WATONGA — The Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association now has a Blaine County chapter that meets every month to learn about Oklahoma gun laws, form a community of Second Amendment supporters and monitor proposed bills that could have an impact on gun owners nationwide.
Blaine County OK2A is led by Geary resident Lee Posey. It meets every third Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Watonga American Legion building, 306 S. Noble.
“Time to stand up & be counted,” reads promotional material for the local group. “What kind of world do you want to leave to your Kids & Grandkids? Come help us fight the good fight.”
The group’s next meeting will be Thursday, July 15, followed by meetings on Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16 and Jan. 20, 2022.
State Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, attended the group’s first meeting earlier this year, and the chapter aims to continue bringing informational guests and speakers to future meetings.
On a state level, OK2A lobbyists attend every day of the annual Oklahoma legislative session and advocate for certain gun bills and other bills backed by OK2A members. For instance, OK2A supported a Second Amendment sanctuary bill, SB631, that passed and was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
The group also lobbied for HB1775, the controversial bill that aims to prohibit “Critical Race Theory” in schools by banning certain concepts from the class room. That’s an example of a bill that doesn’t deal directly with Second Amendment rights, but found broad support among OK2A members.
Gun sales have jumped considerably since the election of President Joe Biden, data shows, fueled by concerns that Democrats will use their control of the executive and legislative branches to pass new gun restrictions. In April, Biden issued an executive order to crack down on the sale of “ghost guns” — kits that contain gun parts and instructions on how to assemble them — but has looked to Congress for further measures, which may prove difficult to pass given both chambers’ slim Democratic majorities.
In addition to its monthly meetings, the Blaine County chapter also maintains a Facebook group for interested locals.