Constitutional Carry Bill Goes To OK Governor’s Desk

By Dean Weingarten via TTAG

The Oklahoma Senate passed SB 1212 this week which would make Oklahoma a constitutional carry state. The bill is now headed to Governor Mary Fallin’s desk. The popular bill passed both the House and the Senate by veto proof margins.

From koko.com which paints Second Amendment rights as somehow controversial:

On a 33-8 vote, the Oklahoma Senate Wednesday night passed the controversial “constitutional carry” bill.

The Senate went into session Wednesday night and passed Senate Bill 1212, which would recognize the rights of law-abiding Oklahoma residents to carry a firearm for self defense without having to first obtain a government mandated license.

The House had passed the bill in April by a 59-28 margin. The bill had already passed the Senate unanimously in March, but un the form of a bill removing wildlife refuges as gun free zones. The amendment process allowed the bill to bypass Senate committees that had blocked constitutional carry in the past.

In states with Constitutional Carry, no permit is required for most adults to carry firearms openly or concealed. Minors, or adults that have felony convictions or domestic violence misdemeanor convictions are excluded from the free exercise of all Constitutional rights.

The third millennium has seen a resurgence of constitutional carry. Vermont has always been a constitutional carry state. In 2003, Alaska passed the reform to restore the exercise of Second Amendment rights. In 2010, Arizona passed constitutional carry. In 2011, Wyoming, in 2013, Arkansas passed Act 746 into law. It is effectively Constitutional Carry, but is disputed by some county prosecutors. in 2015, Kansas, and Maine joined the Constitutional Carry club. In 2016, Idaho, Missouri, West Virginia, and Mississippi enacted Constitutional Carry. In 2017, New Hampshire, and North Dakota were added to the list.

If Governor Fallin signs SB 1212 into law, Oklahoma will be the 14th constitutional carry state, a total that outnumbers “may issue” states where Second Amendment rights are severely infringed.  “May issue” grants the power to authorities to grant or withhold the right to bear arms.

“May issue” states are: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

The practice of granting permission to carry outside the home varies widely within the “may issue” states. Hawaii and New Jersey allow so few permits that the number is statistically zero. Massachusetts has granted permits to over six percent of state residents.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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