It's virtually impossible to be elected to public office in Oklahoma if you're not pro-gun, anti-drug, and tough on crime. As a result, Oklahoma now leads the country in both passing crazy gun laws and putting people in jail. It's part of something we like to call the Oklahoma Substandard.
Sometimes though, issues like guns and drugs intertwine and put our elected leaders in the uncomfortable position of choosing one third-rail issue over another. That happened this week when the Oklahoma legislature passed SB 164. The measure will allow individuals convicted of misdemeanor drug crimes to apply for an open carry permit 10 years after they complete their sentence. Under the old laws, I believe it was a lifetime ban. The bill is now awaiting Mary Fallin's signature.
Here's a story via KFOR:
Giving people convicted of drug misdemeanors the right to open carry is something Governor Mary Fallin will soon decide on.
The proposed law is aimed at giving Oklahoman’s who made poor decisions when they were young a second chance.
Robert Patton is 46. When he was 20 he was found with marijuana.
“I was with a few guys that when we got stopped one of the guys said it belonged to me so I was the one that got stuck with it,” Patton said.
Patton was convicted of the crime and spent time in jail, but still today he is paying the consequences.
He now owns a gun and archery shop, but is not allowed to carry a gun in public.
“That little mistake has really put a damper on a lot of things in my life,” Patton said.
Rep. Steve Vaughan wants to help those like Patton.
A bill he is behind would allow people with a misdemeanor drug conviction get their open carry permit 10 years after completing their sentence.
“Why do you have to carry that around, the yoke around your neck for the rest of your life,” Rep. Vaughan asked.
Listen, I'm all for this... as long as the they have to take and pass a drug test in order to get a permit. It makes sense, right? At very least, we should probably hold former convicts to the same high standards as our state's welfare recipients.
Actually, I'm joking around. Most drugs should be legal, and sending someone to prison for getting high or being addicted to a substance is a crime within itself. Let them do the conceal and carry thing. They never should have been convicted of a crime in the first place.
That being said...
The irony of this law is kind of funny. I love how compassionate and hypocritical our legislature becomes when their backwards laws start affecting the lives of their own. The good ole' boy who owns the gun range can't conceal and carry because he smoked pot 20 years ago?!?! We better show some compassion and fix that archaic law! Some 20-year-old gets caught with a marijuana plant in his backyard?!?! Grrrr. Drugs are bad! Charge him with a felony, send him to jail and destroy his life! At least he'll be able to carry a concealed firearm 10 years after his sentence is complete.
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