Oklahoma State Legislature Considering Two Dangerous Gun Bills

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominate on and off the court, Oklahoma’s sole major professional sports team is taking a stand against dangerous legislation that would jeopardize public safety.

The Thunder have joined a coalition of more than two dozen groups including Oklahoma State Troopers, the State Chamber of Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to oppose H.B. 1009 and H.B. 3098, bills that would threaten to eliminate common-sense, public safety laws in Oklahoma. The full list of law enforcement, chambers of commerce, universities, and business groups opposing the bill can be viewed here.

H.B. 3098 would eliminate the requirement that Oklahoma residents obtain a permit, undergo a criminal history records check, and undergo firearms training before they openly carry a handgun in public. We don’t allow new drivers to drive on the roads in Oklahoma without obtaining a license and taking driving lessons. Allowing potentially dangerous people, including some violent criminals, to openly carry loaded handguns in public without a permit or training puts our communities at risk.

H.J.R 1009 would allow the state constitution to be amended to require the courts to evaluate all firearms-related laws, rules and regulations using the most severe form of judicial analysis.

This would throw into question nearly any law involving the use, carry, sale, or possession of guns. Under H.J.R. 1009, laws that could be challenged and invalidated include:

• The state’s handgun carry permitting system
  
• Laws prohibiting handguns in sensitive places, like K-12 schools, colleges, and sports arenas
  
• Laws preventing juveniles from possessing firearms, which is generally illegal in Oklahoma
  
• Laws that temporarily remove guns from dangerous domestic abusers

  Oklahoma has a rich history of responsible gun ownership. This bill would jeopardize nearly all of the the state’s current, common-sense gun laws.

  Both H.J.R 1009 and H.B. 3098 have been voted through both legislative chambers and assigned to conference committees. A handful of lawmakers hold the fate of these two dangerous bills in their hands.

  The Thunder and other Oklahoma groups oppose these bills because they could jeopardize the rights of businesses to keep guns from being carried onto their private property and the ability of colleges to prohibit guns on campus. They realize the serious threat these bills pose to the public safety and security of all Oklahomans.