Oklahoma is On Its Way to Becoming the Next Constitutional Carry State
Jose Nino
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Is Oklahoma going to be the next Constitutional Carry state?
On February 7, 2019, Constitutional Carry bill HB 2579 was voted out of the Oklahoma House Public Safety Committee. Oklahoma’s Constitutional Carry bill allows for the unlicensed carry of a handgun. HB 2579 removes the mandatory training requirement and bureaucratic hoops that an individual must undertake to carry a handgun. Despite lifting mandatory training and licensing requirements, Oklahoma’s concealed carry licensing system still remains intact for individuals who want to carry out of state.
Just a few weeks ago, South Dakota became the 14th Constitutional Carry state. Oklahoma is now on pace to becoming the 15th Constitutional Carry state. Last year, Oklahoma Constitutional Carry nearly became law after both houses of the Oklahoma State Legislature passed Constitutional Carry. Sadly, gun owners got their hopes dashed when former Governor Mary Fallin vetoed it.
However, Governor Kevin Stitt has gone on record in favor of signing Constitutional Carry into law. On the campaign trail, Stitt said he would have signed Oklahoma’s past Constitutional Carry bill:
I would sign it. I am a constitutional conservative. I support the first amendment, the second amendment and I think the best defense for a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
With Constitutional Carry moving quickly out of the Oklahoma House, gun owners expect it to receive Stitt’s signature.
Constitutional Carry is one of the hottest pro-liberty fights across the nation. Since Arizona signed Constitutional Carry in 2010, states ranging from Kansas to Maine have adopted Constitutional Carry.
The loosening of firearm carry laws is part of a larger movement decades in the making. Starting with concealed carry licenses, gun owners gradually worked to increase carry freedom across the nation. In present times, all 50 states allow for some variation of licensed carry. Research from John Lott estimates that there are approximately 17.25 million concealed weapons license holders in the United States.
Now gun owners are going the extra mile by removing the mandatory licensing requirement for firearm carry. When the federal government lags in restoring gun rights, there are plenty of other opportunities to leave their mark at the state level.
Let’s hope Governor Stitt does right by signing Constitutional Carry into law.
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