Meanwhile in Oklahoma, the state capitol was the scene of impassioned debate this week over a bill that would do away with a permit requirement for open carry by law-abiding gun owners. Currently, if Oklahomans carry a weapon under clothes or in a purse, they need a concealed-carry license. Under this bill, no permit would be necessary to carry a gun openly.
The bill passed the House overwhelmingly. Rep. Jeff Coody authored the legislation, and told NewsOK, “If we give people some freedom, people tend to use that responsibly. We have a government that wants to take our constitutional rights away from us. This is pushback.”
Opponents of the bill say no changes are required in existing gun licensing laws, but Coody disagrees. “I don’t want anyone who can legally own a weapon, who can legally purchase a weapon to have to ask the government permission to carry that weapon off their property, in the open.”
The bill now heads to the Senate.
