Quoted:



Update time.





SB129, my open carry measure, was amended by me and
Rep. Leslie Osborn of the House to be presented in Sue Tibbs Committee.
We worked closely with Rep. Tibbs and also Rep. Martin and Tibbs agreed
to hear the bill.





The committee substitute that Osborn and I
worked was presented by her this morning in the House Public Safety
Committee. That version of SB129 contained the following:


- Age = 21


- Training = Firearms safety course by NRA or SDA certified instructor


-
Card issued by instructor similar to Hunter's Safety card. Would state
that the undersigned individual had been instructed in open carry and
firearms safety


- Reciprocity = Oklahoma resident only





The
measure was amended by Rep. Martin. He intended to strip SB129
completely and return it to a CCL / Open Carry provision similar to last
year's. The amended version became the new bill in committee and then
proceeded for a full vote. That vote was struck down 9 to 8 with all
dems and 4 republicans voting against it (Rep. Pat Ownby, Rep. Doug Cox,
Rep. Charlie Joyner, and Rep. Tommy Hardin). Tibbs and Martin were for
it and were surprised when it did not pass. At that, the bill died. Sort
of.





There is still a chance that the bill can be brought again
next week in a procedural move by Tibbs. She was mad and will likely do
it. So, it may yet get out of the committee process and get to the house
floor. If it passes the floor, I will get the bill back, it will go to
conference and we will work the final language for final passage. Lots
of ifs, but Tibbs can be very tough and if she wants the bill heard, she
will get her way. We should be thankful to her for her support of the
bill thus far.





On the senate side, I am the author of Rep. John
Bennett's version that was poisoned by rep. Virgin in a convoluted bill
that passed out of the House. Bennet was OK with the poisoned bill
knowing we could fix it in the House. Yesterday, I was informed by Sen.
Barrington that he would refuse to hear Bennett's bill. He also informed
me that he was refusing to hear the Career Tech parking lot bill from
me and Rep. John Enns. I asked him why. He stated that while he supports
the second amendment, he does not think we need all those guns out
there. He stated that the police were adequate to protect us (I wanted
to ask him today if he thought the police did a good job of protecting
Shelia Lee yesterday, the Lawton Chamber President who was murdered in
her own home but I was too much of a gentleman to do it).





With
that, I am scrambling now to save Bennett's bill. Sen. Mike Schulz has
been very helpful and we may get it heard in another committee.





On
a side note, Schulz helped me save the Career Tech bill by allowing it
to move from Barrington's committee and putting it in Sen. Rob Johnson's
Rules committee. Send a note of thanks to Schulz. He has helped us save
several gun bills this year from SB129 in the senate earlier this year,
to the Career Tech bill and possibly Bennett's bill tomorrow.





It
is an ugly business. But as long as I have weapons, ammo, a knife,
fists or spit (politically speaking of course :-)  ), I will fight to
get these bills through. When time is up and the bills are gone then the
fight is over but right now, we are doing pretty well keeping the fight
alive.





Notes to send - Thank Rep. Sue Tibbs and encourage her in her fight to keep the bill alive. Osborn also.


Thank
Sen. Mike Schulz for saving the Career Tech bill and encourage him to
keep the Open Carry measures alive. He has been a great help to us as
floor leader.





That is it for now. Steve