Second Amendment advocate and state Senator Josh Brecheen wants to reduce the cost of gun licenses from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and possibly eliminate the administrative costs from the local sheriff’s office. Brecheen says the Oklahoma permit fees are chilling the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms.
Brecheen said that it’s an “attempt to make sure cost isn’t keeping someone from the right to bear arms in accordance to the law.” Brecheen, along with the the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, are proposing reducing the $100 for a new license and $85 for a re-licensing fee to $25 a piece.
In addition, Brecheen would like to possibly see a reduction of the requirements for fingerprints to obtain the Oklahoma permit. Brecheen is a member of the Appropriations Committee, and of the Public Safety Committee, so he does have some power of persuasion.
The bill is SB5 and has not been processed yet. Many states do not have a fingerprint requirement to get a gun permit and some question the purpose as even useful. Fingerprint requirements add to the cost and difficulty of obtaining a permit and hinder citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Higher costs stop many people from obtaining a concealed carry permit. Research has indicated that every $10 increase in fees reduces the percent of adults with permits by about a half a percentage point.
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