Current, Former OK Lawmakers Weigh In On Gun Control

The latest CBS News poll shows 51 percent of Americans believe gun laws should be stricter, but that is down seven points since last fall.

Tuesday, President Obama announced new executive actions intended to curb gun violence across the country.

The cornerstone of the plan expands background checks on firearm sales at gun shows and the Internet and requires that dealers be licensed.

1/5/2016 Related Story: Obama Makes Emotional Plea For Increased Gun Control

He also called on Congress to increase funding for mental healthcare, gun safety technology and hiring more background checkers and ATF agents.

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe said he believes gun control is only the beginning of a bigger agenda by Obama.

"What he’s talking about doing with guns…most of that’s current law anyway. When they’re talking about gun shows and the Internet sales, that's already in the law it is just been loosely enforced, so I think he's stating it as if it is kinda his idea so that people will think he is doing something in these areas," he said.

Inhofe said, “The big thing is defining a dealer as someone, and I've heard the figure of two - if you make two gun sales a year you are a dealer - well I make more than that.”

1/5/2016 Related Story: Oklahoma Gun Supporters Protest Presidential Gun Control Order

Former Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn shared his thoughts on dealing with gun violence in America.

“It’s the rationalization that you can fix a symptom and not fix the disease. You can’t. You’re wasting your time fixing the symptom. If you want to treat the disease, let’s go get more aggressive on mental illness in this country. That’s one thing, if you look at half the gun violence things, it’s mental illness – that’s where we need to be working. Let’s don’t punish every other American who is not mentally ill, who is following the law, who pays their taxes, who goes to work every day. Let’s not punish them by taking their rights away,” he said.