JACKSON, Wyo. — Starting today, Tuesday, July 1, concealed carry is lawful in some government buildings and all public schools in Wyoming, as a result of the repeal of gun-free zones.
According to HB0172 – Repeal gun free zones and preemption amendments, individuals with valid concealed carry permits can carry firearms on Teton County School District (TCSD) #1 public school grounds. WyoFile reported that Wyomingites without a permit are allowed to carry guns into state government buildings, with some exceptions including courthouses and law enforcement facilities.
In June, the TCSD Board of Trustees passed a series of safety requirements that employees and volunteers must follow in order to carry a gun on school property. TCSD Executive Director of Communications and District Services/Title IX Coordinator Charlotte Reynolds told Buckrail that the district will continue to adhere to all laws and regulations of the State of Wyoming. Reynolds said that decals will be placed on school doors to inform individuals of the new statute by the time school starts in late August.
Wyoming State Senator Mike Gierau told Buckrail that kids in kindergarten should share their input on carrying a gun in school.
“Say the words, ‘gun — school,’ they don’t mix,” Gierau said. “It sounds wrong, it sounds bad. Everyone hits the same way with those words.”
Gierau said that concealed carry adds a “sacrifice” to our Second Amendment right.
“How big is the body count?” Gierau said. “We will have to live with the consequences. I hope the children of Wyoming can live with the consequences.”
Teton County Representative Mike Yin also told Buckrail that concealed carry could impact student safety and learning.
“Any law that makes it so there are more guns, makes it less safe overall,” Yin said. “People have tried to argue that people carry anyway against the law. If you give people permission to carry, there will be more guns, and it doesn’t make kids more safe.”
Yin added that if students feel a higher risk of being a target, they will have more difficultly learning in the classroom.
“I think the people who pushed the law don’t even have kids in public schools,” Yin said. “So, they don’t have any incentive to make sure that kids have a good education.”
Yin also shared that the new gun law has increased insurance costs for TCSD. On June 17, TCSD officials testified to the School Finance Recalibration Committee that its insurance will now require an additional $35,000 policy with the passage of the statute.
“It’s not even the school districts saying it’s making the schools less safe,” Yin said. “A third party insurance provider is saying — look, your liability is going to go up. That means, there’s more risk, which means the school is less safe.”
Yin cited the State Constitution, which mandates that all children receive an adequate eduction. He said that any legislation opposing the constitution is “unlawful.” He also said that many parents have told him that they plan to pull their children out of TCSD this fall because of the mandate.
Melissa Behringer, a parent and social worker who lives in Cheyenne, has been coalescing a group of concerned citizens across the state to oppose the allowance of guns in schools. According to Behringer, she has met with 27 different community leaders in Wyoming, and has learned that most constituents oppose concealed carry.
“We are allowing the 75 people in Cheyenne to make this decision for all of us,” Behringer said.
