Lowe said the issue isn’t about politics but is about giving the people a chance to speak their mind.

Brian T. Jones, representing proponents of the referendum, said voters would be asked whether to approve or reject HB 2597.

The referendum faces an uphill battle based on regulations governing the process of even getting to the signature-gathering process.

Backers of a referendum have 90 days from the end of the legislative session in which the measure was enacted (May 31) to obtain a number of signatures equal to 5 percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, so supporters would have only until 5 p.m. Aug. 29 to submit 59,320 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office after the petition was approved for circulation — a process that itself could take weeks.

Don Spencer is president of the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, also called OK2A. He said he wrote House Bill 2597 and that he doesn’t think supporters can gather the required number of signatures.

“It is a political stunt,” Spencer said. “I will tell you this, too. We appreciate Rep. Lowe for introducing this. It is one of the greatest generators for OK2A memberships that can take place.”