One of the most intense and important debates in the United States is about the right to own and carry a firearm. Many Americans believe it is and always should be a Constitutional right. However, others argue that with increasing gun violence throughout the nation, its laws need to be re-evaluated.
In Wyoming, a famously pro-gun state, Governor Mark Gordon just vetoed an incredibly controversial concealed carry bill. As a result, many of his constituents are not thrilled. The bill, which would allow concealed carry of firearms in schools and government meetings, is headed to Wyoming’s governor after clearing the state Legislature by a wide margin.
What happens next is somewhat uncertain because Wyoming governors traditionally don’t say if they plan to sign or veto bills. Gov. Mark Gordon has not spoken publicly about the bill, but he is a Republican gun rights supporter.
Wyoming Is Known To Be a Gun-Friendly State
Wyoming is among the gun-friendliest states, and the bill passed the state Senate 22-8 after supporters dismissed fears about allowing guns where they’re currently banned. “People carry concealed guns in Wyoming all the time without stirring fear,” said state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a Republican from Cheyenne.
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“If people were afraid, they wouldn’t go to all the stores around us. They wouldn’t go into any businesses around us. They would have to roll up the towns and close Wyoming down,” Bouchard said in a floor debate.
Wyoming Doesn’t Need a Gun Permit
In Wyoming, gun owners haven’t needed a permit to carry guns openly or a concealed firearm since 2021. Under the latest gun bill, open carry would still be prohibited in schools and government meetings, and K-12 students can’t have guns at school.
Guns would still be banned in jails, courts, police stations, and hospitals and on private property if that’s the owner’s wish. However, concealed firearms would become permissible with a permit at the University of Wyoming and community colleges in areas not serving alcohol.
They would also be allowed without a permit in government meetings, including those of the Legislature. As with previous gun debates in Wyoming, lawmakers interpreted the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms permissively.
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Latest Carry Bill
A handful of Wyoming districts have let school officials carry guns in schools since the state allowed it in 2017. States allowing permit holders to have concealed guns in schools include Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
One of Wyoming Senate’s two Democrats, Chris Rothfuss of Laramie, argued against the bill, saying he had not heard from teachers or students on the issue. He appealed to the Republican principle that the government closest to the people governs best.
“What this says to city councils and county commissioners is that your judgment is not good enough here,” Rothfuss said. The chamber’s other Democrat, Mike Gierau of Jackson, also voted against the bill, changing his vote to no after initially voting for it.
The bill cleared the state House 54-7. However, it failed in a Senate committee before being revived in a procedural vote to bring it to the full Senate.
Wyoming RemainsTrue to Its Roots
Wyoming is known throughout the US as the “Cowboy State.” Many other states have changed their laws and even culture over the past century. However, Wyoming has tried its best to remain wild and free, just as it was when it was founded.
ALSO READ: Judge Halts California Law Poised to Ban Residents From Carrying Concealed Firearms in Public Places
What Is the Difference Between Open and Concealed Carry?
Concealed carry means that a person in Wyoming can carry a firearm almost everywhere. However, they have to carry it concealed so it won’t be visible to the public. Often, this is a means of self-defence. On the other hand, open carry is just as the name implies. It is a practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public.
The difference between a concealed and open carry is quite simple. Open carry means the firearm is always visible to the public, whereas concealed carry means it is not visible.
Gov. Mark Gordon Is Concerned for the Future of Wyoming
Gov. Gordon vetoed the bill, explaining he believed it would have extended legislative authority past the reasonable threshold. If the bill had passed, educational and state facilities would have had to request approval to ban concealed firearms from their buildings.
Gordon believed it was unconstitutional. His argument against the bill was that facilities should have the right to deny entrance to those with concealed weapons without having to ask the government’s permission.
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