OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday adopted a resolution encouraging the National Rifle Association (NRA) to relocate its headquarters to Oklahoma.

Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, author of House Resolution 1007, said with the civil rights group’s recent announcement that it is moving its incorporation status from New York to Texas, he felt now would be a perfect time to extend the invitation. The group’s headquarters is actually in Fairfax, VA, but it has operated as a New York-based nonprofit since its founding in 1871.

“Our citizens and our state Legislature have an obvious love and appreciation for our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Bashore said. “With the association’s announcement, we want to extend a welcome and open invitation to relocate to our firearm-friendly state.”

Bashore said about 80,000 people attend the NRA’s annual conferences and approximately 5.5 million members in the association, which is considered the gun owner’s chief advocate.

HR 1007 notes that since territorial times Oklahomans have been protective of their Second Amendment rights, and the state Legislature is equally committed to protecting these rights for its citizens. This is evident by the number of firearm-friendly pieces of legislation passed, including constitutional carry.

The resolution also states that Oklahoma currently has the ninth highest firearms sales nationwide and declares that that state is open for business, allowing business owners to make their own decisions about how to operate, open or close.

Oklahoma has proven to be a state working to protect the rights of an individual to keep and bear arms, the resolution reads. As such, the state welcomes the National Rifle Association and its mission to continue educating and defending civil rights in this state for years to come.

The resolution concludes that any company seeking freedom and liberty is encouraged to make Oklahoma its home.