Tulsa mass shooting prompts diverging political responses

On the ground floor of the Oklahoma state Capitol, where the flags on the south steps were being lowered to half staff, Democratic lawmakers huddled Thursday to call for new gun control measures, including a repeal of the state's "permitless carry" law and a waiting period for purchasing a firearm.

About 30 miles north, Don Spencer, the leader of a statewide gun rights organization, worked the phones from his home office, pushing lawmakers to expand firearm access, especially in private businesses.

Less than 24 hours since a mass shooting in Tulsa that killed four people inside a hospital building, lawmakers and advocates were in their partisan corners, pushing for vastly different responses to the worsening problem of gun violence in America.

“We certainly aren’t doing enough to prevent (shootings) from happening," said Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, who led his House Democratic colleagues in asking the governor to amend an upcoming special session to include the topic of gun control.

House Democrats had already planned to call for several gun control measures even before Wednesday's shooting in Tulsa, Nichols said, but the incident further solidified the need for action.

Watch replay: President Joe Biden addresses nation after Tulsa hospital shooting

However, Nichols acknowledged that restricting access to firearms can be a tough sell in the Republican-controlled state Legislature, especially with a powerful pro-gun organization working behind the scenes.

"I have never understood why OK2A has so much influence in this building," Nichols said, referring to Spencer's organization.

Spencer said he already had talked with several state lawmakers and was urging them to expand firearm access.

“That was private property, that was a no-gun zone,” Spencer said about Saint Francis Health System, the site of Wednesday’s shooting. “That’s where we need to eliminate no-gun zones.”

Spencer said he wanted to see the state expand liability protections for private businesses that allow their employees to be armed, especially when it comes to confronting would-be attackers beyond the front doors of a building.

More: A patient unleashed horror at a Tulsa medical center, killing 4, including his surgeon

The Tulsa shooter, who killed himself as police arrived, purchased an assault-style rifle just over an hour before he attacked the hospital. While Democrats called for new waiting periods, Spencer rejected the idea.

“Any proposal to restrict Second Amendment rights will only increase the likelihood of situations like the one we just saw,” Spencer said.

Another mass shooting furthers the debate over gun control

The attack in Tulsa gripped a nation already coping with recent mass shootings at a Buffalo grocery store and a Texas elementary school, which has renewed debates over gun control.

The Biden administration already had said it planned to push for new gun safety laws, but Vice President Kamala Harris said the Tulsa shooting had only hardened that effort.

“All of us hold the people of Tulsa in our hearts, but we also reaffirm our commitment to passing common sense gun safety laws,” Harris told reporters on Thursday.

Tulsa shooting: Shooter targeted doctor, shot 'anyone who was in his way'

Gun laws vary by state, and there is evidence that more guns result in more gun deaths.

Oklahoma has the 12th-highest rate of gun violence in the nation, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

“Not if but when,” Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said about a mass shooting taking place in Tulsa, speaking to reporters on Thursday. “We would (have been) naive to think that would not happen in our jurisdiction.”

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said cities are limited in what meaningful gun control measures they can impose, which is why he recently signed a letter from the United States Conference of Mayors calling on the U.S. Senate to advance two bills that would strengthen background checks for gun purchases.

“That letter is touching on two bills that are broadly supported by the American public,” Holt said.

Holt, who was a Republican state senator before being elected mayor, said he and other lawmakers worked to stop some firearm expansion measures, including one law that would allow Oklahomans to carry a gun without a permit or training.

While that bill was vetoed by former Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, it was the first bill signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt, who said the best way to stop gun violence was to have a "good guy with a gun."

Stitt's office declined an interview request Thursday to discuss policy responses to the Tulsa shooting.

More: Tulsa shooting draws reactions from Oklahoma lawmakers, elected officials

State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who is running for governor and is expected to be the Democratic nominee, said she was in favor of requiring background checks on all gun sales, raising the age to purchase a firearm to 21, and imposing a three-day waiting period.

“I know there is a path, I’m convinced there is a path,” Hofmeister said about passing gun control measures in Oklahoma.

Democratic caucus wants a special session on gun control

Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene for a special session this month to discuss tax reform and economic relief issues.

On Thursday, House Democrats said they wanted that special session to include discussions about gun control laws. While Stitt hasn't spoken about what policies he would support after the Tulsa shooting, it seems unlikely he would call such a special session.

Two years ago, after another string of mass shootings, Stitt blamed mental health, not guns.

“To me, it’s not a weapons issue,” Stitt said in 2019.

Democrats said access to guns is a problem, but they also welcomed a renewed focus on mental health.

"If they truly believe that (mental health is the problem), then I think they (Republicans) need to put their money where their mouth is and make a significant investment in mental health," said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman. "If they wanted to do that in a special session, because we have money that was allocated for tax rebates and tax cuts, and they want to invest some of that in mental health, we would 110% support that."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Dems call for gun control, advocates see a need to expand firearm access