Fairfax, Va.— The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action is asking members and supporters in Oklahoma to contact their state senators to support House Joint Resolution 1009. Tomorrow, the Oklahoma Senate is scheduled to consider HJR 1009, a resolution that would lead to a statewide ballot initiative aimed at making a critical improvement to the current Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment in the Oklahoma constitution.
“This resolution would allow Oklahomans to strengthen the state constitutional protections for gun rights,” said Catherine Mortensen, NRA Spokesperson. “The current Right to Keep and Bear Arms amendment dates back to statehood in 1907. Over the years, the state courts have greatly weakened the existing gun rights amendment. This improved amendment would make it crystal clear that Oklahomans have the right to use a firearm for personal defense, hunting, and recreational shooting.”
HJR 1009 would amend the state constitution to protect:
“the fundamental right of each individual citizen to keep and bear arms, including handguns, rifles, shotguns, knives, nonlethal defensive weapons and other arms in common use, as well as ammunition, and the components of arms and ammunition, for security, self-defense, lawful hunting and recreation, in aid of the civil power, when thereunto lawfully summoned, or for any other legitimate purpose shall not be infringed.”
The amendment would also require future courts to hold any law that might infringe on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms to a higher level of legal scrutiny, sometimes called the gold standard.
The NRA is directing members and supporters to the following website to contact their state senators directly: http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/Default.aspx?selectedtab=0
Additional information on HJR 1009:
- This amendment would prevent the State from imposing “registration or special taxation upon the keeping of arms, including the acquisition, ownership, possession, or transfer of arms, ammunition, or the components of arms or ammunition.” This is an important protection for gun owners in Oklahoma, given that communities around the country are imposing arbitrary taxes on guns.
- Voters in three other states have already overwhelmingly passed similar amendments to their state constitutions strengthening their right to keep and bear arms, Louisiana, Missouri, and Alabama.
- The Oklahoma House passed the resolution in March 10 by a vote of 67 to 7.
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.
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