Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) wants to be able to carry a gun in her purse.
Fallin, who owns handguns, has applied for a concealed carry permit so that she does not have to leave her gun behind at the governor's mansion, NewsOk.com reported. Fallin, who has an armed security detail, explained that she wanted to carry the gun with her for safety.
NewsOk.com reports:
“It's good for my own personal safety to be able to carry if I choose to do that,” she said. “From a private citizen's standpoint, it's a matter of personal safety to be able to carry if a person chooses to do that. It may be right for some; it may not be right for others.”
Under current state law, Fallin would not be allowed to bring the gun into the state Capitol with her.
Fallin has been a defender of the Second Amendment and noted that she believes Oklahoma's current gun laws work and that President Barack Obama's proposed assault weapons ban would not pass Congress. She has advocated for more funding for mental health care, which she promoted last week during the National Governors Association's State of the States Address. Fallin currently serves as NGA vice chairwoman.
Fallin told The Huffington Post last week that she did not have a position yet on proposed legislation in Oklahoma that would allow teachers to be cross-trained as reserve police officers, allowing them to carry guns while teaching. Fallin said she has yet to read the legislation by state Rep. Mark McCullough (R-Sapulpa).
McCullough has defended the legislation, saying that it would allow teachers to shoot mass murderers who enter school buildings. McCullough said that he's been praised and called a "fascist" for the legislation.
The issue of arming elected officials has been debated in recent years nationally. This week, officials in Johnson County, Texas, voted to allow elected officials to carry guns in the county courthouse. Earlier this year, the New Hampshire state Legislature revoked a two-year -old rule that allowed legislators to be armed in the state Capitol. The gun rule was passed in 2011 by the then-Tea Party-controlled legislature.
Last year, New Hampshire state Rep. Kyle Tasker (R-Nottingham) dropped one of his guns on the floor during a House Public Safety Committee meeting. Tasker, who carried two guns in a shoulder holster, later explained that he was feeling "loopy" after giving blood.
During the 2009 campaign, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R), who was the Monmouth County sheriff at the time, carried a gun with her while campaigning.
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