Only On 9: Fallin Weighs In On Gun Control Debate

Gov. Mary Fallin spoke with News 9 about the ongoing gun debate in the country fresh off her trip from Washington, D.C. 

She spoke with the president and vice president about the ongoing gun debate among the issues was work being done to expand background checks. 

2/28/2018 Related Story: Gov. Fallin Talks About State's Steps To Protect Students

Oklahoma does not require a state level background check on the sale of firearms nor do we require checks on private sales or sales at gun shows. 

Right now in Congress, there are two bills that would make background checks mandatory for all sales and close loopholes that allows those with a history of violence or mental illness to buy guns. 

Fallin wouldn't say out right whether she supported the effort.

"I'm certainly interested in looking at that, too. I'd like to hear more about the discussion but I think anything we can do to make sure we're keeping people that might have problems from carrying a weapon some place they shouldn't," Fallin said.

Fallin did raise concerns about so called "red flag laws," flaws that let a judge prevent a person with "red flags" in the mental health history. She said it'd be tough to find a balance between privacy and security.

The push to remove assault-style weapons like those used in the majority of the last high profile mass shootings has mostly come from Democrats and isn't likely to pass in Congress. 

Fallin said the laws on assault-style weapons on the books already are good but did say another much talked about ban is worth talking about. 

"I don't think we're having a discussion on that right now. I think we have some pretty good laws in place, but I think the bump stocks are fair game," Fallin said.

Bump stocks allow a semi-automatic rifle to become a fully-automatic weapon and came to the forefront of the gun debate after the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year.

The president said Wednesday he'd be directing the Department of Justice to ban bump stocks if Congress does not.