Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed any adult in Oklahoma to carry firearms without a permit or background check May 11.
The bill was passed by the Oklahoma State House of Representative on April 26 and was met with hostility by gun control advocates. Fallin's veto comes after several Republican gubernatorial candidates urged her to sign the bill, the Associated Press reports.
"Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed a bill late Friday that would have authorized adults to carry firearms without a permit or training, dealing a rare defeat to the National Rifle Association in a conservative state.
The veto comes after opposition from the business community and law enforcement authorities, including top officials with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation who have said it could erode public safety.
The NRA had supported the bill’s passage and had urged Fallin to sign it.
In a statement announcing her veto, 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."
