Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) spoke with Breitbart News about his state’s love of freedom as well as how he welcomes ammunition and gun manufacturers to call Oklahoma home.
In January 2023, Stitt will attend the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s SHOT Show. We asked him what he hoped to achieve while he was there.
“I just want to share Oklahoma’s narrative, to let everyone know that we are business-friendly for gun and ammunition makers,” he explained. “Oklahomans still believe in liberty, and we don’t store our constitution in the attic simply because somebody in Washington DC orders us to.”
Stitt emphasized that Oklahoma staunchly supports the Second Amendment, even as other states capitulate to the gun control push.
During our conversation, Stitt elaborated on why he believes Oklahoma is an excellent location for gun and ammo manufacturers: “First and foremost, our state is currently ranked 11 in the country in terms of people who move to Oklahoma, not for every capita, but total numbers, due to our pro-business policy. Our regulatory system is extremely beneficial to business.”
He emphasized the importance of Oklahoma’s “quality of life to labor expenses” in comparison to other states.
“For example, compared to California, we are 430% less in housing expense than they are on the coast,” Stitt said.
After discussing his state’s pro-business structure and cheap cost of living, Stitt claimed that the third part in Oklahoma’s trifecta is the state’s energy independence.
“We are indeed a ‘all of the above-mentioned energy state,” he explained. “In other words, we rank fourth in oil production, third in natural gas production, and second in wind energy output. We generate more energy than we consume. We are a major exporter to the Southwest Power Pool.”
After describing Oklahoma’s economic, regulatory, and energy benefits, Stitt addressed ammo and gun manufacturers directly, saying, “The first statute I ever signed was constitutional carrying, back in 2019. We have no limits on hunting with or without a suppressor. Another measure that I believe is critical to manufacturing is a preemption statute that we enacted, which prohibits municipalities from establishing their own patchwork of gun control regulations. Some manufacturers are concerned that some of the larger cities may try to go it alone, but we really prevent that from occurring in our state.”
“We are supporters of the constitution in Oklahoma, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Stitt remarked. “We have five military bases in Oklahoma, and defense and support for our military and police enforcement are highly essential to Oklahomans.”
