The Oklahoma Legislature is spending too much time pampering voters on emotional issues that either are unimportant or ridiculous.
The House passed a bill this past week, one that the Senate already approved, that asserts the state is exempt from federal regulation for guns and ammunition manufactured, sold and used in Oklahoma.
Those who hold to an unrestricted interpretation of the Second Amendment surely are elated at the passage of this bill. Indeed, it passed by large margins in both state chambers because legislators have been pressed and prodded by gun rights advocates, not because the bill makes sense.
Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, the bill’s author and biggest promoter, has said he doesn’t believe the federal government has any right to regulate firearms, especially those produced in the state.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court in years of decisions has ruled the federal government does have a responsibility to regulate them.
The Second Amendment addresses the right to bear arms, but just because the First Amendment holds to the right of free speech and religion, among other rights, that does not mean the federal government has nothing to say about those rights. While we don’t want those rights infringed upon, it’s important that government sees that people don’t use their rights to infringe on the rights or safety of others. That includes the Second Amendment.
Brogdon also contends his bill would attract arms makers to Oklahoma, which has practically no arms industry and improve its economic base.
That is laughable. Any arms company that would come here would want to sell its arms elsewhere, but that would mean the company would fall under the laws of interstate commerce and federal regulation, something Brogdon wants to avoid. What’s the incentive for an arms manufacturer to come here if some of its products are limited to sale in Oklahoma?
What you will have are some gun hobbyists or gunsmiths making any kind of weapon they want without any regulations at all, a dangerous situation.
