Oklahoma needs its own ERPO law

Gun suicides make up one-half of all suicides, and one-fifth of all gun suicides are by veterans. As a veteran, I had a friend die by gun suicide. Statistically, you have too. In Oklahoma, there are no legal options to get a gun away from someone with suicidal intentions. However, there is a better way where we all retain our Second Amendment rights by placing mental health at the forefront of gun rights issues.

Most Americans agree that mass shootings and gun suicides would go down if we could temporarily get a gun away from those who desperately need to focus on their mental health. One way is to enact an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), which are supported by 85% of Americans. ERPOs offer close family members or police with a warrant to temporarily take away the guns of someone with mental health issues. The individual can get their guns back after a hearing and nothing ever appears on their record. In Connecticut, 80% of those individuals immediately received a medical evaluation. In Indiana, 68% of people who had an ERPO enacted were suicidal.

Every day, 11 U.S. veterans die from gun suicide. Andrea Stone, who is running for state Senate District 47, believes in mental health alongside Second Amendment rights. Ultimately, voting for her and for Oklahoma to make its own ERPO laws could be the most important thing you do for veterans this year.

Arlann Erskine, Edmond Stone is running for the seat held by Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.