Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Oklahoma House passes bill allowing those lawfully permitted to carry firearms to do so on boats; chamber clears several other measures
Loading...
Summary
The Oklahoma House advanced and passed House Bill 29-37, a technical change to extend lawful carry onto boats, after questions about alcohol and enforcement; the floor also cleared a package of administrative and criminal-justice bills ranging from fee increases to statutory cleanups.
The Oklahoma House on Tuesday approved House Bill 29-37, a cleanup to the state's 2019 constitutional carry law that clarifies people otherwise lawfully permitted to carry a firearm may also carry on boats.
Representative David Olsen, the bill's sponsor, told the chamber HB 29-37 simply fills a drafting gap in the earlier constitutional carry bill, saying, "we neglected to include boats," and moved the measure for passage. After a period of questioning from members about safety on recreational waterways, the House voted 80 ayes to 12 nays to pass the measure.
Why it matters: supporters said the bill removes an unintended omission from existing law and aligns carry rules on water with lawful carry on land for qualified individuals. Opponents pressed on public-safety risks tied to alcohol and confrontations on lakes.
During floor questioning Representative Fugate warned of incidents involving intoxicated boaters and described a scenario of "boat rage," asking whether the bill would increase the likelihood of violent encounters on the water. Representative Turner and others pointed out that Oklahoma law already makes carrying a weapon while under the influence a crime (referencing title 21 12 89.9). Olsen responded that other states with constitutional carry have not shown an outsized safety problem and framed the legislation as an affirmation that lawful carriers may carry while on boats.
Votes at a glance: in addition to HB 29-37 (80–12), the House passed a series of bills on final reading, including HB 29-60 (torts/firearm purchase-related adjustments, 83–10), HB 34-66 (removing an obsolete petty-cash statute for the Corporation Commission, 94–0), HB 32-62 (raising warrant-service fee from $50 to $150 at the request of the Oklahoma County sheriff, 77–17), HB 32-69 (allowing electronic procedures for arrest warrants, 90–4), HB 31-52 (authorizing Corporation Commission officers to transport detained truck drivers to jail; CLEET-trained officers; tally recorded), HB 41-40 (making theft of a firearm a Class C2 felony regardless of price, 85–11), HB 41-42 (bomb-squad statutory corrections requested by Oklahoma City Police Department, 92–0), HB 31-48 (modernizing VIN inspections, 83–11), and HB 33-78 (reforming OCAST board terms to avoid simultaneous turnover; passed 92–2 with an emergency declaration approved by the House).
What was said: Representative Olsen said the bill "allows somebody otherwise qualified and permitted to carry a weapon to also carry it on their boat if they so choose." Representative Fugate asked, "Are you concerned at all about people being out on the lake who have been drinking who are also now carrying?" Representative Turner noted that carrying under the influence is already a crime. Representative Walden said he had "asked this question before" and suggested there has been an increase in gun theft since constitutional carry; sponsors said the listed bills did not specifically address theft trends.
Process and next steps: The Speaker declared HB 29-37 and the other measures passed on the House floor as recorded in the roll calls; the transcript records the final vote tallies. The House concluded the floor session with announcements and adjourned to its next scheduled sitting.
