Bill filed to allow guns inside Capitol

Some lawmakers hope 2020 will be the year firearms are finally allowed inside the state Capitol.

A newly filed bill from Rep. David Hard in, R-Stilwell, would allow legislators and current or former law enforcement officials to carry firearms into the Capitol and other buildings owned or leased by the state.

Legislators could carry firearms without a license while l aw enforcement officials could carry in the buildings as long as they had proper certification.

Bills allowing firearms in the Capitol have been introduced and failed multiple times over the last several years, but there could be momentum for continued deregulation after permitless carry was signed into law last year.

“Your gun doesn't do you any good if it's in your car,” Hardin said. “There will be a bunch of (legislators) that don't carry, but those that have been used to carrying or those that feel the need in today' s time to have a fire arm could.”

Hardin said he included approval to carry into other buildings because lawmakers frequently walk to surrounding state agency buildings.

Currently, only security officers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol can have weapons.

“I still would encourage people to go get their permit or at least go through training so you know the legalities and you know how to function the weapon,” Hardin said. “You can't train enough.”

Don Spencer, p re sident of the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, is also working with other lawmakers to file bills that would allow firearms in the Capitol.

But instead of only law enforcement officers and elected legislators, Spencer' s bills would l et anyone with a valid handgun license to carry a firearm into the Capitol.

“It is a sensitive building, so to have a (license) shows immediately that the person hash ada background c heck a nd other things ,” Spencer said. “When you have to walk nearly a quarter mile into the state Capitol, it is vulnerable.”

Spencer said his organization would not support Hardin's bill as is, though he did not elaborate on why.

Hardin said if legislators and law enforcement are allowed to carry in the Capitol and there are no issues, he sees the possibility for allowing members of the public to carry in the future.

Opposition to the bills is expected from guncontrol activists and the state' s Democratic lawmakers.

“We already have pretty significant security in the Capitol, and this would just add confusion for them about who should or shouldn't have weapons,” said st ate Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City.

“I think most people can agree the Capitol is a unique location with emotions running high on both sides regularly. … I would hate to hear that people wanted to come to the Capitol to advocate but didn't because they weren't comfortable or didn't feel safe.”