NRA welcomes Oklahoma as newest constitutional carry state

Constitutional Carry OK in Oklahoma

FAIRFAX, Va.– The National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) welcomes Oklahoma as the newest constitutional carry state. Constitutional carry, now the law in 16 states across the country, allows law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms without first getting government permission to do.

The NRA-backed law, which takes effect Friday, Nov. 1, fully recognizes the constitutional right of law-abiding gun owners to carry a firearm openly or concealed without a permit.

“Government exists for the people, not the other way around. This law honors the right of law-abiding Oklahomans to defend themselves and their loved ones without begging for the government’s permission beforehand," said Jason Ouimet, executive director, NRA-ILA. "The NRA fights for law-abiding gun owners because we recognize that our freedoms are fundamental and natural, not government-given."

For nearly 10 years, the NRA has worked closely with the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association to make constitutional carry a reality in Oklahoma.

“After 112 years, constitutional carry returns the fundamental right to self-defense to every law-abiding Oklahoman,” said Don Spencer, president, Oklahoma Second Amendment Association. “By eliminating financial barriers imposed by government permitting schemes, constitutional carry ensures that law-abiding, but economically disadvantaged Oklahomans can always protect themselves in times of crisis.”

H.B. 2597 passed both chambers with broad bi-partisan support (House vote 70-30 , Senate vote 40-6).

This law does not change prohibited person laws or any law governing the misuse of a firearm, prohibited places where a firearm cannot be carried, or when force may be used in defense of self or others.

Sixteen states – Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Kentucky – allow law-abiding individuals to carry a concealed handgun without a government-issued permit. (Montana allows Permitless Carry for all areas outside city limits – 99.4% of the state.)

NRA endorses State Sen. Joseph Silk for re-election

State Senator Joseph Silk Earns NRA Endorsement & Top A+ Rating

(Broken Bow, OK, 09/27/2016) – State Senator Joseph Silk, has earned the highest rating the NRA awards to lawmakers, the A+ Rating, and is the only candidate endorsed in the Senate District 5 race on November 8th.

Just 9 lawmakers received the highest A+ Rating from a field of over 130 races and over 200 candidates graded by the NRA this cycle within the state of Oklahoma. Senator Silk is currently running for re-election to State Senate District 5, representing McCurtain, Leflore, Pushmataha, Choctaw and part of Atoka Counties.

According to the NRA, the A+ Rating is reserved to award only legislators who “not only have an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who have also made a vigorous effort to support and defend the Second Amendment.”

Silk was a Senate author of HB2637, known as the Hunting Freedom Act, signed into law this year by Governor Fallin.

Senator Silk is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment Right to “Keep and Bear Arms” – citing it as a fundamental right of Americans to be secure in our freedom. “When we cannot defend ourselves, we are no longer a free people,” he said. “I will stand tirelessly against those that seek to limit our access to that right, and will work to uphold and defend all of our freedoms defined in the U.S. Constitution.

To contact State Senator Silk, or to find out more about his campaign or service as our state senator, please visit his Facebook page.


Blogger's note: reelecting Sen. Silk is of utmost importance for Oklahoma conservatives and especially pro-life activists. He is the most conservative freshman in the State Senate and has taken very bold stands on ending abortion and protecting our rights.

NRA disappointed in Fallin veto of pro-gun bill

Oklahoma: Governor Mary Fallin Vetoes Pro-Gun, Self-Defense Legislation

Despite public support and strong bipartisan votes in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate, Governor Mary Fallin vetoed pro-gun Senate Bill 41 yesterday.  The Governor caved to pressure from the Oklahoma City Chamber, which disseminated misinformation based on a flawed legal analysis.  The NRA is extremely disappointed that this common sense legislation was put on the back burner in favor of drummed up fears by the Chamber.

SB 41 sought to clarify that public property (open spaces such as streets and parks) remains open to law-abiding Oklahomans with a carry permit even if that public land is currently being used for another purpose by a private entity renting the space for an event.  This legislation would have provided for a necessary fix to a loophole in Oklahoma’s state firearm preemption statute.  This loophole has been exploited by misguided municipalities, resulting in a ban on law-abiding citizens carrying a firearm on open areas of public land where they have a legal right to be.  Senate Bill 41 passed the House by an 88 to 4 vote and the Senate by a 39 to 7 vote.

Current abuses pose a significant problem for lawful carry permit holders by creating an ever-changing patchwork of laws throughout the state with regard to firearms prohibitions on public land within a particular locality.  This legislation focused on reaffirming the right of a peaceful law-abiding Oklahoman to exercise his or her basic right of self-defense where they are already legally allowed to be, no matter which private entity is leasing public land at the moment.  It did not seek to expand carry into public buildings or structures.

Please contact Senate and House leadership immediately and encourage an override of the Governor’s veto and their support for restoring the provisions in SB 41 this session.  Time is running out and session is drawing to a close, so your action is needed immediately!

Please also contact Governor Mary Fallin and voice your disappointment in her veto of a pro-gun, self-defense bill that would have made Oklahomans safer.  Contact information for Governor Mary Fallin is provided below:

Office of Governor Mary Fallin:
(405) 521-2342

NRA, OK2A react to Fallin's veto

Following Gov. Mary Fallin's veto spree yesterday, which included 2nd Amendment-friendly legislation, pro-gun groups have issued strong responses.

From the NRA-ILA:

Today, in a surprising move, Governor Mary Fallin (R) vetoed high-priority NRA-supported legislation, House Bill 2461.  As previously reported, HB 2461 was sent to Governor Fallin for her signature following nearly unanimous passage in the Oklahoma Legislature.  HB 2461 passed unanimously in the Senate and passed in the House by a 92 to 1 vote.

Authored in the House by state Representative Mike Turner (R-82) and in the Senate by state Senator Nathan Dahm (R-33), HB 2461 would require that a chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) sign an application for the transfer of any item regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA) within fifteen days if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving it.

This important policy improvement would prevent an arbitrary personal bias from determining Oklahoma firearm policy and ensure that qualified, law-abiding Oklahomans will not be denied their ability to legally possess and own NFA items.  The reforms in HB 2461 benefit law-abiding Oklahoma Second Amendment supporters by ensuring that the process to obtain NFA items already legal in Oklahoma remains consistent, fact-based and objective.

Despite today's veto, the NRA will be working tirelessly to ensure passage and enactment of this legislation this year.  It is critical that you call your state Representative and Senator and respectfully urge them to work with the NRA to ensure this widely supported important policy improvement does not fall victim to political games.  Contact information for your state Representative can be found here.  Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.  Please thank the bill sponsors for their continued dedication to the enactment of this measure this session.

Also, please call Governor Mary Fallin and send her a clear message that Second Amendment supporters in Oklahoma support this measure and demand enactment of this protection.

Governor Mary Fallin:
Oklahoma State Capitol
2300 North Lincoln Boulevard, Room 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone: (405) 521-2342
Fax: (405) 521-3353
E-mail

From OK2A's president, Tim Gillespie:

What is the definition of stupid? When a governor of a conservative state vetoes two Second Amendment bills on an election year while facing a conservative democrat. That’s the definition of stupid and that’s exactly what Mary Fallin did Tuesday. To some my use of the word stupid might seem harsh or disrespectful. How else would you describe the Governor’s actions today? Misguided? Misinformed? Not well thought out? With all due respect, I think I’ll stick with stupid.

Our Vice President and I both spoke with the Governor’s staff on Tuesday and both conversations lead me to question the Governor’s judgment and that of her staff. I spoke with them about the knife preemption bill, that would bring knives under the state preemption law for firearms (the idea being that no town could have stricter knife or gun laws than the state so a person isn’t in jeopardy of unknowingly breaking a law as they travel between towns). The argument presented was that they didn’t want to muddy the waters on firearms law by including knives – that firearms law is a Second Amendment issue but knife laws aren’t. First, several attorneys were involved in the process of crafting this bill and none of them seemed to have a problem including knives under firearms preemption laws. Second, do we need to have a lesson on the meaning of the word arms? If all a person has to protect themselves with is a club, then government shouldn’t infringe on that person’s ability to keep or carry that club.

Our Vice President’s conversation with the Governor’s staff centered around the NFA shall issue bill. This bill would require chief law enforcement officers (Sheriffs) to perform background checks on NFA applications for full-autos, silencers, etc. This is in response to the President’s illegal rewriting of federal law concerning procedures for acquiring these items. Their reason for vetoing this bill? The state cannot regulate a federal agency. Huh? Tell me how this bill regulates a federal agency. It regulates Chief LEO’s in Oklahoma. The reality is by vetoing this bill, Governor Fallin has given the President exactly what he wants. Veto override efforts for these bills and the others the Governor vetoed on Tuesday will likely begin shortly.

The reasoning, or lack thereof, for the vetoes of these bills leads me to wonder if the Governor and her staff didn’t just use a good old fashioned game of eenie meenie miney mo to pick which bills she would veto. These are ridiculous reasons and they are nothing but a smokescreen. The real reason, and they aren’t even ashamed to admit this, is because the Governor isn’t happy with the House leadership’s priorities. They won’t allow her to take the state further into debt to fund her pet projects. In other words, they won’t give her what she want so she’s taking her ball and going home. What is this, a middle school playground? Tantrums are unbecoming for a person in Mary Fallin’s position!

So, let’s recap. Our Governor is proud of her efforts to play politics with one of the most basic and fundamental rights of mankind, the right to defend oneself. Our Governor, who claims to be pro-gun is more than willing to compromise the rights and freedoms of gun owners to make a political point. Wonderful. Perhaps instead of posting snarky comments on Facebook about and to legislators, the Governor’s staff should actually give her some good advice. Perhaps they should remind her that she does have a viable, conservative Democrat with a solid pro-gun record to contend with in the campaign. Perhaps they should remind her that this is a conservative, reddest of red, gun-loving state. Or, perhaps the Governor should just fire them for giving her terrible advice and then apologize to the people of Oklahoma for playing politics with their right to keep and bear arms. If she doesn’t, the people just might fire her in November.