The House voted 65-29 vote to override Henry's veto of the bill, three votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed. Two-thirds of the 48-member Senate must also agree before a measure can become law without the governor's signature.
The measure would give Oklahoma residents with a concealed-carry permit the right to carry firearms openly. It originally passed the House 74-24.
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Its author, Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, said pressure from the Democratic governor may be the reason 11 Democrats who originally voted for the bill either voted against the veto override or did not vote at all.
"The swing was due to Democrats," Duncan said after the vote.
Democratic Leader Danny Morgan of Prague said the concerns of constituents, not pressure from the governor's office, was the reason some Democrats changed their minds.
"I think it was just a matter of hearing people from around their districts," said Morgan, who voted for the bill on May 4 but was absent when the override vote was taken. "It was amazing the number of calls some of our members received. It's a concern of ours."
Henry expressed the same concerns in a veto message he delivered on May 14 that said the measure could endanger citizens as well as police officers. Read more.
Source: Newson6.com
