Oklahoma Guns For Second Amendment Sanctuary Status

Oklahoma State Senator Warren Hamilton filed Senate Bill 631, which aimed to make Oklahoma a Second Amendment Sanctuary State. This means the bill will prevent any future legislation by the federal government from infringing on the Second Amendment rights of Oklahomans.

RELATED: More Counties Are Passing Measures to Protect the Second Amendment

Second Amendment Sanctuary Act 

Under the Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act, the preemption would include several federal laws. One is the National Firearms Act of 1934, which required the registration of all firearms and imposed a tax on the making and transfer of firearms. Also, the act preempts the Gun Control Act of 1968, which imposed stricter licensing and regulations on the firearms industry. Also, it created new categories of firearms offenses. In addition, the act prohibited the sale of firearms and ammunition to felons.

“SB 631 states that the gun laws as they exist today are as restrictive as they’re ever going to be and that they cannot be added to. No governmental agency has the Constitutional authority to restrict magazines, ammunition, modern sporting rifles, or AR pistols,” said Hamilton. In addition, he said the bill makes it definitive. “This bill is simply a red line that clearly defines the limits of governmental authority regarding our unalienable, God-given, blood-bought, constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms,” he added.

On the Senate Floor

Hamilton, a gun advocate, is a member of several Second Amendment advocacy groups over the years. In fact, he is an active member of the National Rifle Association, the Gun Owners of America, the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, and Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO).  

After clearing the Senate Public Safety Committee, HB 631 now heads to the Senate floor for consideration. Once it receives approval from the Senate and signed into law, it will go into effect immediately. Meanwhile, other states also passed similar legislation. For example, Arkansas, Ohio, and South Carolina state legislatures are also passing sanctuary bills.

Support From 12 Counties

In addition, SB 631 received support from sheriffs of at least 12 counties in Oklahoma. Sheriff Larry Lane has declared Sequoyah County to be a Second Amendment sanctuary, a symbolic gesture already protected by the Constitution.

In particular, Sheriff Larry Lane recently declared Sequoyah County as a Second Amendment sanctuary. In a memo sent to Sequoyah County residents last January, Sheriff Lane said he aims to protect the citizens without infringing on their rights to possess firearms. Meanwhile, Sequoyah joins other counties that are Second Amendment sanctuaries in Oklahoma. These at least 37 other counties in the state. 

Dillion’s Rule State

Oklahoma is a Dillion's Rule State, which means local governments are limited to powers expressly granted to them by the state legislature. Most firearm regulations are drafted and enacted by the Oklahoma statehouse. However, most experts see the move as symbolic. The Second Amendment of the Constitution already protects citizens' right to bear arms.

In May of last year, Oklahoma became the first state to enact an anti-red flag law. Red flag laws allow for the petition to order the temporary removal of firearms from persons who present a danger.

Watch Fox News Brett Baier reporting on several states considering becoming ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries':

Is your state a Second Amendment Sanctuary State? If not, do you think it should be one? Let us know what you think about second amendment sanctuaries and how it applies to your state. Share your thoughts below!