Thursday, July 24, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state lawmaker who gained national notoriety with an anti-homosexual rant was stopped from entering the state Capitol on Wednesday when she was found to have a loaded handgun in her purse, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
Patrol spokeswoman Chris West said Republican Rep. Sally Kern was not charged because there did not appear to be any “malicious intent” behind her actions.
West said officers are allowed to “use their brains” when determining if an arrest should be made in such instances.
Kern complained earlier this year of receiving death threats after an audio clip was posted on YouTube in which she calls homosexuality a bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism.
Guns and knives are prohibited in the Capitol, and those who enter must pass through an airport-style security checkpoint, including a metal detector and an X-ray machine. It is a misdemeanor to bring a weapon inside.
Kern said she has a permit for the gun.