Gov. Stitt Not Looking Into Red Flag Laws For Oklahoma

Wednesday, August 7th 2019, 12:53 pm

By: Grant Hermes

The governor is not considering calling for a so-called red flag law to be implemented in Oklahoma in the wake of two deadly mass shootings last weekend, Gov. Kevin Stitt's office told News 9.

Red flag laws are officially called extreme risk protection orders and generally prevent the mentally ill or those with violent histories from buying or possessing firearms. Red flag laws differ from state to state, but only 15 states have some version of them. Oklahoma is not one of those states.

Stitt, who has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, is waiting to see what happens on the national level after President Donald Trump announced he called for red flag laws before working on a state law.

“The governor is not looking to pursue red flag laws in Oklahoma at this time,” Stitt’s spokeswoman Bayley Lakey said. “The governor will be watching to see how this would take shape in Congress.”

This isn't the first time red flag laws have been talked about in Oklahoma. Former Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who also had an “A” rating from the NRA, said she was interested in the laws last spring.



“I'm certainly interested in looking at that, too,” she said. “I'd like to hear more about the discussion, but I think anything we can do to make sure we're keeping people that might have problems from carrying a weapon some place they shouldn't."

In recent days, members of Congress from both parties have called on the Senate to come back to Washington from August recess to address gun laws and pass a background check bill already passed by the House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has not shown signs of caving to external pressure to call the Senate back for a summer session.

Rep. Kendra Horn, D, was the only member of Oklahoma’s House delegation to vote for the measure when it went through the House. Neither of Oklahoma's Sens. Jim Inhofe, R, or James Lankford, R, said whether they supported coming back from summer break.