A bill that would allow concealed carry in schools and government meetings passed the state House by a wide margin Thursday and will be sent to Wyoming’s governor.
What happens next is somewhat unclear, as Wyoming’s governor traditionally does not say whether he intends to sign or veto the bill. Gov. Mark Gordon has not spoken publicly about the bill, but he is a Republican gun rights supporter.
Wyoming is one of the most gun-friendly states, and the bill passed the state Senate 22-8 after overcoming concerns from advocates about allowing guns in areas where they are currently prohibited. did.
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State Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a Republican from Cheyenne, said people in Wyoming always carry concealed guns without inciting fear.
“If people were scared, they wouldn’t go into all the stores around us. They wouldn’t go into any of the businesses around us. They wouldn’t go into town,” Bouchard said during the floor debate. We’re going to have to roll up and shut down Wyoming.”
Starting in 2021, gun owners in Wyoming will no longer need a permit to carry a gun openly or concealed.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon watches the opening ceremony of the Western Governors Association Winter Conference on November 6, 2023 in Teton Village, Wyoming. Passed by the state legislature on March 7, 2024. (Bradley J. Bonner/Jackson Hole News & Guide, Associated Press, File)
Under the latest gun control bill, open carry is still prohibited in schools and government meetings, and K-12 students are not allowed to own guns at school. Guns will continue to be prohibited in prisons, courthouses, police stations, hospitals and private property if owners wish.
However, the University of Wyoming and local community colleges that do not serve alcohol will now be able to carry concealed firearms with a permit. They will also be allowed to conduct government meetings, including parliament, without permission.
As with previous gun debates in Wyoming, lawmakers interpreted the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms liberally.
“If we let the superintendent decide this constitutional right, it won’t be long before the superintendent decides this First Amendment right,” said Sen. Troy McCune, R-Gillette. Ta.
Some school districts in Wyoming have allowed school staff to carry guns in school since the state allowed it in 2017. States that allow permit holders to conceal guns in schools include Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah, according to The National. State Legislature Conference.
Chris Rothfuss of Laramie, one of the two Democrats in the Wyoming state Senate, opposed the bill, saying he had not heard from teachers or students about the issue. He appealed to the Republican principle that the government closest to the people governs best.
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“What this says to the city council and county commissioners is that you don’t have good judgment here,” Rothfuss said.
Another Democrat in the chamber, Mike Giroux of Jackson, also voted against the bill, first voting yes and then voting no.
The bill first passed the state House of Representatives 54-7, but died in a Senate committee before being revived for a procedural vote to be brought to the full Senate.
