VA anti-gun parking: I just wrote to my Senators and Congressman.

There is a prohibition against having a gun, even one locked in your car in the parking lot, at the Oklahoma City VA medical center on 13th Street. I asked my elected officials to do something about these anti-gun provisions. Veterans have to travel long to the VA facility for treatments and might need peace of mind for carrying a firearm while traveling. Vets have to stay at hotels sometimes. There is no convenient place to securely and lawfully stow a handgun nearby off the VA parking lot and there is no free street parking, overnight or otherwise, nearby the hospital. I'm a Vet and need to go to this facility periodically from Lawton about 100 miles away.

hso said:

Federal property rules apply and unless the state has laws stating a car is protected personal space you're going to be waiting a long time for a reversal.

Click to expand...

I'm not holding my breath for anything. I wouldn't count on the feds for the right time of day ever. I felt it my duty to inform my US legislators about this VA gun prohibition and explained to them that such "no-gun zones" are easy targets for random gunmen. I told them Vets should be at least be able to keep guns in cars on VA parking lots as they sometimes have to travel far from home for certain doctor appointments and might need peace of mind to have a firearm as a travel companion. Under federal law, unless there is a sign clearly posted against firearms, nobody can be held criminally liable for bring them onto federal property. The Oklahoma City VAMC is the only VA healthcare facility with signage specifically at the entrance to parking lots that I have ever seen. I've seen VAMC's in CA and ID and have never seen such anti-gun signs posted specifically for parking lots. In this case the general rule is locked up in the trunk unloaded and you are fine. This particular OKC VAMC is so anal they even have a gate guard shack at the entrance to the parking lot. What the devil are they guarding that's so valuable anyway? Never seen such asinine things in that regard either. I had a VA appointment last week there. I had to park my car out on the street in front of this place and put a dollar in the meter for an hour because I had my pistol with me. I wasn't expecting a no-guns sign there in the parking lot. Yes, if you are going to a new VA facility for the first time ever far from home by automobile, you have to call their police and ask them about guns in cars so you are in the know ahead of time. Oklahoma has even been a permit-less (CC) state since November of 2019. I have gotten in the regular habit of carrying wherever I can lawfully.

Hokie_PhD said:

The last time I was at the VA hospital in Salem Va it was the same. So as others said, I believe it’s a VA thing.

Good luck with getting action from your Representatives. Tim Kaine is as anti gun as you can get so his office won’t help you. Mark Warner isn’t much better. So both of our US Senators will be of any use.

I don’t know who your Representative is.* I can tell you Morgan Griffith is excellent and very Pro 2A so contact his office even if you aren’t in his district. Tell his office you’re calling his office and all Pro 2A representatives to get assistance. Likewise call all of the Pro 2A reps and do the same.

And good luck.

oh and call our Governor and Lt Gov. I’m not sure how much the Governor’s office will help. But the Lt Gov is bad ass and pro 2A and the pics of her shooting her AR was taken not far from here at a local range! So I’m sure you’ll at least get supportive folks.

Sadly the US Senators hold the most weight in this stuff and with the two we have we have no one at that level fighting for us.

Click to expand...

*Rep. Thomas Jeffery Cole (R), Oklahoma, 4th


Gun Owners of America Grades for Oklahoma


OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Jim Inhofe* (R)
SENATE
A-

OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Kevin Hern* (R)
DISTRICT 1
A

OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Markwayne Mullin* (R)
DISTRICT 2
A-

OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Frank Lucas* (R)
DISTRICT 3
B

*OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Tom Cole* (R)
DISTRICT 4
B-

OKLAHOMA | US CONGRESS
Stephanie Bice (R)
DISTRICT 5
A

Here is an interesting link for Oklahoma "no gun zones":

Where it's Illegal to Carry a Gun in Oklahoma - Schools, Bars, & More (urbanic.law)


Excluded Prohibited Places
The prohibited place does not include and specifically excludes the following property:

1. Any property set aside for the use or parking of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, by a city, town, county, state, or federal governmental authority;
2. Any property set aside for the use or parking of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, that is open to the public, or by any entity engaged in gambling authorized by law;
3. Any property adjacent to a structure, building, or office space in which concealed or unconcealed weapons are prohibited by this law;
4. Any property designated by a city, town, county, or state governmental authority as a park, recreational area, or fairgrounds; provided, nothing in this paragraph authorizes any entry by a person in possession of a concealed or unconcealed firearm into any structure, building, or office space that is specifically prohibited by any of the six places listed above; and
5. Any property set aside by a public or private elementary or secondary school for the use or parking of any vehicle, whether attended or unattended; provided, however, the firearm must be stored and hidden from view in a locked motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is left unattended on school property.