Oklahoma House approves pistol-packing in public

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/oklahoma-house-approves-pistol-packing-public-021325122.html

By Steve Olafson | Reuters – 3 hrs ago

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Law abiding citizens of Oklahoma who want to publicly carry a pistol on their hip or in a shoulder holster may do so under a bill overwhelmingly approved on Wednesday by the state House of Representatives.

The bill, which passed 85 to 9, will now go to the Oklahoma state Senate, where Representative Steve Martin, the Republican who sponsored the measure, said he believes it will be approved and then signed into law by Republican Governor Mary Fallin.

Martin described his bill as "mild" compared with laws in seven states that he said allow firearms to be carried openly without a screening process by authorities.

Every state in the nation except Illinois has some form of "concealed" carry law allowing citizens to carry guns. Most require gun safety training to get a permit.

The proposed Oklahoma law requires citizens to undergo the same training and a background check that has been required to obtain a concealed weapon license for past 17 years, Martin said.

The bill requires firearms openly carried in public to be in a belt or shoulder holster, scabbard or case.

It prohibits openly carrying guns into government offices, schools, bars, professional sporting arenas and private businesses that choose to prohibit firearms.

A similar bill was passed in 2010 but it was vetoed by then-Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, a Democrat.

The new bill includes an additional provision that allows police officers to ask anyone openly carrying a firearm to produce a permit.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Timing is everything!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/07/justice/oklahoma-shooting/index.html

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Timing is everything!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/07/justice/oklahoma-shooting/index.html

I'm not sure what this has to do with gun rights?

[Andy-n-Maricar 6]

Lame. You still have to jump through all the hoops and get permission from "the state" to exercise your rights. Oklahoma needs a Vermont-style carry law.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Lame. You still have to jump through all the hoops and get permission from "the state" to exercise your rights. Oklahoma needs a Vermont-style carry law.

Agreed.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I'm not sure what this has to do with gun rights?

It was more of a response to your title and of course interesting timing.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I am not a big fan of open carry but not against it. Oklahoma and 11 other states also has a proposal before the legislature to eliminate the need for concealed carry permits such as is the case in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota

[xebec 195]

Timing is everything!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/07/justice/oklahoma-shooting/index.html

Excellent point. People with guns were immediately on hand to stop this criminal. More guns on the scene means a much better chance of stopping such crimes quickly.