Gun bill sent to governor

Gov. Mary Fallin will now have a chance to decide whether Oklahomans can carry guns without a license.

In a late-night session, the Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to Senate Bill 1212. It would allow Oklahoma residents to carry a firearm without a permit or training, a policy known as “constitutional carry,” if they are at least 21 years old.

In an email, Fallin’s communications director, Michael McNutt, said the governor is withholding comment on the “constitutional carry” bill until she and members of her staff have a chance to review it.

The law would allow people between 18 and 21 to carry firearms without a license if they are in the military or a veteran. It also would prohibit constitutional carry for people convicted of assault and battery, stalking, protective order violation or drug possession.

A background check would still be required before a person could purchase a firearm and handguns would remain prohibited in places where they are currently banned, including elementary schools, colleges, universities and government buildings.

Lawmakers supporting gun deregulation have tried in previous years to adopt constitutional carry, but so far their attempts have failed.

Opponents from

backgrounds like law enforcement, health care, education and business advocates have lined up against the measure, saying that having fewer rules on who can carry weapons, and fewer requirements to meet before someone can take a firearm openly in public places, could endanger lives.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which handles the permitting process, said Thursday the measure prevents several important background checks and eliminates a funding source for the agency’s investigative functions.

“The OSBI is concerned about the passage of Senate Bill 1212 and its impact on the safety and security of the citizens of Oklahoma,” the OSBI said. “(There is) no vetting of anyone in possession of a firearm beyond National Instant Criminal Background Check System check, which occurs only at purchasing a firearm from a federally authorized firearms dealer. NICS is a name-based search only.”

OSBI Deputy Director Rick Adam said the bill would cut the agency’s

revenue by $4.7 million a year due to lost application fees and forcing the elimination of as many as 60 positions.

Supporters believe members of the public should be able to defend themselves from threats without having to meet the requirements set out by the state to carry a firearm.

The Senate voted 33-9 to send the bill to Fallin’s desk. She will have about a week to consider whether to sign the bill or veto it.

Although Fallin supports the Second Amendment and has signed legislation to allow open carry of firearms, she has vetoed gun bills before.

In 2014, she rejected a bill that was intended to prevent Oklahoma sheriffs and police chiefs from stalling the transfer of federally regulated firearms and accessories like silencers, fully automatic weapons and short-barreled shotguns. The Legislature voted to override her decision.

A year later, she vetoed legislation that would have restricted the banning of guns at parks, fairgrounds and recreational areas, and the Legislature allowed her veto to stand.