TULSA - Gov. Mary Fallin signed gun legislation Monday that will allow military personnel to carry a handgun without a license.
Senate Bill 35 by Senator Kim David says active military or those in the Reserves or National Guard who are 21 or older can carry a handgun as long as they have a valid military I.D. and a valid Oklahoma driver's license (or state photo I.D).
"Requiring them to get a license to carry a handgun is redundant and an expense our Oklahoma heroes shouldn’t have to worry about,” said Sen. David.
Debra Burke works at the American Legion 1 Tulsa and agrees with the senator.
“As long as they’ve shown their DD2-14 of their service and get a law book I think that’s sufficient, they’ve had their training. They have that proof in their DD2-14," Burke said. “They’ve done it. And they know it much better than we civilians that have not never been to war."
We asked our viewers on our 2 Works for You Facebook page: What do you think? Have military members earned the right, or should they have to get a license like everyone else?
Wayne Cartwright said, "Same license. Many of them are not trained any better with a pistol than a normal citizen."
And Don Sacket said, "Considering the amount of PTSD these veterans may suffer, probably not the best idea."
“There are treatments for that and more so we’re so up to date on PTSD right now," Burke said. “I’m not them, so I can’t speak for them.”
But she did say military members should receive a book of laws for their state to keep them up on what they can and cannot do or carry, emphasizing that this privilege should've been a right all along.
“Our troops are deployed not once, not twice, three, four, five times deployed. Front lines. In harms way all the time 24/7. I think that’s a little much to ask. Don’t you? I mean, I do," she said.
The bill goes into effect November 1, 2017.
Read the full bill here.
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