Oregon voters may decide to toss constitutional ban on duels

(AP) — The Oregon Legislature may have an unusual request for voters in the next general election that harkens back to that fateful summer day in 1804 when a bitter rivalry between U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr and the nation's first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, was settled with a fatal gunshot.

The constitutional ban in question is Article II, Section 9, which says anyone who offers, accepts, knowingly participates in a "challenge to fight a duel ... or who shall agree to go out of the State to fight a duel, shall be ineligible to any office of trust, or profit." (this is exact language from the constitution)

[...] like any change to the constitution, repealing it must be approved by Oregon voters.

Because this particular constitutional change is being proposed by lawmakers, rather than citizens, it must first go through the Legislature's approval process like any other bill.