Governor Brad Henry signs bill to protect citizens' right to bear arms

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry signs into law a bill that protects citizens' rights to have firearms, even during times of civil emergency.<br/><br/>The new law eliminates a governor's

Wednesday, April 26th 2006, 6:12 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry signs into law a bill that protects citizens' rights to have firearms, even during times of civil emergency.

The new law eliminates a governor's power to prohibit the possession of guns by law-abiding citizens during an emergency. It was sparked by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when local authorities tried to confiscate firearms from citizens.

An Oklahoma law passed in the turbulent 1960s gave the governor authority to prohibit the possession of firearms by anyone other than law enforcement anywhere other than in a person's home or business.