A prominent proponent of Oklahoma’s permitless carry gun law said Wednesday he wants the state to provide tax credits for people who take gun safety classes.
“Since constitutional carry has gone into effect, many people have expressed concerns about no longer forcing people to undergo government-mandated training in order to exercise their rights,” state Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, said in a news release.
Oklahoma’s new law, which went into effect earlier this month, is sometimes called “constitutional carry” because, proponents say, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives most Americans the right to carry firearms as they see fit.
Others refer to the new law as “permitless carry” because it kept in place restrictions on where a gun can be taken but lifted many licensing requirements.
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Wednesday, Dahm said he’s filed legislation providing tax credits to cover the cost of safety courses as well as expenses associated with acquiring gun licenses for those who choose to get them.
“Whether it’s our Second Amendment rights to bear arms, First Amendment rights to free speech, exercising our religion, or truthfully engaging in the freedom of press, it is important that we all use our rights without harm to others,” Dahm said.
The potential cost of the credit to the state treasury was not clear, and it could encounter resistance in the Legislature, which has been resistant to new tax credit programs in recent years.
Tulsa-area gun clubs and shooting ranges generally advertise training and safety courses for less than $200, with most basic classes costing less than $100.
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