve as the Sheriff of Jackson County.
The monthly Big Ideas discussion series features prominent local experts speaking on relevant and timely issues affecting our community. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Ashland Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Jackson County Library Services.