OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (PNN) - March 11, 2016 - On March 10, the Oklahoma House passed legislation to legalize carrying a handgun openly on one’s hip without a concealed carry permit.
The measure is being referred to as “constitutional open carry” and the vote for passage was 73-15, a landslide victory for abolishing the permit requirement.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Jeff Coody (Grandfield), who described the measure as “the ultimate freedom bill regarding open carry.”
It is similar to open carry laws in more than 30 other states and would allow gun owners to exercise their Second Amendment right to carry firearms openly, such as in a holster, without having to comply with existing state government licensing requirements.
The measure was supported by Representative John Bennett (Sallisaw), who stressed that people should not have to get a permission slip from the government to carry a holstered sidearm for self-defense. Bennett said, “It’s our God-given right to defend ourselves.”
Representative Emily Virgin (Norman) opposed the bill. She argued that allowing law-abiding citizens to carry openly without a permit “could increase incidents of domestic violence.”
Constitutional open carry now goes to the Senate for deliberation and a vote.
