The Republican governor of Oklahoma[1], Mary Fallin, pleased gun control campaigners and angered gay rights groups on Friday, when she vetoed a bill that would have allowed adults to carry handguns without a permit and signed another that permits religious organizations to exclude same sex couples from adoptions.
The twin actions followed a tumultuous session of the state legislature that saw striking teachers march on the capitol, prompting lawmakers to raise taxes including on the state’s powerful oil and gas industry, to fund increases in education spending.
Announced late on Friday, Fallin’s veto and signature were among more than a dozen decisions taken by the term-limited governor as she clears the decks in her waning months in office.
The veto of the gun bill dealt a rare blow to the National Rifle Association in a conservative state. The proposal to authorize adults to carry firearms without a permit or training was opposed by law enforcement officials, who said it would weaken background checks and hurt public safety.
Make no mistake, this temporary setback will be rectified when Oklahoma elects a genuinely pro-second amendment governor
Chris Cox, NRA
In a statement, Fallin stressed her support for the second amendment and the right to bear arms and noted she had signed concealed and open carry measures in the past.
“I believe the firearms laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal,” she said.
The bill is similar to so-called “constitutional carry” legislation adopted in a dozen other states. The NRA blasted Fallin for what it said was ignoring her promise when she ran for re-election in 2014
