Wyoming Poised to Do Away With Gun-Free Zones

A sign reads "Gun Free Zone" at the entrance to the Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, in Falls Church, Va., on Dec. 4, 2015. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Whether the state of Wyoming gets rid of its gun-free zones is in Gov. Mark Gordon’s hands.

On March 8, the Legislature passed and sent to Mr. Gordon HB 125. The bill’s primary sponsor, state Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, a Republican, said he is cautiously optimistic that Mr. Gordon will sign the bill but that he knows there are no guarantees.

The bill repeals the designation for most places currently listed as gun-free zones, including public schools, colleges, and public buildings. This includes the state capitol, legislature, and other government buildings. It also makes it a crime to prevent a legal gun owner from carrying a concealed weapon anyplace but in areas that remain off-limits.

Those off-limits areas include hospitals, mental health facilities, and jails.

The law allows private property owners to prohibit weapons on their property and prohibits students of elementary and secondary schools from carrying weapons in their schools.

School administrators can set policies for employees to carry on school property. This includes required training, certification, and annual recertification.

The law also vests all authority for regulating firearms in the state, taking that authority away from county and municipal governments.

An email from Mr. Gordon’s communications director, Michael Pearlman, confirmed on March 8 that the governor had received the bill. But Mr. Pearlman did not indicate the law’s future.

“HB 125 was received by the Governor today,“ Mr. Pearlman told The Epoch Times. ”As our legislative session is scheduled to conclude today, he will have 15 days to act on this bill. He will give this bill careful consideration, as he does all legislation that reaches his desk.”

Under Wyoming law, if the Legislature had remained in session, Mr. Gordon would have had three days to either sign or veto the bill. Since the Legislature completed its work on the state budget and ended the session, Mr. Gordon has 15 days. If he does nothing, the bill becomes law without his signature.

Mr. Haroldson said the bill has been vehemently opposed by teachers unions and the state’s colleges and universities.

The Epoch Times was unable to contact a representative of the Wyoming Educators Association by press time, but the group posted a guide on its Facebook page on how to ask state senators to vote against the legislation.

The guide states that guns on school grounds would undermine students’ confidence in teachers, create a dangerous environment, and create liability for districts, educators, and students. The guide also claims that a majority of law enforcement agencies oppose such laws.

“Arming teachers places a life-and-death liability on educators, who typically lack the proper training to use a firearm in defense of students at school effectively,” the information reads.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon delivers his State of the State address to the Wyoming Legislature in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Feb. 14, 2022. Rhianna Gelhart/The Wyoming Tribune Eagle via AP

According to Mr. Haroldson, the bill will enable Wyoming gun owners to protect themselves in places where they are currently disarmed. He said this is why a majority of Wyoming residents support the bill.

He would not speculate on what Mr. Gordon might do.

“It’s a dangerous place to be to veto a bill of this nature,” Mr. Haroldson told The Epoch Times.

Chris Stone, state and local affairs director for Gun Owners of America, expresses optimism that the bill will become law because it has broad public support.

“Public perception is behind us. We believe Gov. Gordon will do the right thing and sign that into law,” he told The Epoch Times.

Mr. Stone said people support the measure because research indicates that most mass shootings happen in gun-free zones.

On its website, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) shows data indicating that between 1998 and October 2023, 82 percent of mass shootings occurred in gun-free zones.

The CPRC also posted a report indicating that many mass shooters wrote in their manifestos that they selected gun-free zones so they could maximize the number of victims.

Sailed Through the House

According to the Wyoming Legislature’s website, the legislation entered the Senate after leaving the House on a 54–7 vote on Feb. 27, 2024.

Mr. Haroldson said the bill got a cooler reception in the Senate.

Wyoming has short legislative sessions, only 20 days in even-numbered years, when the Legislature is writing the budget, so the bill was on a tight deadline. He said the bill was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it died under the weight of amendments that would have neutralized the bill.

But on March 7, the bill’s supporters were able to use parliamentary procedure to revive the bill and vote it out of committee and onto the Senate floor with no amendments. The bill passed the Senate by a 22–8 vote.

Mr. Haroldson credited public support for the bill with encouraging senators to give it a second chance. He said his constituents are fully aware of what’s at stake.

“The Second Amendment is the one amendment that protects all others. I think people know that,” he said.

“I just think that’s something that red state people understand.”