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Posted on 04/28/2010 8:55:59 AM PDT by Still Thinking
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Brad Henry on Tuesday vetoed a bill to exempt Oklahoma-made guns and ammunition from federal regulations, saying the measure would make it easier for criminals to obtain weapons and endanger citizens and law enforcement.
Similar to laws passed in at least four other states, the "Oklahoma Firearms Freedom Act" states that firearms, gun accessories or ammunition produced in Oklahoma would not be subject to interstate commerce laws and federal regulations if the items remain in the state. The bill does not apply to certain large firearms and exploding ammunition.
"I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and have earned an 'A' rating from the NRA, but this legislation does nothing to protect an individual's right to bear arms," Henry, a Democrat, said in a statement. "It abolishes commonsense regulations like background checks and gives criminals easy access to a wide array of weapons. This law would harm Oklahomans, not protect them."
State Sen. Randy Brogdon, a Republican candidate for governor who authored the bill, called Henry's argument "absurd" and vowed to attempt an override of the veto. That would take a three-quarters majority in both the House and Senate.
"What the governor fails to grasp is that for years, anti-Second Amendment politicians have been attempting to use federal regulation as a way to prevent any law-abiding citizen from owning firearms," said Brogdon, R-Owasso. "My legislation would have stopped further federal attempts to erode our constitutional right to protect ourselves and our families."
Henry, who is barred by term limits from seeking re-election, also said the bill was certain to draw a legal challenge and result in a losing court battle.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives prompted a court challenge in Montana, one of the first states to pass such a law, when it told all licensed gun dealers in the state last year that they were still bound by federal gun regulations. The Montana Shooting Sports Association and other pro-gun groups sued.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said in court filings that the Montana plaintiffs lack standing and that enactment of federal firearms laws are a valid exercise of congressional power to regulate commerce under the Constitution.
I had a hard enough time justifying my membership renewal.
I think GOA needs to advertise more. NRA has name recognition, but GOA has a harder stance.
I think if GOA had more members (and kept the same stance) they would have the funds and could be what the NRA is supposed to.
Exactly.
If GOA had four million members, Washington would be crapping their pants! I like it!
The bill originally passed the Oklahoma House: 81-14 and the Senate 39-3. It looks like an override is possible.
You’re not going to believe what was posted on another paper’s website about the possibility of an override of this veto. This almost comprehensible sentence:
“Legislators this week overrode two anti-abortion measures. Each of those vetoes required a three-fourths majority.”
...meaning, of course, that the legislature PASSED the bills, which the governor then VETOED, and the subsequent override of the VETO required a 3/4 majority in the legislature. J-Screwl grads, sheesh.
Journalism, like education, seems to attract the lowest-aptitude students.
“That’s write, I bad, I a J-School grad!”
Oops. Wrong thread, please delete.
But YOU can compose a coherent sentence that doesn't sound like the opposite of what it's trying to say. Are you sure you're in the right profession?
Thanks Still Thinking! Looks like the OK legislature has a little more work left to finish the job. Even odds they override. Taking bets???
Maybe better than even. The original bill passed by a veto-proof majority (though I know some legislators will refrain from voting for an override on a bill they voted for), plus just today they overrode two vetoes on anti-abortion bills that this governor vetoed.
Thanks. I don’t practice it professionally, which probably accounts for what little writing ability I have.
The [Oklahoma state] Senate on Wednesday failed to override the governor’s veto of a measure that says firearms made and kept in Oklahoma would not be subject to federal regulations.
In a vote of 28-16, a motion to override Gov. Brad Henry’s veto failed.
Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, made the motion and says he’ll continue trying to bypass the governor for the approval of Senate Bill 1685.
Because the bill has an emergency clause, it needed 36 votes or two-thirds of the full Senate to successfully override the governor’s veto. There was no debate on the bill.
A similar measure passed the House on Wednesday without an emergency clause and now heads to the governor.
Because the measure doesn’t have an emergency clause, it would only need 32 votes to successfully override a veto.
“I’m going to ask my Democrat friends to help me protect Second Amendment Rights, rather than the governor and his personal agenda,” Brogdon said.
Read more: http://newsok.com/article/3459196#ixzz0nICtKRff
Well well, what a revoltin’ development! I can’t imagine Oklahoma Pubbies going wobbly. Reckon whahappen???
Sometimes legislators that will vote for a bill won't vote for an override. Or could be some Dems voted for the bill, knowing he'd override, so they could tell their conservative constituents they "voted for the bill but the governor vetoed it". OTOH, the legislature did override vetoes of a couple of anti-abortion bills last week, so they will do it if the issue is right. Maybe the governor's full court press in the press swayed a couple wobblers. I'll have to check the roll calls on both votes to figure out what happened.
The 75% threshold for the veto (36/48) is that high because it was an emergency measure which would have taken effect immediately. There is a non-emergency version of the measure passing out of the legislature, and that one will only take 32 votes to override the inevitable veto. Now I realize they only got 28 votes for the override this time, so that might not seem to matter, but it looks like there were four absences or abstentions, so if those four are for it, and/or they can sway back a couple of those that buckled, there’s still a chance. And even if they don’t make it, I think Brogdon, the bill’s sponsor wants to run for governator, and he might could use this as a stick to beat the commie that currently holds the office.
And even if they don’t make it, I think Brogdon, the bill’s sponsor wants to run for governator, and he might could use this as a stick to beat the commie that currently holds the office.
I think Brogdon and a couple of others are jockeying for the job but Henry(D) the current gov, can't run again. Gotta wonder why he would defend this hill but he may have his eye on something else in a year or two. Not likely he'll get very far in Oklahoma, especially in the present political climate.
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