UPDATE! May 8th 2014
As of today the Senate has voted to over ride the Veto on HB 2461 This is a HUGE win for 2A supporters who enjoy the ability to purchase and own NFA items in Oklahoma.
There has still been no action in either house on HB 2539
So I live in the state of Oklahoma, land of songs about the being "Okay" Bison roaming the refuges and some of the great land rushes with people who just couldn't wait to get there. The Sooners, the Cowboys, lots of Indian's (now referred to as "Native American's") and now even a little showdown at the OK Corral between Marry Fallin (the Governor) and the House of Representatives.
Right now the Oklahoma State Capital Complex is starting to fall in to disrepair and the State Senate has passed a bond measure that is in waiting for the House to deal with. Because the House is taking it's sweet time the Governor has chosen to arbitrarily use her veto power to kill just over a dozen bills that originated in the House to send a point, get things going. I fully understand the need to make sure repairs are made but I think the little temper tantrum is only going to succeed in irritating people who have worked hard to get things passed to try and make things a little better in the state.
Now, this being a Second Amendment related site two bills are directly in my sights, hb2461 and hb2539. HB 2539 modifies the language and clarifies whom you can come to the defense of with deadly force while HB 2461 removes the politics and personal opinion from the acquisition of NFA related items and requires the CLEO to sign off on applications within a set maximum time period of fifteen days. This has already passed into law in a few states like Utah, Kentucky, Kansas and Arizona and basically makes purchase or creation of an NFA regulated item as simple as acquiring a Handgun Carry License, at least at the state level. . . Sorry guys but the Federal Government is still not on the bandwagon with removing the NFA requirement for suppressors and short barreled rifles or shotguns, they have also failed at implementing a system that would at the very least help speed up the application time.
As of the writing of this the House has already voted to override the veto of HB2461 86-3 and is waiting on the Senate to vote to override, HB 2539 has not had a vote in either house as of yet. I fully expect HB2461 to be law soon and the likelihood of HB2539 becoming law as well is very high as it passed both houses of the Legislature with an overwhelming majority.
Today, in a surprising move, Governor Mary Fallin (R) vetoed high-priority NRA-supported legislation, House Bill 2461. As previously reported, HB 2461 was sent to Governor Fallin for her signature following nearly unanimous passage in the Oklahoma Legislature. HB 2461 passed unanimously in the Senate and passed in the House by a92 to 1 vote.
Authored in the House by state Representative Mike Turner (R-82) and in the Senate by state Senator Nathan Dahm (R-33), HB 2461 would require that a chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) sign an application for the transfer of any item regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA) within fifteen days if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving it.
This important policy improvement would prevent an arbitrary personal bias from determining Oklahoma firearm policy and ensure that qualified, law-abiding Oklahomans will not be denied their ability to legally possess and own NFA items. The reforms in HB 2461 benefit law-abiding Oklahoma Second Amendment supporters by ensuring that the process to obtain NFA items already legal in Oklahoma remains consistent, fact-based and objective.
Stay safe out there, America. The crazies are always out on the prowl.
