Alert from Gun Owners of America
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Occasionally, we have an opportunity to dramatically expand the
legislature’s recognition of your Second Amendment rights. This is one
of those opportunities.
The bill — House Bill 1414, introduced by Representative Mike Ritze (R)
— would legalize “open carry” in the state of Oklahoma.
Currently, the legislature recognizes your right to carry a firearm
openly under limited circumstances: when hunting, competing, or serving
in the police force or the military.
But House Bill 1414 would recognize the right of a person to openly
carry a firearm in most places, so long as it is in a belt holster or a
scabbard or case designed for carrying firearms.
Thus, you could openly carry a firearm for the defense of yourself, your
family, and your home — or on your way to a hunting trip or a shooting
match.
This right to open carry is already recognized in many states,
including, ironically, anti-gun states like Wisconsin. The Badger State
doesn’t recognize concealed carry permits at all, and yet, they still
protect the right of their citizens to carry firearms openly.
Moreover, no one is suggesting that states like Wisconsin or New
Hampshire are less safe because they recognize the Second Amendment
rights — and the self-defense rights — of their citizens.
So it is time for Oklahoma to catch up.
ACTION: Currently, House Public Safety Committee Chair Sue Tibbs is
refusing to hold hearings on HB 1414. Please contact a member of that
committee (roster below) and ask that he or she pressure Rep. Tibbs to
hold hearings on giving Oklahomans the same gun rights as more liberal
areas of the country.
You can find out who your representative is by going to
http://www.capitolconnect.com/oklahoma/default.aspx and plugging in your
address. If your representative is not on the committee, please contact
a committee member from the county closest to you.
House Public Safety Committee
Name District (Counties Represented) E-mail
Collins 45 (Cleveland) wallace.collins@okhouse.gov
Hoskin 6 (Craig Mayes Rogers) chuck.hoskin@okhouse.gov
Martin 10 (Nowata Osage Washington) stevemartin@okhouse.gov
McCullough 30 (Creek Tulsa) mark.mccullough@okhouse.gov
McDaniel 83 (Oklahoma) randy.mcdaniel@okhouse.gov
Murphey 31 (Logan Oklahoma) jason.murphey@okhouse.gov
Osborn 47 (Canadian Grady) leslie.osborn@okhouse.gov
Ritze 80 (Tulsa) mike.ritze@okhouse.gov
Roan 20 (Atoka Bryan Coal Johnston Pontotoc) paulroan@okhouse.gov
Smithson 2 (Sequoyah) glensmithson@okhouse.gov
Thomsen 25 (Hughes McClain Pontotoc Pottawatomie) todd.thomsen@okhouse.gov
Tibbs 23 (Tulsa) suetibbs@okhouse.gov
AxXiom for Liberty 
Yes, I agree, OK should have an open carry policy! Our forefathers would be rolling in their graves if they only knew how our government has curtailed the rights of the individual, from the concept of free speech to now, we are scared to disagree with the leftists because we will not be politically correct or worst yet, narrow minded. The hell with that! and our second amendement, if we are in favor of open carry, then we have to be a gangster, or mobster or gang member. That is nonsense. We must take action and take it quickly to regain our rights before they are gone, or re written forever. Pass HB 1414, and lets do it NOW!