Latest news with #WyomingRepealGunFreeZonesAct
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaders work on rules to allow firearms in state facilities
CHEYENNE — Officials are getting closer to approving streamlined rules allowing members of the public to carry concealed firearms in state-owned public buildings by a July 1 deadline. In late February, after nearly a decade of trying to pass legislation to repeal the state's gun-free zones, lawmakers passed Enrolled Act 24, 'Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act.' The new law, which will go into effect this summer, repeals gun-free zones at public schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and state-owned government buildings. Gov. Mark Gordon let the new law go into effect without his signature, calling it a 'legislative power grab.' The State Building Commission must promulgate rules around firearms in public buildings to match state statute, and in early April, had a wide-ranging discussion on amending rules that covered not only firearms, but also public demonstrations at the Capitol. On Thursday, leaders shifted to a more targeted approach. 'Our direction was simply to reflect as simply as possible the legislation that passed' repealing Wyoming's gun-free zones, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder told her colleagues on the SBC of the latest rule draft. 'There is nothing in the rules that covers those other things discussed, as pertaining to surety bonds or public gatherings,' Degenfelder said. 'We simply looked at how we include the codified language into our rules.' The commission, which includes Degenfelder, Gordon, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, State Auditor Kristi Racines and State Treasurer Curt Meier, must pass rules to govern firearm carry provisions in the public spaces, implementing the new state law, before the new state statutes become effective July 1. 'I think (the rules) do an excellent job following the enrolled act,' Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, told the commission Thursday via Zoom. In January, the executive branch adopted similar amended rules that applied only to the Capitol and the Capitol Complex in Cheyenne. The new rules will apply to all buildings owned by the state of Wyoming. 'These rules will apply much more broadly,' Racines said Thursday. The rules will not apply to facilities exempted under statute, or buildings the state leases under general services' leasing authority. It also excludes spaces in publicly owned buildings that are subject to a lease to a private party. Rules must be in place by July, and while the board discussed embarking on an emergency rulemaking process to meet that timeline, only Gray advocated for an expedited process. Instead, the commission voted to start the regular rulemaking with an additional meeting planned for June, if necessary, to meet the July deadline. 'Today, I do not believe we meet the threshold to pass emergency rules,' Racines said. Gray referenced what he called a 'fear of firearms' in 'letters from the Governor's office' and said that he would prefer to start the emergency rulemaking process immediately. 'I am a little bit concerned, because we do have a bill that is going into effect as the law of the land on July 1,' Gray said. 'I think it would be better to start this process now.' Gordon responded that, 'From my standpoint, we have carry here (in the Capitol), and it is great we are going to expand that.' 'I want to assure people there is no attempt to try to roll back or walk away from what we have here,' Gordon said. Leases and insurance rates Leaders discussed how to handle facilities that are privately owned, but leased by state agencies, and whether the new rules should stipulate that lease negotiations prioritize carrying of firearms. 'When you have a lease, what is (the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information) going to do to try and negotiate carry into the buildings?' Gray asked. 'I think that A&I should be asked as a default, as a first method, to try to negotiate that.' Racines responded that lease negotiations could be handled under A&I leasing rules, rather than proposed SBC rule changes. Acknowledging private property rights, the commissioners discussed the possibility that building owners who enter into state leases may not want to allow firearms into their facilities, because such a practice could mean rising insurance costs. Gray argued the new law will actually make those facilities safer. 'Removing these gun-free zones and allowing for carry protects these areas,' he said. 'I still see a lot of (people) struggling with this concept, but it should lower our liability. 'This increases safety, and while it might not fit this CNN-style worldview that schools across our country have tried to build, the research shows that this increases safety,' Gray said. 'If it did increase insurance rates, I think that is something A&I would need to move forward to the insurance commissioner because I think it would be consistent with predatory behavior.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cheyenne town hall hosted by Reps. Lucas, Brown and Johnson gets a little heated
CHEYENNE – Conversation got tense during a town hall hosted by Cheyenne Republican state Reps. Ann Lucas, Gary Brown and Steve Johnson at the Laramie County Library Saturday afternoon, with a special appearance by Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray. The three representatives had just finished serving in their first session with the Wyoming Legislature, which ended three weeks ago. Lucas livestreamed the event, which is available on her Facebook page, "Ann Lucas for Wyoming." During the town hall, each representative took turns explaining some of the major bills that went into law. A majority of the bills discussed Saturday were widely supported by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline Republicans that recently gained majority control of the state's House of Representatives. None of the three representatives at the town hall are declared members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Legislation discussed during the town hall included major property tax relief, a statewide repeal of most gun-free zones, universal school choice and new anti-abortion policy, which is currently being challenged in court in Natrona County, according to While most of the 60 attendees voiced their support during the town hall, a few spoke in heated opposition to some of the bills, and voices were raised more than once. The discussion on House Bill 172, "Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act," was particularly intense. This bill allows Wyomingites with a concealed carry permit to walk into most places with a concealed firearm, including K-12 public schools, public college campuses, and governmental and legislative meetings. 'Where's the proof that (repealing) these gun free zones make children safer?' asked Cheyenne resident Joe Ramirez. 'This is not the Wild West.' Suzie Meisner-Esquibel, wife of former Democratic Wyoming lawmaker and current Cheyenne City Councilman Ken Esquibel, said she was in a Starbucks 10 years ago when a woman dropped her purse with a gun in it. The firearm went off, Meisner-Esquibel said, but luckily no one was hurt. 'My question is this: Who is going to safeguard me from someone carrying the weapon?' she said. Around this point, several people began speaking at once, and Meisner-Esquibel raised her voice to be heard over the rumblings before the room was called to order. After decorum was quickly restored, the representatives noted that this legislation already went into law and will be effective July 1. During his presentation of HB 172, Brown also noted conditions and exemptions to where concealed carry is not allowed, which includes school and college events where alcohol is served and areas where firearms are federally prohibited. 'To get into the emotion of all this right now, I don't believe that's the thing we need to do,' Brown said. 'The bill is law, so let's keep it to that discussion.' Property taxes Senate File 69 provides a 25% property tax exemption on the first $1 million of a single-family home's fair market value. Critics of the bill have argued the resulting revenue loss could mean cuts in services provided by local governments and special districts across the state. Officials previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that Laramie County Fire Authority will likely face a $200,000 budget cut, and Laramie County Fire District 1 could face up to a $100,000 budget cut. However, Lucas told people during the town hall that the government is 'inflation-proof' because it collects taxes. 'As clever as our government seems to be at getting money, we're going to recover OK from this 25% cut,' Lucas said. 'This is the time for our local governments and our state government to take a little bit of a hit for the people, because we've got people who are truly hurting.' Cheyenne resident Deacon Maggard, who told the WTE that he lives in Brown's district, asked the representatives how they planned to retain young working professionals amid rising costs of child care, inflation and housing. 'What are you guys doing to, I guess, harness young professionals so that we can actually have people here?' Maggard said. 'We're bleeding people, and I know that from seeing and working with people.' Lucas told Maggard she didn't 'have a great answer' for him about retaining a young workforce. She acknowledged that there aren't a lot of high-paying jobs in Wyoming. 'And I don't know the answer to that, necessarily,' Lucas said. 'I know that we cannot sell our souls to get big business here when we do not have housing for them and we do not have infrastructure for them.'
