Christabel Shokunbi
Nov. 16, 2018.
On the 16 th of November, the freshman delegate Mason Russell from OSU presented his bill in front of the House of Representatives at 2:20 pm. In short his bill canceled every single component of the existing bill. Allowing students, the ability to carry firearm in schools. He mentioned that as a legal carrier, when he wants to go back to class, he first has to go back home to drop off his gun. He believes that since the changes to the bill canceled most parts of the bill, it was up to the house to collectively create an amendment that will create an agreeable bill. After delivering his point, the House quickly rose to question the author. Throughout the time to examine the author’s proposal, the bill received around five friendly amendments and only one hostile amendment. The hostile amendment focused on altering one of House’s previous friendly amendment. After being questioned, the hostile amendment was rejected by the House. With time running long, a motion was made to restrict the debate of the House. For this bill, only four debaters on both sides got to argue for one minute. With the proponency supporting the claim that this bill protects the first amendment. On the other hand, the opponents argued that allowing guns in school causes an issue of safety. They also mentioned that passing this law would create a camouflage for school shoots. To elaborate, the claim was that if a school shooting should occur, it would be hard for the police to identify the culprit because other students have guns. On a concluding note, freshman delegate Russell Mason noted in an interview that he believed hisbill was safe. He mentioned that “the people who legally” carry guns “are responsible. I don’t see why we don’t allow are responsible students”. In the end it was up to the house to side with delegate Mason Russell or side against him. In the end, the bill failed with thirty-two house members voting against the bill and twenty house members siding with the bill. Still believing in his amendment, the freshman delegate mentioned in an interview that the standing Oklahoma bill is “telling students they don’t have the right to defend themselves in class”.