A bill repealing most of the gun free zones in The Cowboy State for concealed carry permit holders passed the house on a 42-17 vote. The main sponsor of the bill, Allen Jaggi, R-Lyman, above, said that it is a public safety issue. Most of the Republican support emphasized that point. From reuters.com: “Backers of the Wyoming bill argued it would increase the safety of children enrolled in Wyoming’s 48 school districts by allowing school employees, from teachers to janitors, to be armed in class and on campus grounds.” . . .
Supporters pointed to the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as a shooting in which lives might have been saved if school staff members had been armed.
Here are the places where the bill would repeal of gun free zones. From HB114:
(b) Persons holding a valid concealed carry permit issued by the state of Wyoming under W.S. 6-8-104(a)(ii may carry a concealed weapon in the following places:
(i) Any meeting of a governmental entity;
(ii) Any meeting of the legislature or a committee thereof;
(iii) Any public school, college or professional athletic event whether or not related to firearms;
(iv) Any public elementary or secondary school facility; and
(v) Any public college or university facility without the written consent of the security service of the college or university.
An opinion piece in the wyomingnews.com that was against the bill claimed that the bill removed restrictions on people carrying in bars, but the bill doesn’t mention places that serve alcohol.
But HB 114 goes too far. Allowing residents to carry firearms at government meetings, into bars and at sporting events is a recipe for disaster.
House Democrats tried to amend the bill but all adverse amendments were defeated. From the facebook page of Kendell Kroeker, Wyoming House District 35:
HB114 – Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act passed the house 42-17 (1 excused!). There were 3 amendments run that would have gutted the bill, but we managed to defeat all 3. Now it is on to the Senate.
The University of Wyoming hasn’t formed a unified opinion on the bill. The faculty senate has come out against it, but it has not yet been joined by the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming, or the Staff Senate. From trib.com:
“We did not discuss the legislation because the committee that was assigned to it didn’t make a decision,” ASUW President Ahmed Balogun said. “It was tabled until next week, so we will hopefully have something by then.”
Late last year, ASUW voted against a resolution supporting the Faculty Senate resolution. While the organization has yet to approve of a formal resolution in favor of allowing guns on campus, Balogun remains hesitant to predict an outcome.
One member of the University faculty, Karen Williams, claims that the University day care center could lose its accreditation if the bill is signed into law. From trib.com:
“If there are concealed weapons on campus, our university child care center, which is a teacher training facility as well, will lose its accreditation because it does not fit with national recommendations,” Williams said.
Perhaps we will be able to find out if her claim is true. If there are any people who know the details of how university day care centers are accredited, please feel free to share with us.
Wyoming is one of the states leading the way in restoring Second Amendment rights that were gradually infringed for the last 100 years.
©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch
well, good for us. Although I can’t remember the last time we had a mass shooting in wyoming, but hooray for wyoming. And constitutional carry, which maybe some of the more enlightned states can follow suit.
The only one that comes to mind, the guy used a crossbow.
Good on ya neighbor, Idaho has passed some very similar bills related to campus carry etc hopefully we both continue down the path of constitutional carry.
No one thinks it’s gonna happen until it does.
Quit yer roamin”…good for them. This will never happen in my evil state of Illinois…it makes too much sense.
Recipe for disaster, wild west, blood in the streets, yada yada yada.
I can see Shannon’s head exploding.
Now if this passes and goes into effect the anti will kick and scream about safety and then we will never see a mass shooting on campuses and instances of campus assault and rape will plummet
Just like Utah.
May the Cowboy State show us the path to freedom and show us all, how to get it done!
Not sure if they will be the Cowboy state much longer, I read where a Wyo Sheriff banned western attire on the job?
Common sense gun reform!
What wonderful news! I’ve never really been interested in living in Wyoming until today. Good common sense gun laws! It is interesting that Wyoming is a “Constitutional Carry” state, but a CCW would still be required to carry in these locations. Let’s hope that the state senate also passes it, and the governor signs it.
The gunlaws are good. Now they have to work on those winters.
As a resident of Wyoming, I couldn’t agree more!
The winters keep the riff-raff out.
Spend a winter in Interior Alaska. It’s in the negative 30s this week (last week was the neg 40s).
After that, Wyoming will seem downright mild.
Cheyenne is nice. Good rodeo.
Yeee-Haw!
It’s all about baby steps. An American citizen should not need a CCL to carry a weapon any where in public.
But we are turning back the forces of darkness. One law at a time.
We may not need to turn to the bullet box after all. G-d willing.
Have the same patience and determination as the gungrabbers. One step at a time, until we have Constitutional carry nation-wide.
Simple non-compliance will get the job done a lot faster…
Why does anyone think the “government” anywhere has any legitimate authority to dictate who may or may not defend themselves? It is obviously impossible to “regulate” the actual criminals who want to harm people.
Resist. Do not comply. Don’t beg for permission. Take ownership of your life.
You first. After all, the proof of one having the courage of his convictions is a willingness to be the one getting convicted.
Yep, and either die in prison or in a Waco fire…
I feel what you’re saying (as a WA state resident, do I ever feel it) and I’m doing it in my own small way, but that can’t be the only thing we do.
The progressive/left hive mind is constantly finding ways to take away natural rights — and more than that, they’re busy convincing everyone else that it’s all for their own good. If we don’t engage them on their own ground, we’re going to lose. Before you know it, the government won’t even have to do anything to you. Your neighbors and erstwhile friends will be doing it to you for for them (see: WA state initiative 594).
I do resist, every day in countless ways. I don’t need to confront anyone to do so, just go about my business quietly. The first resistance is the realization that no government has any legitimate authority to control our lives and property. Once people understand that, they stop giving voluntary obedience to other people and find ways around the roadblocks. Without the general compliance of most folks, no involuntary government would have a leg to stand on.
What if they gave a war and nobody came? Quit being the arms and legs of the tyrants.
Oh noes! Gunz! Blood in the streets! Or not.
Seems many of the people of Wyoming are rational…
We keep trying, Bob.
One thing that nobody dares mention is the fact that a lot of people here have carried concealed everywhere they wished for a very long time now. We just don’t bother begging for anyone’s permission. The idea that this “law” will make much difference, or cause problems, just makes us snicker…
And, just so everyone knows, there is no “law” against open carry into any bar, restaurant or “sports” venue in Wyoming either. I can’t figure why it’s so hard for some to understand that, if a person WANTS to shoot people, he’s not going to give a rat’s ass if there’s a law against how he carries! And if he doesn’t want to hurt people, it’s not going to make any difference how he carries either.
The part about sporting venues may be aimed at overruling NFL type policies which deny the right. Now if any sporting event comes to Wyoming they cannot enforce those policies due to this law.
I don’t believe that’s accurate. True, the bill does read that a licensed concealed carrier may carry in professional sports venues. However, “may” is a tricky word when it comes to the law. In this case, it only means that the State grants permission to do so.
That is, from a state criminal law perspective, carrying thusly will not be against state law. That’s NOT the same thing as the State granting blanket permission to do so, such that you wouldn’t be in violation of anyone else’s prohibition against carrying, such as that of the property owner.
In fact, the full text of the bill explicitly declares that this would not prohibit a private property owner from restricting firearms on his property. That will apply to rented or leased property, too, as rental agreements/leases do convey some property rights. So a sporting organization or venue’s otherwise lawful firearms policies will not be overturned by this bill, should it become law.
If it’s a private company on private property, then what’s the problem?
This would be true for a sporting event on state property. University of Wyoming sporting event for example. Anything occurring on private property would still fall under existing law which gives private property owners the right to restrict firearms (and rightfully so).
Considering some pro sports organizations/franchises take state money or benefits, I’d argue *ALL such* are quasi public.
We used to do the same thing in WV cause there weren’t many cops. But it was still illegal and if you had a wife and small kids flirting with the Wayne County jail everytime you left home heeled made little sense.
At that time I worked for a Federal agency and a lot of us carried our illegally carried guns straight into the building. Left mine locked in the locker in the breakroom.
Try doing that now.
Any idea whether Wyoming’s Senate and governor will pass the bill and make it law?
And what about constitutional carry in Wyoming? Will the repeal only apply to licensees?
I have not really been following this deal, but from what little I’ve heard it should pass the senate. And yes, the “law” only applies to “permit” holders. I don’t see it making any particular difference to what most of us do already, one way or another.
If you want to follow the gun laws thing in Wyoming, bookmark the Wyoming Gun Owners Association webpage. http://wyominggunowners.org/
“If there are concealed weapons on campus, our university child care center, which is a teacher training facility as well, will lose its accreditation because it does not fit with national recommendations,” Williams said.
Fine. Concealed is concealed, who is going to know whether there are any concealed guns on campus? Just don’t mention it! If the child care center does not include metal detectors and armed guards, no change from the present, I’d guess.
I’m still trying to figure out what a child daycare teacher training facility is. Whose kids are cared for there? University employees? Possibly. Some employers do offer onsite daycare as a fringe benefit. Or those of student parents? Nice little subsidy there, in that case, perhaps at taxpayer expense.
What I really don’t get is the teacher training part. What training? It’s daycare. It’s glorified babysitting. It’s a twelve year old girl’s job. There’s an accredited teacher training program for that?
Exactly. They can always move it off campus. Or outsource it to a private company.
“What I really don’t get is the teacher training part. What training? It’s daycare. It’s glorified babysitting. It’s a twelve year old girl’s job. There’s an accredited teacher training program for that?”
Yes, it’s called “Early Childhood Education.” It is a major available nationwide, and qualifies one with such a degree to work in a daycare facility.
Sad.
Should also apply to State and City municipal buildings if it doesn’t already…
Does Wyoming have their meetings in Sports Bars or Bars ? That would get me to go to more meetings. 🙂
day care center could lose its accreditation
What does that even mean? In Michigan you can open carry in day care centers. Is there some type of anti-gun federal funding they get for being gun-free?
It says it is also a “teacher training facility”. I would guess that is the accreditation they would lose, not a license concerning the actual day care.
Well, even for a teacher training facility, what’s the issue? There are universities that allow students to carry. They haven’t lost their accreditation. Idaho for example.
Grasping at straws, most likely.
Certainly that assertion by Karen Williams is a red herring thrown up by antis as an argument against CC on campus.
Each state licenses and regulates child care facilities and practitioners. If there is a discrepancy in state law vis-à-vis child care facilities that would need to be addressed by the state legislature in relation to this Bill, no doubt it will be once the Bill goes into effect.
Any state credentialing would NOT be impacted if such a facility or its staff, or student teachers, is acting in compliance with state law.
From: http://www.uwyo.edu/ecec/
“The UW Early Care and Education Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children” (NAEYC http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements).
My take is that this “Association” sets standards that a day care center must agree to in order to maintain membership in the NAEYC and stick the Association’s logo on its door and on its letterhead, and that’s it. I was unable to find any specific position or guidelines re: guns on their website.
In other words, the unsupported assertion about “accreditation” risk by Karen Williams appears to be pure hogwash.
In any case it is irrelevant to the Bill being moved through the Wyoming Legislature.
Typical anti phony hysteria.
I live in Wyoming, I was in court for a traffic ticket and the guy next to me who was there for the same reason had a big ass folding knife on his hip… no one cared. In Colorado the bailiffs would tackle you.
You don’t get past the front door of a CA court house without being scanned, probed and molested. Aske me how I know.
UWYO student here. I’m actually friends with one of the ASUW senators on the committee, and the current resolution by the student government does have some restrictions. Reportedly, carry would be allowed on the campus and at all events, but it would be limited to those who have a permit (as opposed to our “traditional” constitutional carry.) Any of the residences run by the Univeristy would be off limits to carry. Any of the fraternities or sororities would be offlimits to carry. Sporting events would be open. Classes would be open. Reportedly, you can currently gain the ability to carry on campus with the permission of the campus police, but I have heard of no instances of this occurring. The main opponents are the international students and the faculty. The majority of native Wyomingites who I’ve spoken to support this or have no feelings. (I offer to take the apathetic out shooting.)
About the day care recommendations, they are not rules or laws. So you can take them or leave them.
Even in California we are allowed to carry in “gun free zones” if you have a CCW. Luckily many parts in California are granting CCWs now. I’ve had mine over a year now here in Orange County, Ca. with self defense being the only “good cause” provided.
Great for Wyoming! I hope Arizona follows.
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