Rep. Faught Supports Veto-Override Special Session
Petition for Special Session would give chance to stop US 69 Bypass 

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. George Faught today announced his support of a legislative petition authored by State Sen. Nathan Dahm calling for a special session devoted to overriding vetoes issued by Gov. Mary Fallin.

Article V, Section 27A of the Oklahoma Constitution allows for the Legislature to call itself into special session and set the guidelines without the governor’s input. Dahm’s petition would allow for the special session to take up overrides of Gov. Fallin’s vetoes from the 2017-2018 legislative term and allow for the members of the House and Senate to re-author and pass any measure Fallin has vetoed during her term, going back all the way to the 2011 legislative session.

“This would give lawmakers the opportunity to fix all the mistakes Mary Fallin has made and decisions she messed us up over the last eight years,” said Dahm, R-Broken Arrow.

One measure important to the Muskogee area that would be eligible to be heard during the special session would be Senate Bill 86. The legislation required the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to perform an economic impact study before any planned bypass around a community is placed on ODOT’s eight-year plan and required the department to present the study to the municipality, which would need to approve the bypass before beginning construction. SB 86passed the House by a vote of 62-27 and the Senate by a vote of 32-11.

“A veto override special session would give Muskogee another chance at stopping the U.S. 69 Bypass, and give input and protections to communities in the U.S. 69 corridor and across the state from future bypass projects,” said Faught, R-Muskogee, who served as the House author of SB 86.

Another potential measure eligible for a veto override is House Bill 1552, an important government transparency and accountability measure authored by Faught. HB 1552 would have brought much-needed reforms to the state’s regulatory process. It would have reformed the administrative rules process by restoring legislative control over government regulations, thus strengthening transparency and accountability and reining in unelected bureaucrats. HB 1552 passed the House by a vote of 71- 23 and the Senate unanimously.

“Gov. Fallin has failed Oklahoma citizens by vetoing legislation that is important to the Muskogee area and the state as a whole,” said Faught. “This veto-override special session would give us a chance to correct those problems, advance Oklahoma in a positive direction, and protect citizens from government overreach.”

Lawmakers are also considering overriding vetoes on pro-life, pro-gun, and government reform measures.

“Citizens can go to OKLegislature.gov to find out who their legislators are and how to contact them. I urge Muskogee area residents to call their legislators and ask them to sign Sen. Dahm’s veto-override special session petition. Give lawmakers another chance at stopping the U.S. 69 bypass, as well as overturning other vetoes of policy measures that would benefit Oklahoma citizens and businesses,” said Faught.

Rep. George Faught, R-Muskogee, represents House District 14, which covers portions of eastern Muskogee and western Cherokee counties, including the communities of Muskogee, Fort Gibson, Braggs and Webbers Falls. He chairs the General Government Oversight and Accountability committee.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Congressman Dan Boren announced he’s been reelected to the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association. Boren enters into his fourth term as a director. He joins such notables as Tom Selleck, Ted Nugent, Richard Childress and Karl Malone.

“It’s a great honor to be a part of this organization,” Boren said. “I have been a Life Member for many years and always had a 100 percent A-rating while a member of the Legislature and Congress. Now more than ever, it is important to uphold our Second Amendment rights. I look forward to working with Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox to further that cause.”

Read the complete story on press-leader.com

The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow people to openly carry firearms without a permit and without training.

A total of 34 organizations — including the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Oklahoma State Troopers Association, universities, chambers of commerce and hospitals — sent a letter to Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman in opposition to House Bill 3098 and House Joint Resolution 1009, a proposed ballot measure intended to make it harder to regulate guns.

House Bill 3098 was approved 37-9. The joint resolution was not considered.

Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, said the bill won’t expand the places people can bring guns, but would allow non-felons over 21 to carry guns without having to go through the permitting and training process required for concealed carry.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

Matthews files legislation modifying “Stand Your Ground” law

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Kevin Matthews believes citizens absolutely have the right to protect themselves when their lives or their loved ones are in immediate danger.  However, he does not feel that people should be able to use the law as a defense when they provoke a violent situation or had other options available to them, such as calling the police, to avoid using force.

“This law is clear – Oklahomans have a right to expect absolute safety within their homes, businesses and vehicles.  If they feel their lives are being threatened or they’re going to be hurt, they have the right to protect themselves however they feel necessary including using deadly force,” said Matthews, D-Tulsa.  “However, we’re starting to see cases where people are overreacting to a situation where they aren’t truly in danger and they could simply call the police to resolve the situation peacefully.  But instead they’re shooting people who haven’t necessarily committed a crime or had no intentions of hurting them.”

Matthews has filed Senate Bill 1009, which clarifies that under this law someone must be attacked “without provocation” because he believes the law should not be used as a defense for someone who escalates a situation by taunting, arguing or provoking another person.

“The Stand Your Ground law was created to give citizens the ability to protect themselves when someone unlawfully enters their home, business or car and they feel that they’re going to be harmed,” noted Matthews.  “When a homeowner starts an argument with one of their guests they shouldn’t be able to use this law as a defense when they played a role in causing the violence.  The same goes for people in their cars; unless someone is trying to enter your car and hurt you, just drive away.  A person shouldn’t be able to shoot someone from their vehicle just because they’re irritated or scared – drive to a safe place and call the police.”

Matthews felt his bill was necessary following recent shootings where individuals used the Stand Your Ground law as a defense.

“There have been two recent cases where I believe people were shot unnecessarily and this law was wrongly used as a defense.  One involved an Owasso teenager who was playing the prank of ringing door bells and running off but one of the homeowners shot the honor student as he was innocently running away from the house.  He survived but another young man wasn’t so lucky after he was approached while sitting in his car with his girlfriend in a Tulsa apartment parking lot.  The young man supposedly backed his car toward an approaching security guard who shot the young man multiple times as he was driving away.  That 21-year-old died unnecessarily because the guard, like the homeowner, was in no danger and could have called the police for help.”

SB 1009 will be up for consideration when session convenes February 1.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — It would be difficult to give education a flat budget without devastating other agencies, House Speaker Jeff Hickman said Tuesday.

His comments to reporters came as the House Republican caucus met behind closed doors to discuss the state’s revenue failure for the current fiscal year and the upcoming fiscal year 2017 budget, which will be at least $900.8 million less than fiscal year 2016’s.

The revenue failure resulted in 3 percent budget cuts to state-appropriated agencies. The state Board of Education recently voted to reduce school budgets by $47 million as a result.

“Fifty-one cents of every dollar we spend is on education,” said Hickman, R-Fairview. “So when they are 51 percent of our budget and a third of that is just common education alone, there is no possible way that I see to be able to do what we did last year, which is to shield education from any budget cuts.”

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is asking the leaders of the Senate Armed Services to look into the Pentagon’s effort to increase security at military installations following last week’s deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The shooting that killed four Marines and one sailor “again raised great concerns with me about the security of our service members in and out of uniform, civilian employees, and their dependents,” Inhofe said Monday in a letter to Armed Services chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jack Reed (R.I.), the panel’s top Democrat.

Inhofe, himself a member of the powerful committee, asked the pair to “schedule a hearing as soon as possible on the efforts the Department of Defense (DOD) is reviewing and/or taking regarding force protection of its service members and their families.” Last Thursday, Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, a 24-year-old Kuwaiti-born citizen, opened fire at a Navy recruiting center in Chattanooga and then at a Navy and Marines Reserve Center, according to law enforcement.

Read the complete story on thehill.com

Sometimes referred to as the guarantor of the rest of our constitutional rights, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution has rightly remained a fundamental freedom in American society. While we have come a long way as a nation and certainly look different today than our first years, it doesn’t erase or change the importance of “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.” For even the most fundamental freedoms must be looked after in order to preserve American liberty for future generations.

Without question, most Americans understand that guns are tools that must be used responsibly. Whether used for personal and home protection purposes, or for hunting and recreational shooting, responsible use of firearms has been a valued part of our Oklahoma heritage since before statehood.

As many Americans are aware, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced changes last month to its framework for sporting ammunition, which included a rule that would effectively ban M855 “green tip” ammo used in the AR-15 rifle. Not only is that bullet one of the most common for that rifle, but it’s been available to law-abiding citizens on the civilian market and primarily used for sporting purposes for more than 30 years.

The proposed framework supposedly stemmed from reconsideration of the Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (LEOPA) of 1986, which sought to protect police officers from “armor piercing” ammunition. When it was originally authored, however, LEOPA included an exemption for such bullets if used in common rifles since handguns were seen as more likely to be acquired or used by criminals in assaults. Because rifles are primarily used for sporting purposes, like hunting or target shooting, the M855 ammo was not viewed as a reasonable risk to the lives of law enforcement. Additionally, when the new framework was unveiled, no circumstances were cited nor evidence given to support the case for a ban. Instead, it appeared that the framework was an attempt by the Administration to limit freedom and punish law-abiding citizens.

This illegal assault on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans was justifiably met with cries of outrage. Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress echoed the voices of the people and swiftly demanded a check on the president’s latest executive overreach. In addition to more than 80,000 mostly-critical public comments, ATF received a letter of concern and opposition that I signed as part of a group of 238 House members led by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte. Similarly, 52 Senators led by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley also sent a letter questioning the validity and constitutionality of the Administration’s action.

Before a month passed after the framework’s introduction, the Administration’s unilateral attempt at gun control was met with enough public outrage that ATF announced it would rethink the framework and halt implementation until further notice. Even though ATF has withdrawn its plan, I remain deeply troubled by the president’s habit of acting alone—and in contradiction to both existing law and the Constitution he swore an oath to uphold. The language of the Second Amendment is clear and unambiguous, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The president’s inability to grasp this concept reflects either a fundamental lack of understanding of one of our country’s most important founding documents or an utter disregard for its role in American society. In either case, it’s a damning indictment of his ongoing disregard for the ways and customs that have made this country exceptional.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislators would be allowed to carry firearms anywhere in Oklahoma under a bill filed by state Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro. They would be required to complete a handgun qualification course.

Lawmakers who choose to carry a gun would be issued an identification card from the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. The measure requires the card to be surrendered to CLEET when the person is no longer a member of the Oklahoma Legislature.

Senate Bill 26 outlines no restrictions on where House and Senate members could carry firearms.

Capt. Paul Timmons with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said Thursday that currently there are limitations on who may bring a gun into the Oklahoma Capitol.

Read the complete story on jornalrecord.com

By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lawmakers would be able to carry weapons anywhere in the state, including on college campuses and into the state Capitol, under legislation filed by Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro.

“Any Oklahoma State Legislator may carry a firearm on his or her person anywhere in the State of Oklahoma if the person has successfully completed a handgun qualification course equivalent to the handgun qualification course for court officials as developed by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training,” according to Senate Bill 26.

Allen said law enforcement officers who enforce the laws and judges who interpret the laws are already allowed to carry a weapon anywhere in the state. Lawmakers, who make the laws, should also be allowed to do so, Allen said.

He said he doesn’t think that allowing lawmakers to carry weapons into the Capitol could cause problems.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

Oklahoma teacher unions are at the state Capitol all too often lobbying for measures that take away funding from the very roads and bridges that got them there in the first place.

These unions are undermining the significance of Oklahoma’s infrastructure by insisting that the funds that are paving the future of Oklahoma’s roads and bridges go instead to our broken public education system.

The results of the 2014 Oklahoma elections show that voters and the transportation industry are fed up with these demands.

While the Oklahoma Education Association was able to recruit 25,000 teachers to a rally at the Capitol last session, it was unsuccessful in rallying enough voters to elect Kevin Black, an OEA member, to the Legislature. This loss may seem like a mere election night casualty, but it should serve as a clear signal to legislators that they can lead without fear.

The OEA has proven this year to be a highly ineffective political motivator. Black’s loss also should convey to legislators that Oklahoma’s roads, bridges and highways are a higher priority among voters.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Allowing more students and faculty at colleges and universities to carry guns on campus would be a serious mistake and jeopardize the public’s safety, the University of Oklahoma president told members of a legislative committee on Wednesday.

David Boren was among more than a dozen university presidents who attended a joint hearing of the House committees on public safety and higher education and expressed opposition to the idea.

“Placing guns on campus, in my opinion, except in the hands of highly trained law enforcement officials and professionals, would be a serious mistake,” said Boren, a former U.S. senator and Oklahoma governor who has been president of the state’s largest university for 20 years. “To put our university students, faculty and staff at risk in this way makes absolutely no sense.”

A group of Republican legislators requested Wednesday’s interim study to explore the idea of allowing individuals with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on campus. Under current law, a licensed gun owner can only carry a gun onto a college campus with written permission from the school’s president. About a dozen such requests have been granted in the last five years, according to the State Regents for Higher Education.

Read the complete story on washingtontimes.com

Despite fierce opposition from presidents at Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities, a group of Republican legislators is pushing to allow guns on college campuses.

Members of House committees on public safety and on higher education will conduct a joint interim study on the idea Wednesday at the state Capitol. The meeting was requested by state Rep. John Enns of Enid and state Sens. A.J. Griffin of Guthrie and Ralph Shortey of Oklahoma City.

The three are among those in both parties in the Legislature who are strong supporters of expanding gun rights, and similar proposals in previous years have received bipartisan support.

Read the complete story from the AP. 

July 31, 2014

Lt. Col. Steve Russell, GOP Candidate for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, is proud to announce the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. With the endorsement, the NRA will make a campaign donation from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund.

In a letter to Steve Russell, NRA Federal Affairs Director, James Baker says, “Based on your leadership on Second Amendment issues in the Oklahoma State Senate, you have earned an ‘A’ rating from the NRA-PVF. Throughout your career, you have consistently opposed all attempts to restrict gun rights and have been a strong advocate of the Second Amendment.”

“This is a tremendous honor from an organization which millions of Americans hold in the highest esteem,” says Steve Russell. “As a life member of the National Rifle Association, I admire the way the NRA leads the fight to defend the Second Amendment so I cherish this endorsement.”

Steve Russell is the only Congressional candidate in the country to use a rifle to save his life, to author NRA-sponsored bills into law, and who also owns a rifle manufacturing company.

Baker finished his letter with a call to action for all GOP voters who care about gun rights.

“Thank you for your unwavering support of the Second Amendment. We urge our members, gun owners and sportsman in Oklahoma to vote for you in the upcoming Republican Primary runoff on August 26th.”

Allowing students, faculty and staff to carry guns on campus would make Oklahoma’s colleges and universities safer, say lawmakers who are pushing for the change.

Officials at Oklahoma’s two largest campuses couldn’t disagree more.

“Placing guns on campus, except in the hands of highly trained law enforcement officers and professionals, would be a serious mistake and would lead only to tragic results,” University of Oklahoma President David Boren said.

“To put our university students, faculty and staff at risk in this way makes absolutely no sense.”

Rep. John Enns, R-Enid, and Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, argue that licensed gun owners should be able to protect themselves on state campuses.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund Endorses Mike Turner for OK-05

(Springfield, VA) – Today, Gun Owners of America, a proven champion of the U.S. Constitution and the right to keep and bear arms, announced its endorsement of state Rep. Mike Turner as he runs for Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District.

“We’re proud to announce our support of Mike Turner in Oklahoma,” said Tim Macy, Vice-Chairman of the organization.

“Time and time again, Mike has proven that he’s an unwavering conservative champion of the 2nd Amendment. He has a record of standing up for our freedom and liberty, and will roll up his sleeves to defend our rights.”

During his service in the Oklahoma Legislature, Mike Turner has even taken on members of his own party, including the governor of Oklahoma. Just this month, his bill to safeguard the rights of law-abiding gun owners became law in spite of a veto from Gov. Fallin.

“For the first time in 50 years, a GOP governor in Oklahoma had a veto overridden. It was the first override of a non-abortion issue in 30 years and the first time in over 30 years an Oklahoma governor was overridden by a majority held by the same party,” Macy explained.

“Mike Turner made that happen. He’s been in the trenches, fighting for our rights, and he’s made history doing so.”

The Republican Primary for Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District will be held on June 24th.

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The state Senate on Thursday voted 39-0 to complete a Legislative override of Gov. Mary Fallin’s veto of a firearms bill.

It was the first successful override of a Gov. Fallin veto.

“The right to keep and possess firearms is sacred to Americans, and especially to Oklahomans,” said state Rep. Mike Turner, R-Edmond, the House author of the bill. “Oklahomans overwhelmingly oppose gun restrictions, particularly those forced upon us by federal bureaucrats.”

House Bill 2461 was backed by the National Rifle Association and the Oklahoma Second Amendment Rights Association, supporters said.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

The following is a statement from House Speaker Jeff Hickman concerning the veto override of House Bill 2461.

STATEMENT

“Overriding a governor’s veto is a very serious matter for the Legislature. Our decision was made after careful consideration. Vetoing bills written to do the things constituents ask for and passed by representatives and senators, who are elected by those constituents, should also be treated as a very serious matter.

“The House passed a personal income tax cut requested by the Governor, along with pension reform, the Governor’s school tornado shelter referendum and a ban on youth access to e-cigarettes. We also spent hours debating her bill to expand charter schools statewide and the $160 million bond issue for the Capitol that she requested.

“I hope we can now move past the political games of vetoing important legislation, such as the bill protecting Second Amendment rights of Oklahomans, so we can get back to the serious issues left this session. Dealing with these vetoes continues to take the time and attention of the Legislature away from the remaining matters the Governor would like addressed.”

OKLAHOMA CITY —— The Oklahoma Senate has no plans to pursue the House’s veto override of a gun bill, leaders of the upper chamber said last week.

Gov. Mary Fallin on Tuesday vetoed 15 House bills, saying the lower chamber was ignoring important issues facing the state while wasting time on meaningless bills. Her action set a record for her use of the veto pen on a single day.

She said work on the budget and passage of a plan to repair the Capitol, among other items, were not getting enough attention.

A day later, the House voted 86-3 to override her veto of House Bill 2461.
In her veto message, Fallin said HB 2461 was an attempt to regulate the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

The following is a statement from House Speaker Jeff Hickman concerning the veto override of House Bill 2461.

STATEMENT

“The House of Representatives made the difficult and serious decision to override a Governor’s veto. The decision to take action was made with careful consideration and members ultimately voted to again protect Oklahomans’ Second Amendment rights. I made the Senate and Governor aware of our intent, and I expect our caucus and the House of Representatives to now continue our focus on the very important issues which remain before us prior to the end of this legislative session.”

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