Oklahoma Legislature Overrides Shall Sign Legislation Veto

Oklahoma City – (Ammoland.com) – Yesterday, the Oklahoma State Senate voted 39-0 to override Gov. Mary Fallin’s veto of House Bill 2461.

The vote comes eight days after the House voted 86-3 to do the same. Since the override has passed both legislative chambers, with overwhelming bipartisan support, HB 2461 has been enacted into law.

It will take effect on November 1, 2014. With the successful override, Oklahoma becomes the fifth state to enact shall sign legislation this year.

The new law, which was one of 15 House bills that the governor vetoed on April 28, will require Chief Law Enforcement Officers (CLEOs) in Oklahoma to sign NFA applications within 15 days of receipt, unless the applicant was found to be a prohibited person. Prior to the surprise veto, HB 2461 passed the House by a 92-1margin, and the Senate with a unanimous 46-0 vote.

During a press conference, Fallin explained her veto by stating, “I’ve used my executive power, my executive authority to set aside ‘minor issues’ so that we can have more time to deal with major issues here at the Capitol and hopefully get the attention to get those things done.”

The veto override sends a clear message to Gov. Fallin that flippant dismissals of widely supported pro-gun legislation will not be tolerated. The Second Amendment is not a ‘minor issue’, and should not be treated as such. Both the House and the Senate did their part to protect the rights of all Oklahomans, and should be applauded for their actions.

The ASA would like to thank the NRA for their hard work and steadfast support of this initiative. We would also like to thank state Senator Nathan Dahm (R-33), Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman (R-12),Senator Mike Schulz (R-38), state Representative Mike Turner (R-82) and House Speaker Jeffrey Hickman (R-58) for their leadership and support of the Second Amendment in Oklahoma.  Without their tenacity and leadership, enactment of HB 2461 would not have been possible this year.