Opencarry.org Urges Governor Henry To Sign Bill To Make Oklahoma 44th Open Carry State
Oklahoma –-(AmmoLand.com)- Even after bill is signed, Oklahoma handgun carry laws will remain far more strict than most states.
Despite nearly 12,000 petition signatures at https://www.petitiononline.com/oc4ok/petition.html supporting open carry reform in Oklahoma, and veto proof majorities in both houses of the legislature, Governor Brad Henry has not yet committed to signing HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th open carry state. Reports today’s Tulsa World, Governor “Henry said he hasn’t had time to review the measure and is unsure whether he will sign it.”
OpenCarry.org joins the thousands of Oklahoma open carry petition signers in urging Governor Henry to sign HB 3354. As Oklahoma open carry petition founder Russ Cook reminded petition signers in an alert earlier today, most states require no permit to open carry at age 18, even for legal aliens.
See maps at https://www.opencarry.org/opencarry.html & https://www.opencarry.org/age.html.
Explains Russ,
“even after the Governor signs HB 3354, Oklahoma will continue to have some of the most strict handgun carry controls in the United States because the bill only legalizes open carry for persons who are (1) US citizens, (2) over 21 years of age, and, (3) also already holding the Oklahoma Conceal Carry Permit. These are the same trustworthy Oklahomans carrying handguns in public throughout Oklahoma every day.”
After all Cook says, this is just a “modest reform bill” merely letting conceal carry permit holders take their jackets off. Like HB 3354 sponsor Rep. Rex Duncan (R – Sand Springs) told the Tulsa World,
“Nothing in this bill changes the locations you can carry or are prohibited from carrying . . .[t]hat is not what this bill is about. This is relaxing the dress code.”
Rank in file police know that the real danger to them and others come from criminals concealing guns, and NOT from law abiding permit holders. Like Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan recently told the Tulsa World, his
“department does not have a stance on the bill, but has had no trouble with . . . concealed-carry [permit holders] . . . I’ve been impressed.”
Ultimately Mr. Cook expects Governor Henry to sign the bill once he and his staff take the time to study it, understand how modest the bill actually is, and realize that open carry is already legal in 43 states, from Pittsburgh to Seattle.
But if Governor Henry does veto the bill, Cook expects the House to easily override his veto, and the Senate to do the same or at least come close. We have access to the still rising 11,000+ petition signer email list, and, adds Cook wryly,
“gun owners in Oklahoma have elephant memories. Should the Governor veto the bill, any Senator who changes their vote to sustain a veto will likely have some company in their next party primary.”
Carry on!
About:
OpenCarry.org was founded in 2004 by Virginia gun-rights activists John Pierce and Mike Stollenwerk and has served to ignite the “Open Carry Movement” that is sweeping the country. In addition to being an invaluable legal resource for gun owners, the site has quickly grown to be a social networking portal for thousands of American gun owners. Visit: www.OpenCarry.org .