Firearms in Cars at Tech Centers

[vvvvvvv]

I'm surprised I missed this! I saw in the CareerTech State Director's Update a reference to a bill that would amend the SDA to specifically include tech centers in the list of prohibited places. So I checked the referenced bill.

SB2230 passed the Senate yesterday and is headed to the house! There's a reason it specifically includes tech centers in the prohibited places list - further down in the bill it adds the parking lot as an exception to tech centers.

There were only 3 Nays in the Senate.

 

[loudshirt]

Since you have high school classes at most VoTech's is the reason you cant have it there.

 

[vvvvvvv]

Since you have high school classes at most VoTech's is the reason you cant have it there.

They are currently lumped in the secondary school category.

Here's the bill, as approved by the Senate:

SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2001, Section 1280.1, as amended by Section 2, Chapter 465, O.S.L. 2003 (21 O.S. Supp. 2009, Section 1280.1), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1280.1. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession on any public or private school property or while in any school bus or vehicle used by any school for transportation of students or teachers any firearm or weapon designated in Section 1272 of this title, except as provided in subsection C of this section or as otherwise authorized by law.
B. “School property” means any publicly or privately owned property held for purposes of elementary, secondary or vocational-technical education, and shall not include property owned by public school districts or private educational entities where such property is leased or rented to an individual or corporation and used for purposes other than educational.
C. Firearms and weapons are allowed on school property and deemed not in violation of subsection A of this section as follows:
...
4. Concealed weapons are allowed on any technology center school district property set aside for the use of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, provided the handgun is carried or stored as required by law and the handgun is not removed from the vehicle.

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/SB2230_ENGR.RTF

 

[vvvvvvv]

My Rep (Todd Russ) believes that this has a good chance of passing the House.

Now... will it pass the Governor's desk?

 

[WNM]

As an employee on a Career Tech campus this makes me happy!


"School property" means any publicly or privately owned property held for purposes of elementary, secondary or vocational technical education, and shall not include property owned by public school districts or private educational entities where such property is leased or rented to an individual or corporation and used for purposes other than educational.

If you lease any buildings on your campus you can park there with a weapon in your vehicle.

 

[vvvvvvv]

On March 16, this was referred to the Higher Ed & Career Tech committee. Deadline to get out of committee is April 8.

 

[vvvvvvv]

Looks like the have a proposed committee substitute.

What it does differently than the version that passed the Senate is change 1280.1(C)(4) to read "Concealed weapons are allowed on any technology center school district property set aside for the use of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, provided the handgun is carried or stored as required by law, the handgun is not removed from the vehicle and the handgun is inoperable due to the use of a mechanical locking device."

I haven't decided what to say at this point, because if this is absolutely necessary to ensure passage then I think I can be okay with that. However, that adds another inconvenience to another place where I would have to be ubercareful in stowing my insurance policy.

 

[mons meg]

Well, they really oughta UNpropose that. What defines a mechanical locking device?

 

[vvvvvvv]

Well, they really oughta UNpropose that. What defines a mechanical locking device?

That is quite broad.

I just shot this off to my Rep.

I have some concerns about the proposed committee substitute (http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/SB2230 FULLPCS1 JOHN ENNS-GRS.DOC and attached). What it does differently than the version that passed the Senate is change 1280.1(C)(4) to read "Concealed weapons are allowed on any technology center school district property set aside for the use of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, provided the handgun is carried or stored as required by law, the handgun is not removed from the vehicle and the handgun is inoperable due to the use of a mechanical locking device."

My concerns have to do with the underlined phrase above. First, there is no definition of what constitutes a mechanical locking device, which I think could be interpreted quite broadly even in such a way that may not be the Legislature's intent.

Second, the two most popular locking devices available, the trigger lock and cable lock, are easily bypassed. Most trigger locks can be pried off with an icepick or small screwdriver in seconds, which really defeats what I think is the intended purpose of the aforementioned phrase. Many popular cable locks with "armored cable" break rather easily, and you don't even need bolt cutters.

And finally, there is the impact on those of us who carry. When I check my P.O. Box or go pick up a package at the post office, I have to leave my firearm in my vehicle because the post office is federal property. This involves me having to discreetly remove it from my holster and stow it some place out of sight in the vehicle. In a lot of vehicles, this is actually easier said than done. Adding to that the requirement to apply a mechanical locking device just further complicates the matter. Safe locking of a firearm would require that the firearm be unloaded. The extra motions of removing the magazine, removing the round from the chamber, and locking the slide back to insert a cable lock can be easily distinguished from other "normal" motions, and this yields the possibility of violating Title 21 Section 1290.2 while making an attempt to comply with the mechanical locking device provision (if this were to become law). ("Concealed handgun" means a loaded or unloaded pistol carried hidden from the detection and view of another person ... in a vehicle which is operated by the person or in which the person is riding as a passenger...)

Overall, I believe the original bill should be supported as-is and that the proposed committee substitute should not.

Should this also be sent to the committee chairman? I'm not 100% on when that is considered proper.

 

[vvvvvvv]

http://www.okhouse.gov/Committees/ViewVotes.aspx?include=okh00017.txt&DirName=HIGHERED

...got a Do Pass as Amended...