Other Side of the River

[thatguyoverthere]

My wife and I spent a long weekend in Oklahoma City. Of course, I carried. I knew of a couple of differences between the laws of Texas and Oklahoma, but it was interesting to actually see them in play.

We attended a concert at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall on Saturday. So the first difference in laws I noticed was that carry was prohibited in the Music Hall because it is a government owned building. Oklahoma law prohibits carry in any government building; pretty much the opposite case for Texas. I definitely did feel somewhat vulnerable sitting there unarmed, in a theater with a couple of thousand other people, knowing that not one of us had a concealed firearm for defensive use (well, theoretically, anyway! )

Then on Sunday we attended a play at a private theater. I checked the theater website and saw no prohibition on concealed carry, so I carried there. As we entered the theater, I checked the entrance for guns prohibited signs and did not see any, so carried on. Then after the play, on the way OUT of the theater, I did see a very small sign that said "no guns allowed." It was literally about 2 inches high and about 6 inches wide, on the far side of the approximately 20 foot wide entrance. Tiny white vinyl lettering on clear glass - nearly invisible! So in that case, I was glad that we do have the 30.06 signage requirements that we have here in Texas! (But our Okie friends do have us beat in that at least their signs do not have the force of law. )

Nice trip, but also nice to be back home in the Great State of Texas!

[C-dub]

Banning carry in government owned (public owned) buildings is more common in other states.

[OldCurlyWolf]

In Oklahoma, there must also be government employees conducting government business. Just being owned by the government is not enough. Of course that still makes nearly all such building off limits.

[thatguyoverthere]

In Oklahoma, there must also be government employees conducting government business. Just being owned by the government is not enough. Of course that still makes nearly all such building off limits.

Agreed. I couldn't really figure out what business the city or state was conducting there, until I read on the Civic Center website that the facility is owned and operated by the city. If true, I suppose that the ticket-takers, the ushers, etc. must be city employees, so by default, must be conducting city government business. Seems like a pretty far stretch for conducting government business by putting on musical concerts, but apparently that's where we are today.

And yes, as C-Dub said, Texas does seem to be the exception rather than the rule as far as our government allowing us lowly citizens to carry our nasty old firearms into their nice "private" government buildings. I suppose we should be properly grateful that they deem us worthy to do so in their presence.

I guess I just don't understand how such a simple, clearly defined, specifically enumerated Constitutional right that plainly and clearly says I shall be able to "bear arms" has become so encumbered and over regulated by so many different government entities that it is often extremely difficult to do, and in many cases, is simply impossible to do.

Well, yes, I suppose I do know how that happened. It is a right that was neglected by the people for many years. When one group of people (the government) want something to happen (restrict guns in this case), and the other group of people (the citizens) don't care enough to do something about it, guess what's going to happen?

[steveincowtown]

I did see a very small sign that said "no guns allowed." It was literally about 2 inches high and about 6 inches wide, on the far side of the approximately 20 foot wide entrance. Tiny white vinyl lettering on clear glass - nearly invisible! So in that case, I was glad that we do have the 30.06 signage requirements that we have here in Texas! (But our Okie friends do have us beat in that at least their signs do not have the force of law. )

Signs have no force of law in Oklahoma and carrying passed one carries no criminal penalty. This is much better than 30.06.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oklahoma.pdf

“No Firearm” signs in Oklahoma have no force of law unless they are posted on property that is specifically
mentioned in State Law as being off limits to those with a Permit/License to Carry. If you are in a place not
specifically mentioned in the law that is posted and they ask you to leave, you must leave. If you refuse to
leave then you are breaking the law and can be charged. Even if the property is not posted and you are asked
to leave you must leave. Always be aware of the possibility that responding Police Officers who may have
been called without your knowledge and may not know the laws on trespass etc. could arrest you even if you
are within the law.

Property owners in OK still retain all their rights and may ask you to leave, the OK Leg has just not provided them with a sign to make it an automatic crime.

Although they haven fallen short on the sign issue, the Tex Leg has done a much better job than the OK Leg at protecting our rights to carry in government buildings, parking lots, etc.