What is House Bill 3098?
HB 3098 would simply allow law-abiding Oklahoma gun owners to carry their firearms openly without first obtaining a government-issued permit or paying a government tax.
Do other states allow for this?
Over half the U.S. states allow for open carry without a permit and have throughout the modern era. Permitless open carry has been the norm in the U.S. throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
How has permitless carry worked out in other states?
Gloom and doom predictions of ‘wild west’ scenarios in states with strong gun rights have proven time and again to be nothing more than scare tactics.
Since 1991, when the nation’s total violent crime rate hit an all-time high, 25 states have adopted Right-to-Carry laws, and the violent crime rate has declined by more than half, to a 43-year low, and the murder rate has declined to an all-time low. Criminals are less likely to target someone who may be armed. Permitless open carry is part of the nation’s Right to Carry movement that has been around for decades.
Everything opponents are saying about permitless open carry in other states has proven to be a non-issue. This is because criminals have always done exactly what they wanted, without waiting for the legislature to act.
Does permitless carry make it harder for members of law enforcement to do their jobs and protect the public?
HB 3098 does NOT change or prevent enforcement of prohibited person laws or of any law governing the misuse of a firearm (illegal brandishing, discharge, threatening, etc.). It also doesn't change when force is legally authorized in defense of self or others.
Can private businesses ban permitless carriers from bringing guns onto their property?
Private property owners still maintain discretion over their own property, including whether and on what terms to allow firearms.
Will carry permits still be recognized? Permitted carry will remain an option for those who wish to take advantage of reciprocity with other states.
What are other reasons to support permitless carry?
Criminals already have permitless carry (and always will). The bill isn't for them. It simply puts the law-abiding on equal footing.
Permitless carry ensures the privacy of those who exercise their Second Amendment rights and prevents incidents that have happened in states where permit holder information has been leaked or published maliciously.
The Second Amendment refers to keeping AND bearing arms. It doesn't say keep arms, and if you meet a bunch of additional state requirements, bear them as well.
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