New bill to change how rifles are carried in public
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – There is a bill making its way through the Oklahoma State Capitol that would change Oklahoma’s 2019 Open Carry Laws. The author of a new bill says changes are needed in the Oklahoma Self Defense Act to help law enforcement implement gun safety.
“This just simply adds to the language that would help protect police officers at these protests and also just general citizens,” said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, referring to rifles being openly carried in hand with barrel held horizontally.
Oklahoma’s 2019 open carry law made it legal to open carry a rifle, but didn’t spell out how to carry it. The Republican from Tuttle say SB1366 would fill in the holes in the 3-year-old legislation.
“You are supposed to carry your rifle in a vertical position, so the barrel is pointing up or down and not pointing at people, we do not, right now, have that in statute,” said Paxton.
Paxton say the bill does not expand or restrict open carry, it just fills in holes. He says rifles would need to be attached to the body with a strap, but a late amendment made to the bill took out language that required the strapped rifle be carried on the back or behind the shoulder.
Don Spencer of the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association thanking Senator Paxton for working on the language of the bill saying, “The concern was that firearms are being carried horizontal and so if the strap is up on your shoulder its more likely to be in a position and not what we call a ready position to where a person could just swing and shoot, which is a concern for law enforcement.”
Gun reform advocates weighing in.
“We would prefer not to have open carry in the state. If we are going to make it safer, which is what this bill is about, I completely support it,” said Cacky Poarch of Moms Demand Action.
If found guilty of violating this law change, the offender would face a misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine.
“I’m a firm believer that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun, but we do have to have some parameters on how we carry our pistols, how we carry our rifles,” said Paxton.
The bill passed through Senate Committee, 12-0, and will now be eligible for debate on the Oklahoma State Senate floor.