Gov. Mary Fallin (Photo: Twitter)
Oklahoma was close to joining a dozen or more states that allow law-abiding citizens to carry open or concealed without a permit. That was until Gov. Mary Fallin — a Republican — vetoed the measure Friday.
“Oklahomans believe that law-abiding individuals should be able to defend themselves. I believe the firearms requirement we current have in state law are few and reasonable. Senate Bill 1212 eliminates the training requirements for persons carrying a firearms in Oklahoma. It reduces the level of the background check necessary to carry a gun,” said Fallin in a statement.
Fallin went on to say that the bill eliminates law enforcement’s ability to distinguish between “trained and vetted” concealed carriers and everyone else.
“Again, I believe the firearms laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal, and serve to reassure our citizens that people who are carrying handguns in this state are qualified to do so,” she concluded.
Senate Bill 1212 cleared the state House by a vote of 59-28 and the state Senate by 33-9. Given that the Legislature doesn’t reconvene until next year, there’s no immediate opportunity to override the veto.
The good news is that Fallin will not be governor in 2019. The Oklahoma Constitution limits governors to a maximum of two terms in office. First elected back in 2010, Fallin is in the last year of her second (4-year) term.
“Gov. Fallin vetoed this important piece of self-defense legislation despite the state legislature’s overwhelming approval of the bill and her commitment to NRA members to support constitutional carry when she ran for reelection,” said Chris Cox, NRA executive director for legislative affairs, in a press release.
“Make no mistake, this temporary setback will be rectified when Oklahoma residents elect a new, and genuinely pro-Second Amendment governor,” added Cox.
SEE ALSO: Why Do Alabama Sheriffs Oppose Constitutional Carry? It’s All About the Money!
Why did Fallin really veto the measure? It’s doubtful that it had anything to do with “public safety.” A quick case study of the other states that have enacted Constitutional carry will illustrate that there was no statistically significant rise in gun crime following the rollout of the permitless standard. None. Society didn’t suddenly descend into chaos because people could carry firearms like the founders intended.
If the public safety argument doesn’t hold water, what else could it be? Follow the money.
Promise broken. (Photo: NRA-ILA)
As reported by USA Today, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation opposed the measure because it could “erode public safety.” But also because it would “lose nearly $5 million annually in licensing fees under the new law and have to eliminate about 60 full-time positions.”
It’s not cheap to get a carry permit in the Sooner State. First-time applicants (and expired renewals) are $100 a pop for a five-year license. Ten-year licenses run $200, according to the OSBI website.
On-time renewals for a five-year license cost $85 and $170 for a 10-year license.
State bureaucrats don’t want to give up that revenue stream. It appears Gov. Fallin agreed that keeping the money pouring in is more important than expanding the rights of law-abiding citizens.
This isn’t the only time Fallin has chosen money over rights – she vetoed the “Shall Sign” bill for persons seeking a tax stamp for NFA firearms. Fortunately, that was overridden by our Congress here.
Unfortunately though, a lot of our pro-rights bills tend to die in House or Senate, often in one of the various committees because they are run by pro-gun control and/or pro-state income advocates, and they allow the bills to die in committee rather than passing it especially if it means the state will lose money by letting go of some licensing scheme.
But hey, you know, it’s good that she went ahead and signed the adoption bill that would allow state workers to deny adoption rights to gay couples because you know, Oklahoma has a surplus of money that it can throw at the inevitable court cases that are going to arise from the unconstitutional laws she likes.
I am so damn glad this is her last term.
Writer needs to do some deeper research. How much did she get paid and from who?
She doesn’t care it’s her last look good act .. she can’t run for re-election ..this is a fuck you act…
Nasty, gnarly wench.
Did she/it run unopposed, Okie Dokies?
Do yourselves a favor, keep your women in the kitchen and put a man in office the next time.
Your neighbors in Texas learned the hard way with Ann Richards. You should have learned from them.
I guess the beer isn’t the only thing that sucks in Oklahoma 🤔
Just eliminated my hunting trip to Oklahoma this fall/winter.
As a life-long Texas resident, I watch closely what happens in neighboring states over gun reform/control legislation and to be honest, I was extremely surprised and maybe even a bit disturbed that Oklahoma gun owners would take this ‘laying down’. I proclaim myself as more Constitutionalist, that Libertarian or even Conservative, and believe that the Second Amendment should be a free and unchallenged right of all Americans ‘to protect life and property’. I do not think that states have the right to challenge constitutional legislation originally penned in the original first draft. Don’t give up the fight Oklahoma gun-owners, your brothers on the ‘other side of the Red’ stand with you.
….Oklahoma!!,….Vote the SOB RINO out of office as soon as her next Election!!……..End of story!!,…
RIF….
“The good news is that Fallin will not be governor in 2019. The Oklahoma Constitution limits governors to a maximum of two terms in office. First elected back in 2010, Fallin is in the last year of her second (4-year) term.”
She is just trying to keep people safe from gun toting criminals & thugs.
She feels that if this went through, It would allow the evil drug dealers and gang members carry their guns.
She did the right thing because they are just like all citizens and will not carry or use a gun in any of their crimes.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
A recall is in order for this idiot fool.
Ronnie U,
You talk that law / Gov, is trying to keep guns from the hands of criminals /thugs/drug dealers ,
I am pretty sure,that those individuals YOU are describing really DON’T CARE if the law is in place or not !
IT is a ploy by the state government to extort ,
YES I said EXTORT money from the law ABIDING public, that is wanting to exercise their rights AS ,Free UNTED STATE CITIZENS ,
I love in a state that doesn’t allow Constitutional Carry, even WITH a permit, ,
I am a gun owner and I have been to training and I am licensed to own ,but NOT carry !
I know that there are many people who have NOT gone through the same process that I had
And I am sure that there are many more than ARE trained/ licensed !
The police are way too busy to enforce or to keep EVERY CITIZEN completely safe ,24/7 ,I personally don’t have any problems with licensing ,or even registration for my handguns , I have nothing to hide and everything to protect, but I believe it should be voluntary ,by real LAW ABIDING AMERICANS !!
sooo,,$100.00 for 5 years is considered expensive now,,LOL..that’s funny,the same people bitching about this probably spend that a month in booze and smokes,too funny,i’m as pro gun as they get,but requiring screening to get a concealed carry is just common sense,do you really want any swinging dick to just walk around armed with no checks whatsoever,it’s all fine and dandy with most hardcore pro 2’nd supporters,UNTIL it’s one of THEIR friends or familly that gets killed by some loonie tune with a gun,too late to bitch then,if $100.00 per 5 years is expensive to you,maybe you need a better job,
Criminals and loonietunes are ALREADY carrying without a license! Criminals are by definition “criminals” specifically because they break (not uphold, break!) laws. No legislation – ink on paper – will ever change that.
The problem is that Oklahoma’s current package of laws lumps (unconstitutionally lumps!) any honest, responsible citizen [who carries a firearm without first begging – and paying heavily – for a permission slip] into that “criminal” classification, when such a citizen has not broken any legitimate laws. Focus, now… that is the exact problem. SB1212 is – not “may be” or “can be” or “might be” but IS – the solution.
SB1212 will not in any way affect who may legally own or possess a firearm. Minors, felons, drug abusers, etc will remain “prohibited persons,” and nothing along those lines changes. But SB1212 will put more armed “good guys” on the street, without having any worsening effect on the number of “bad guys” out there, from whom society in general needs to be protected.
No other natural, God-given civil right (speech, press, religion, etc) requires government permission or government-approved training. [Imagine having to get government permission to attend church!]. Yet you somehow unilaterally decide that YOU can demand such treatment for a constitutionally-protected right… out of sheer egomania… I cheerfully invite you and every other liberal, anti-constitution ass in this country to go attempt an act (in your case, a biologically-impossible act) of auto-eroticism.
And before you start spouting about “common sense,” like all the other two-watt-bulb-for-brains liberals, just remember – “common sense” is ONLY “common” to those who actually have it. Which leaves you out.
Criminals and loonietunes are ALREADY carrying without a license! Criminals are by definition \”criminals\” specifically because they break (not uphold, break!) laws. No legislation – ink on paper – will ever change that.The problem is that Oklahoma\’s current package of laws lumps (unconstitutionally lumps!) any honest, responsible citizen [who carries a firearm without first begging – and paying heavily – for a permission slip] into that \”criminal\” classification, when such a citizen has not broken any legitimate laws. Focus, now… that is the exact problem. SB1212 is – not \”may be\” or \”can be\” or \”might be\” but IS – the solution.SB1212 will not in any way affect who may legally own or possess a firearm. Minors, felons, drug abusers, etc will remain \”prohibited persons,\” and nothing along those lines changes. But SB1212 will put more armed \”good guys\” on the street, without having any worsening effect on the number of \”bad guys\” out there, from whom society in general needs to be protected.No other natural, God-given civil right (speech, press, religion, etc) requires government permission or government-approved training. [Imagine having to get government permission to attend church!]. Yet you somehow unilaterally decide that YOU can demand such treatment for a constitutionally-protected right… out of sheer egomania… I cheerfully invite you and every other liberal, anti-constitution ass in this country to go attempt an act (in your case, a biologically-impossible act) of auto-eroticism.And before you start spouting about \”common sense,\” like all the other two-watt-bulb-for-brains liberals, just remember – \”common sense\” is ONLY \”common\” to those who actually have it. Which leaves you out.
Another rihno,she took the $$$ road.its her last year so SCREW THE PEOPLE
Stop listening to women, men form your own conclusions, or we all die.
Stupid rino b****
when is anti-2a sweat hog leaving
Who trained and vetted the Colonists ?
Who trains and vets the Criminals ?
Who trains and vets the Governor ?
And where is the training and vetting requirements for the right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights ? Or “common sense gun laws ?”
Why doesn’t the legislature override the veto?
Because the state legislature is out of session. She intentionally delayed vetoing the bill so they couldn’t override it anytime soon. She knew it would effectively kill the bill.
Enjoy your final term.