Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Speak Out Against Slew of Reckless Gun Bills Moving in Oklahoma Legislature
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement in response to the highly partisan House passage of HB 2139, a reckless expansion to the current handgun carry law which would allow any school employee with a handgun carry permit to be eligible to carry guns in schools. The legislature is also set to hear HB 1001, a dangerous permitless carry bill which would lower the age to carry a handgun in public without a permit to 18 years old, and SB 838, which would allow a person to carry in a school with less training than is currently required.
“This kind of blatant disregard for public safety cannot, and will not, go unnoticed,” said Kay Malan, a volunteer with the Oklahoma chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Year after year, we’ve fought these spineless lawmakers who put our lives at greater risk just to pander to local gun extremists. They have already shredded all of our gun safety laws. When will enough be enough?”
Oklahoma has dangerously weak gun laws. The state does not require a person to pass a criminal background check before purchasing a firearm from an unlicensed seller. State law also does not require a person to obtain a permit before carrying concealed handguns in public, meaning that a person in Oklahoma can get a handgun and carry it concealed in public without ever passing a criminal background check or taking firearm safety training.
What to know about arming teachers and permitless carry:
- The country’s two largest teachers unions, American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, and the National Association of School Resource Officers oppose arming teachers. Parents and teachers also oppose arming teachers: A survey of US teachers found that 73 percent oppose proposals to arm school staff. Another survey found that 63 percent of parents of K–12 school students oppose arming teachers.
- Permitless carry laws strip away a critical tool that law enforcement uses to differentiate between responsible gun owners and those who are prohibited from carrying a loaded weapon in public.
- Permitless carry legislation has been staunchly opposed by law enforcement across the country, including in Nebraska, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio.
- States that have weakened their firearm permitting systems have experienced an 11 percent increase in handgun homicide rates and a 13-15 percent increase in violent crime rates.
- Permitless carry states have nearly triple the rate of road rage shooting victimization than those states with the most protective standards.
- Polling also shows that permitting systems are overwhelmingly popular. 88 percent of Americans think you should get a permit before carrying a concealed gun in public.
