OKLAHOMA CITY —On 25 April, 2018, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Constitutional Carry by a vote of 59-28. The bill had already passed the Senate unanimously on March 6th, 2018, but as a bill removing wildlife refuges as gun free zones. The amendment process allowed the bill to bypass Senate committees that had blocked Constitutional Carry in the past.
On a 33-8 vote, the Oklahoma Senate Wednesday night passed the controversial "constitutional carry" bill.
The Senate went into session Wednesday night and passed Senate Bill 1212, which would recognize the rights of law-abiding Oklahoma residents to carry a firearm for self defense without having to first obtain a government mandated license.
Constitutional Carry refers to the state of law when the Bill of Rights was passed in 1791. At that time, no permits were required to buy, possess, or carry firearms in the United States. In states with Constitutional Carry, no permit is required for most adults to carry firearms openly or concealed.
Minors, or adults that have felony convictions or domestic violence misdemeanor convictions are excluded from the free exercise of all Constitutional rights.
The Third Millennium has seen a resurgence in Constitutional Carry. Vermont has always been a Constitutional Carry state.
In 2003, Alaska passed the reform to restore the exercise of Second Amendment rights. In 2010, Arizona passed Constitutional Carry. In 2011, Wyoming, in 2013, Arkansas passed Act 746 into law. It is effectively Constitutional Carry, but is disputed by some county prosecutors. in 2015, Kansas, and Maine joined the Constitutional Carry club. In 2016, Idaho, Missouri, West Virginia, and Mississippi enacted Constitutional Carry. In 2017, New Hampshire, and North Dakota were added to the list.
If Governor Fallin signs SB 1212 into law, Oklahoma will be the 14th Constitutional Carry state in the nation.
Constitutional Carry states already outnumber the "may issue" states where Second Amendment rights are severely infringed. "May issue" refers to states that grant the power to authorities to withhold the right to bear arms in public from individuals as they the decide, on an individual basis.
"May issue" states are: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island.
The practice of granting permission to carry outside the home varies widely within the "may issue" states. Hawaii and New Jersey allow so few permits that the number is statistically zero. Massachusetts has granted permits to over six percent of state residents.
©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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