The Oklahoma Senate concurred with the House and voted to abolish the requirement that a law-abiding Oklahoma resident acquire a concealed permit in order to carry a gun for self-defense.
On April 26, Breitbart News reported that the Oklahoma House overcame Democratic opposition to pass permitless carry and now the Senate has followed suit.
The Hill reports that the Senate passed the measure by a vote of 33 to nine. If signed into law, it means legal gun owners 21 years and older will be able to carry their guns without first acquiring a permit from the state.
State Sen. Kevin Matthews (D-11) opposed the legislation, arguing that people ought to be required to get a permit for a gun just as they are required to get a license to drive a car. But state Sen. Nathan (R-33), the sponsor of the permitless carry legislation, refuted Matthews by pointing out that the Second Amendment protects a constitutional right to bear arms, not a constitutional right to drive cars.
On June 7, 2017, Breitbart News reported FBI figures showing that Alaska, Arizona, and Wyoming all witnessed drops in murders with handguns when they abolished a permit requirement.
Twelve states have abolished their concealed carry permit requirement. Those are Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia. And Arkansas and Montana recognize permitless carry in the vast majority of their states as well.
The Oklahoma legislation to abolish carry permits now rests with Gov. Mary Fallin (R).
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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