Wyoming will no longer have any gun-free zones.
That’s the result of an announcement Gov. Mark Gordon made Thursday evening that he’s letting House Bill 172, a bill banning gun-free zones, pass into law without his signature. The law will apply to all public spaces in Wyoming including the Capitol, schools and the University of Wyoming campus.
The governor has three options on every bill that comes to desk: veto it, sign it into law or let it pass into law. The last two create the same end result, but letting a bill pass into law without a signature is a way for the governor to show displeasure about a bill while still letting it move forward.
And Gordon is plenty displeased. In a letter about the bill, he calls the legislation an attack on local control and the people who have supported it a “wild bunch” more interested in “grabbing power” than defending the Second Amendment.
He compared the actions taken in the bill to that of the federal government overreaching against the states.
“To wit, the ability to debate nuances and advance wise, considered policy is not a strength the people of Wyoming have witnessed during this legislative session,” he wrote.
Aaron Dorr, Wyoming state director for Second Amendment group Wyoming Gun Owners, took the high road after Gordon made his announcement.
“All levels of government exist to defend freedom and HB 172 does exactly that,” Dorr said. “It gives Wyomingites a chance to defend themselves in what used to be deadly gun-free zones. We’re overjoyed to see this come to a conclusion tonight.”
Dorr pointed out how gun-free zone bans have been attempted at the Legislature as far back as 2017 in a bill sponsored by now-Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester.
“We applaud Governor Gordon for not vetoing this bill,” Dorr said. “I want to thank Senate President Bo Biteman who began this fight way back in 2017 and want to thank Rep. Haroldson for bringing this fight home.”
Jeremy Haroldson is a Wheatland Republican who sponsored the gun-free zones legislation in the last two sessions. He was unavailable for comment.
Mark Jones, a representative of Gun Owners of America, also celebrated the bill passing into law.
“The repeal of most of Wyoming’s publicly-funded gun free zones represents a historic restoration of Second Amendment rights and the end of many areas where only law-abiding citizens have previously been disarmed,” Jones said. “This also represents a monumental win for both constitutional rights and public safety.”
Who Controls?
Gordon argued that gun-free zones aren’t actually repealed, but now only determined exclusively by the Legislature.
“I am left to imagine this legislative session was never about ‘self-defense’ or a common-sense effort to extend carry rights,” he wrote. “More to the point, it was always about the Legislature grabbing power. I find it interesting that this Legislature's vote was not so much about the sanctity of Second Amendment rights as it was who got to control them.”
Gordon vetoed a very similar piece of legislation last year, a move that came after the Legislature had already adjourned.
In that veto letter, although expressing support for banning gun free zones, Gordon also expressed concern about a disregard shown to local jurisdictions and separation of powers. He called on local leaders to review their gun free zone policies while he reviewed the state’s.
“Reflecting on this Legislature's lackadaisical effort to openly debate and work on this legislation before sending it to my desk, it is tempting to copy and return my same veto letter,” he wrote in his Thursday letter.
When he issued his veto letter, Gordon said only four Wyoming school districts had firearm policies. Since that time, 60% of school districts, every community college and the University of Wyoming got involved in the debate.
Most of the amendments proposed by these groups were rejected.
“Such lack of regard for the principle of ‘government closest to the people’ so fundamental to our Republic is stunning,” he wrote.
Gordon also mentioned how he doesn’t believe any more consideration has been given to local control than before.
He accused the Legislature of choosing politics over policy in passing the legislation. Gordon has often been at odds with the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which holds a majority in the House and of which Haroldson is a member.
“Elections are impactful, and I recognize the overwhelming majority of this Legislature opted to drop a political bomb,” Gordon wrote. “The final outcome of this legislation is not in doubt. It will become law.”
Gordon brought up how while growing up in Kaycee, his generation frequently used guns and even brought them to school.
“We all knew that if we handled those firearms irresponsibly, our privilege to bring our guns to school would be revoked,” Gordon said. “A decision made onsite by a principal with no direction from Cheyenne. This wild bunch doesn't understand Wyoming.”
In January, the State Building Commission gave final approval for people to carry concealed firearms in some areas of the Wyoming Capitol. This law will now supersede that action.
Other Bills Passing Into Law
The governor signed into law Thursday House Bill 42, legislation that regulates abortion clinics as surgical ambulatory centers, a bill he vetoed last year.
The governor’s office described this bill as adding additional safety regulations on abortion. Opponents of the bill said it specifically targets the Wellspring Health Care Access clinic in Casper and will cause the facility have to undergo significant renovations.
Gordon also let Senate File 77 pass into law without his signature a bill that would ban Wyoming state and county governments, along with public schools, from forcing people to use preferred gender pronouns. In his letter on this bill, Gordon described it as “a solution in search of a problem.”
“Given that these issues are not prevalent in Wyoming government, I must conclude that this bill, rather than addressing an urgent policy concern, is instead meant to convey a public perspective on gender and the use of preferred pronouns,” he wrote.
He also let pass into law a bill repealing the state’s budget reserve account.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
