Well, I guess we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer for Bring Your Guns to the Capitol Day.
Now that lawmakers can apparently get drunk on the House floor, lawmaker Molly Jenkins – a gun-loving rancher from Coyle – figured it was finally the right time to let everyone bring guns to the Capitol.
She filed a bill to do exactly that, but hesitant lawmakers who are usually quick to pull the trigger on any gun rights bill shied away from this one.
Via Oklahoma Voice:
House lawmakers voted down a measure that would have allowed licensed handgun owners to carry their weapons in the Oklahoma Capitol amid concerns about ensuring safety.
Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, said Oklahomans should have the right to protect themselves “at all times,” including at the state Capitol.
House Bill 3094 proposed allowing anyone in possession of a valid handgun license issued under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act to carry their weapon at the Capitol after having their license checked by security.
In an ideal world, we’d have common-sense gun laws that limit where people can bring firearms. But thanks to gun-nut lawmakers like Jenkins, our world is less than ideal. We basically live in a free-for-all pro-gun society where people can open- and conceal-carry basically wherever they want.
As a result, I’m actually with Jenkins on this one. Why not let people bring guns to the Capitol? If we’re going to have laws that allow Second Amendment gun rights auditors to roam around public buildings dressed in full assault garb, why keep them out of the ultimate people’s house?
Well, actually, they probably have a good reason:
Tim Tipton, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, said the Oklahoma Highway Patrol – which protects the Capitol – would need greater manpower and resources if the bill became law. He said he would need to conduct a full threat assessment before estimating the cost.
Threats against public officials have been higher in the last few years than at any other point during his 37 years with the Highway Patrol, Tipton said.
“I’m not scared of guns, I carry a gun every day,” he said. “All my family carry guns every day. I’m scared of the intent of ill-willed people who I believe could circumvent the no-carry policy in this building and put you all at risk. And ultimately, I’m responsible for your safety.”
Tipton said checking an individual’s license doesn’t always give law enforcement the whole picture, and running it through a system to check its validity could hold up security lines for entry to the Capitol.
Yep – we can’t allow guns because it would lead to long security lines. And people want to kill lawmakers. Fair enough, but regardless of those valid concerns, I’m still surprised the proposal didn’t pass committee.
First of all, this is Oklahoma. The only thing our freedom-loving lawmakers love more than promoting gun rights is picking on poor people. Seriously, this would be like finding out they blocked a proposal that would ban homeless people from entering the Capitol.
Second, all of our neighboring states – including Texas – have laws that allow guns at their Capitols, so why shouldn’t we? Who knows. Maybe it’s the real reason Devon and Expand Energy left for Houston.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
