The process for obtaining any NFA item, be it a silencer or a machine gun, is frustrating enough if everything goes according to plan. But when your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer refuses to sign off on the paperwork to even begin the process, everything falls apart. For those whose CLEOs refuse to sign paperwork it’s a de facto ban on legal firearms, and the Oklahoma legislature passed a bill to ensure that such a situation would never happen within its borders. OK’s governor, however, was not on board with that common sense gun law reform. Thankfully, the Oklahoma legislature has just voted to overturn that veto . . .
According to the local coverage, the governor is trying to pass off their pro gun control stance as an effort to “re-focus” the legislature on “more pressing matters,” using the Constitutional rights of his citizens as a bargaining chip in a game of politics.
“Last Tuesday I vetoed 15 bills in an attempt to refocus the attention of the Legislature on important issues facing this state that have been left unaddressed. Those issues include: the need to support local communities seeking to build storm shelters in schools; the need to repair our crumbling state Capitol; addressing our unfunded and fiscally unstable pension system; working to reduce the crisis of prescription drug abuse in Oklahoma; and delivering a responsible, balanced budget that funds core areas of government such as education appropriately while delivering targeted pay raises to some state employees.
“Those issues remain unaddressed and time is running out. The Legislature has chosen to override one of my vetoes, which is certainly its legal right and an outcome I knew was possible. The legislation they passed today makes it easier to sell and transfer restricted firearms and accessories like silencers, which is fine. Now that they’ve accomplished that, I am asking the House and Senate to work with each other and with me to deliver legislation to fund our state government, improve our economy and generally do the things their constituents have put them in office to do. The legislative session is scheduled to end on May 30th. The time for action is now.”
As the governor says, the time for action is now. The time for action on your Form 1 and Form 4 if you live in Oklahoma . . .