Texas Falls Further Behind Oklahoma

Today, Governor Mary Fallin signed into law the Open Carry/Omnibus gun bill, Senate Bill 1733. Senate Bill 1733 is an omnibus firearm bill containing significant improvements to Oklahoma gun laws, including allowing concealed carry permit holders the choice of open carrying.

Other important provisions include language prohibiting persons, property owners and companies from banning ammunition in locked vehicles; changing the “immediate notification” requirement when a permit holder is stopped by a law enforcement officer to notification at “first opportunity” while also greatly reducing the associated fine for non-compliance; a provision allowing people to carry firearms openly without a permit on their private property; and revisions to the current Oklahoma statute striking the word “concealed” from Oklahoma firearm permit citations and applying the lawful open carrying of firearms to Oklahoma's firearms preemption law. Additionally, this legislation will allow Sooner State military personnel stationed outside Oklahoma to obtain an Oklahoma permit. This new law becomes effective November 1, 2012.

Texas is one of only five remaining states that prohibits open carry of a handgun, with or without a permit.