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A bill that would axe gun-free zones in Wyoming moves forward

People sitting around a table.
Chris Clements
/
Wyoming Public Media
The House Judiciary Committee voted to pass Rep. Jeremy Haroldson's (R-Wheatland) gun-free zones bill on Jan. 20, 2025.

A House bill that would eliminate all gun-free zones in Wyoming passed an initial House floor vote on Jan. 21, capping its first reading in that chamber.

HB 172 would allow the concealed carry of firearms in places where it’s long been restricted.

That includes state-run buildings and rooms where public meetings are held across Wyoming.

It’s sponsored by Wyoming Freedom Caucus member Rep. Jeremy Haroldson (R-Wheatland).

Meanwhile, the State Building Commission, which is made up of the state’s executive branch leaders, is trying to remove gun-free zones specifically in the Capitol but not in its public committee meeting rooms.

Haroldson said that rule change doesn’t go far enough and would be confusing for those carrying guns and visiting the Capitol.

If the bill passes two more readings in the House, it would head to the Senate next.

This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.

Chris Clements is a state government reporter for Wyoming Public Media based in Laramie. He came to WPM from KSJD Radio in Cortez, Colorado, where he reported on Indigenous affairs, drought, and local politics in the Four Corners region. Before that, he graduated with a degree in English (Creative Writing) from Arizona State University. Chris's news stories have been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition and hourly newscasts, as well as on WBUR's Here & Now and National Native News.

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