A state House committee passed a trio of bills Wednesday that could expand Oklahomans’ access to guns.
Rep. Jeff Coody said House Bill 2918 lets anyone carry a gun with permission of the owner of the property they’re on. Rep. Cory Williams contended changing a section to say property controlled by "a" rather than "the" person, however, defeats that.
"You don’t require permission. You’re just allowing them to carry anywhere they want on any land that they want owned by anybody in the universe," Williams said.
"And if they are prohibited from carrying on that property, then they cannot carry," Coody said, met with a sigh from Williams.
The measure passed 12–3.
Coody's House Bill 2951 would let anyone 21 or older carry a gun wherever it is allowed by law. Rep. Pat Ownbey said that means they aren’t getting the training or range experience required for a license under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.
"If we’re just saying, 'You’ve got a driver’s license and you’re 21 years of age. You can carry,' you’re missing a few steps in there, and I would be very concerned about just allowing that in the general public," Ownbey said.
Carrying a gun would still be off-limits in places it’s currently prohibited. The committee approved the bill 10–6.
The House Public Safety Committee also passed Coody's bill allowing school boards to allow employees with less training than currently required by law carry guns onto campus.
