 - A new legislative proposal to repeal gun-free zones in Wyoming has been approved by the Wyoming House of Representatives and is now awaiting consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.){kind=link}
(Cheyenne, WY) – A new legislative proposal to repeal gun-free zones in Wyoming has been approved by the Wyoming House of Representatives and is now awaiting consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The current version of House Bill 172 – Repeal gun free zones and preemption amendments, says people with concealed carry permits in Wyoming may carry their concealed weapons in:
- any meeting of a governmental entity
- any meeting of the legislature or legislative committee
- any public building (with exceptions)
- any public school, public college or university athletic event taking place on public property that does not sell alcoholic beverages
- any public elementary or secondary school facility
- any public college or university facility
The bill lets local school boards adopt rules and regulations for employees who lawfully carry concealed weapons at work under the proposed new law – but if a school board doesn’t adopt those kinds of rules, HB 172 says an employee with a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the state may still do so on school property.
Retired public school finance director Kirk Schmidt of Lander said that portion of the legislation takes local control away from public school boards, which are elected to set policies for their organizations.
“Conservative government lets the local people tell their locally elected officials how they want those organizations run,” Schmidt said when spoke about HB 172 in front of the House Judiciary Committee last month. “This (bill) is mandating to those locally elected officials things that they should be dealing with on their own.”
Former Lander School Board member Michelle Escudero agreed during her testimony that HB 172 “circumvents local control,” while Dubois High School student Mia Chandler said the bill “raises many concerns for our school and community.”
Since the 1990s, Chandler said Dubois schools have been gun-free zones where students “feel safe and protected by the local police, county sheriffs, and our trusted school resource officer – someone we all know and recognize, (and) someone we trust with our lives.”
“This trust has created an environment where we can focus on learning,” Chandler said.
If HB 172 passes, however, “anyone (could) enter our school armed,” Chandler said, prompting questions about how emergency responders would be able to “distinguish between those allowed to carry firearms and an actual threat.”
“The confusion could delay responses in an emergency and escalate already tense situations,” Chandler said.
Plus, she pointed out, Dubois schools serve students ages 3 to 21, and allowing those older students “to carry firearms around younger students creates significant safety concerns.”
“High schools are no strangers to conflict, and arguments happen daily,” she said. “The risk of harm increases dramatically when firearms are introduced. A single moment of escalation could have irreversible consequences.”
“Tensions and passions run high” at school events like athletic competitions, talent shows, and concerts, too, Chandler said, and “adding firearms to these situations only complicates security and increases the potential for violence in spaces meant for unity and school spirit.”
“Students deserve to feel safe in school,” she said. “Knowing that a classmate just a few feet away could be carrying a weapon disrupts our learning and undermines the sense of security schools are supposed to provide. Allowing 18-year-olds and strangers to enter our building with firearms disrupts the learning of all students.”
If HB 172 passes, Chandler said it should include “additional measures.”
For example, she said people bringing firearms into schools should have to verify their training, licensing and qualifications before entering the building.
The bill should also provide for “additional school resource officers and metal detectors at every (school) entrance,” as those items “would be essential to reduce potential threats,” she said.
“Protecting students should be the priority,” Chandler said. “A gun-free zone is one of the few safeguards that ensures our school remains a safe place to learn and grow. Please consider the risks to students, families, and communities before making a decision that could jeopardize their safety.”
The Wyoming Legislature passed a similar bill last year, but it was later vetoed by Gov. Mark Gordon.