OK:Override of Governor Fallin Gun Bill Veto Passes Both Houses

Gun Watch ^ | 9 May, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Governor Fallin, (R) Oklahoma, vetoed a number of bills in what has been described as a "tantrum" on the 29th of April.  The Oklahoma House overrode the veto of HB2461 on May 4th.   It was then reported that the Senate would not vote on veto override.

HB 2461 is a "shall sign" law that requires Chief Law Enforcement Officers (CLEOs) to allow Oklahoma residents to pay the $200 tax necessary to obtain class III NFA items, which primarily concern gun mufflers, short barreled rifles and shotguns, and automatic firearms.  This follows a trend in other states to require CLEOs to process the necessary paperwork.  Arizona and Kansas recently passed similar measures.  It passed the Oklahoma House 92-1 and the Senate 46-0.

The power of grass roots was demonstrated.   A source informs me that they sent this message to their Senator:

It has been reported that Senate Leadership "has no plans" to bring to the floor a vote to override the Governor's recent veto of HB2461, even though the House has already voted overwhelmingly to override.

I'm curious, because my reading of the Oklahoma Constitution does not appear to authorize this course of action. Indeed, Article 6, Section 11 of the Oklahoma Constitution says that after the chamber of origin votes “it shall be sent, together with the [Governor's] objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered.” (emphasis added).  The word “shall” specifically disallows the reported plan to not pursue  a veto override; indeed, it demands that you do so.

Can you please help me understand the apparent contradiction here between what the Constitution demands, and the Senate's reported course of action?

The next day, this reply came back.  The name has been removed by request:

Thank

you for contacting Senator ******** and sharing you concerns about HB2461.

HB 2461 VETO Override was voted on this morning and passed 39-0

We cannot know how many people emailed their senators.  The Tulsa World reported that there were no plans for an override veto.  Plans change with events. The vote was taken.  The veto has been overridden.

The vote was recorded here.  Perhaps the Governor's other vetoes will also be overridden.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Was the Senate pressured to override, or did the media try to push the senate not to override?

[thesearethetimes...]

BookMark for following.

[samtheman]

So this law removes the power of CLEOs to arbitrarily deny these applications?

[marktwain]

Yes.

[Vaquero]

I heard it was a pissing contest. Fallin, wanted something totally unrelated and was turned down for going to the floor, by the legislature. Not being anti gun Fallin was playing politics. Or so someone I email from the Indian territory told me.

Anyone have more insider info on this topic?

[Excellence]

I was just thinking to myself “I wish I could move to a free state.” What a strange thing to think. But congrats to OK!

[Mouton]

Yeah, props to OK to doing the right thing.

Having lived in both NJ and Cal, and gladly out of both due to their anti firearms stances, I am happy to see that OK understands the 2nd and fully supports it.

[BobL]

Here in Texas our 60% plus Republican State Senate spends 119 days of their 120 day session talking, arguing, and debating. Then the last day they try to vote on things, like Voter ID, but always seem to run out of time...leaving Governor Perry with a big smirk on his face as he never wanted to deal with that stuff anyway.

Anyway those days are over, as Perry is gone, and Dan Patrick will be taking over the Senate - and having been on the receiving end of those tactics for over a decade, he has some plans for that body.

[marktwain]

Good to hear. Maybe they include making open carry legal again.

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2014/02/open-carry-is-coming-to-texas.html

[BobL]

Hopefully so. It’s rough - you want the state to be business-friendly, and we are, but this is not always in line with the interests of the country, which have to be considered first. Coddling of Illegals is a good example - they provide cheap, reliable, high-quality labor (and they do, unlike American high school graduates). But they also are slow re-populating this country...which will destroy us in the long-term. So that has to end and other ways of dealing with the problems need to be used.

[aragorn]

Thanks for the article! It seems that the Senate pays a little closer attention to their constituents during an election year.

[aragorn]

Yes, she was playing politics - with our rights! - and she got a lot of negative feedback over it here in the state, especially in the gun-rights community. I was told that she had come to “regret her decision” to veto those bills.

[Vaquero]

Yes, she was playing politics - with our rights! - and she got a lot of negative feedback over it here in the state, especially in the gun-rights community. I was told that she had come to “regret her decision” to veto those bills.

not too bright

the lady I know who lives there says there has been worse...but there also has been MUCH BETTER Governors of late.

[aragorn]

Yes, we’ve had worse, and better. While she wasn’t my first choice, I thought she did an acceptable job at Lt. Gov. and so was hopeful she would make a good Governor. Instead, she has been a bit of a disappointment - she hasn’t shown the leadership on constitutional issues I’d hoped for, she supported Common Core, and now with this...