The chair of the Oklahoma House Public Safety Committee managed to get two of his favored gun policies through on deadline day.
House Bill 3422 originally dealt with law enforcement officers’ mental health records, but it was amended late Wednesday to instead lift restrictions on lawmakers carrying guns in the capitol and other state buildings.
Committee Chair Rep. Justin Humphrey said the change is OK because it still deals with public safety, which did not sit well with Rep. Matt Meredith.
"I would just like you to explain how you can get Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training as a bill and turn it into a firearm bill to carry in the capitol. I just want you to explain that to the committee and to the public how we can do that," Meredith said.
"I think I just did explain that," Humphrey said.
"Just because you want to?" Meredith said.
Humphrey changed his own bill — House Bill 2901, which originally dealt with lawmakers carrying guns — to support areas declared Second Amendment sanctuaries. HB2901 says agencies can’t have funding cut and officers can’t be punished for refusing to obey an order that "violates the Second Amendment."
Humphrey said he doesn’t want to see officers punished in debates over gun laws.
"So, if they were told to go and take somebody’s guns and they refused based on the Second Amendment act, then they would not be fired. If they went and took somebody’s guns, it holds that person harmless, too," Humphrey said.
Rep. Ben Loring asked whether gun seizures are issue in Oklahoma.
"Is it perhaps that that is a political stunt?" Loring said.
"On my behalf or the sheriffs’ behalf? Or both?" Humphrey said.
"Either."
"You know, I will tell you this. Being from southeastern Oklahoma, being a person who is very avid hunter, avid protection, law enforcement, grown up with guns, I can tell you that I am the norm from where I am from and that if you said you were going to take my guns, you’ve got issues. OK?" Humphrey said.
The committee also advanced a bill to let cities allow employees to carry concealed weapons.
Thursday was the deadline for bills to be heard in a committee of their chamber of origin. Bills not heard by then are supposed to be shelved for the session.
