Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) went against the NRA and vetoed legislation that would have eliminated state residents’ need to acquire a concealed carry permit in order to carry a gun for self-defense.
Permitless carry legislation, SB 1212, passed the Oklahoma House on April 25 by a vote of 59-28. It passed the Senate on May 2 by a vote of 33 to nine.
The bill was intended to allow state residents 21 and over to forgo getting a state permit in order to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.
The Hill reports that Fallin vetoed the legislation on Friday. When announcing the veto she said, “I believe the firearms laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal.”
She added: “Senate Bill 1212 eliminates the training requirements for persons carrying a firearms in Oklahoma. It reduces the level of the background check necessary to carry a gun.” She said the bill also “eliminates the current ability of Oklahoma law enforcement to distinguish between those carrying guns who have been trained and vetted, and those who have not.”
But Oklahoma Second Amendment Association president Don Spencer said the bottom line is that “Oklahoma rights were not respected.” He told Tulsa World that “[Fallin] had a great opportunity to defend our liberty and leave a wonderful legacy and she chose not to.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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