TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Legislation sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk allowing people to carry concealed weapons but not carry them openly is an “advancement,” an Oklahoma gun advocate said.
Don Spencer, president of the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, said the bill he helped draft would permit hidden weapons in places like the Tulsa Zoo and Gathering Place, one of America’s largest parks.
“We consider this an advancement,” said Spencer. “I don’t consider this a compromise. I consider this saying you can carry a gun. But I guess it depends on how you look at it.”
The proposed measure comes after Gathering Place turned away people carrying hand guns at last year’s opening.
The bill advanced Thursday to Stitt’s desk, the Tulsa World reported. If approved, the bill would become law Nov. 1.
Spencer said when someone is carrying a concealed weapon that becomes temporarily visible, such as their shirt being lifted, he hopes authorities would ask that person “to cover it up before they are asked to leave the park.”
A spokeswoman for Gathering Place said Monday that she planned to send a statement about the proposal, but the newspaper had not yet received one.
A Tulsa Zoo spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill.
In February, Stitt approved the permitless gun carry bill , which goes into effect Nov. 1, allowing most state residents 21 and older to carry firearms without a license or training.
“I think the best defense for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Stitt said.
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