CHEYENNE, WYOMING — Wyoming legislators want to be able to legally defend themselves while in the State House, the Washington Times reports. It’s a proposed bill which would enable lawmakers and law-abiding concealed carriers to legally carry concealed. The person heading up the bill, Rep. Kendell Kroeker of Evansville, noted that in previous sessions the Wyoming legislature had invested some serious money into beefing up security inside the Capitol building. For those like Kroeker, this would just be the next logical step: allowing people to take direct responsibility for their own safety.
It’s already met stiff opposition from one Democrat in the Wyoming legislature who recently had his bill shot down. Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, wanted to allow local government to decide whether or not concealed carry ought be legal within their legislative buildings.
via Washington Post
“This is a simple change, it simply moves the decision as to whether or not folks can bring guns into public meetings and government buildings to the local community,” Pelkey said.
That measure was shot down, thankfully, because that could have lead to a lot of confusion by Wyoming residents moving back and forth between local government offices. Imagine sitting in on a local town council meeting, responsibly carrying a concealed handgun, and then getting up and driving two hours away to attend another meeting in a different town office. That would invariably place concealed carriers into a very sticky situation quickly. Thankfully, the Wyoming legislature saw this and decided to move against it.
This new measure would unilaterally allow for the carrying of concealed firearms by law-abiding persons attending state, county, or local meetings. Kroeker specifically stated that it would keep standards consistent throughout the state — so concealed carriers don’t inadvertently end up winding up on the wrong side of the law.
Not to mention: it would also give lawmakers the ability to legally carry inside state offices and chambers, giving them the choice as to whether or not they wish to protect their lives if need be.
Similar measures in the past have been shot down in the Wyoming legislature such as a bill proposed last year which would open up school campuses and other public buildings to law abiding concealed carriers. This bill, to enable concealed carriers to walk within the halls of the legislative sessions in Wyoming, passed 50 to 10 and now goes to the Senate.
