A bill that would allow anyone with a concealed carry permit to bring firearms into public facilities and gatherings, including on campus at UW, passed the Wyoming House of Representatives yesterday morning.
Officials from UW oppose HB 114, saying schools and public places should be free of guns and rely on police protection from potential threats to public safety.
Chris Boswell, vice president of Governmental and Community Affairs, said the difference between his position and that of lawmakers lies in whether allowing concealed carrying of weapons increases or decreases safety on campus. Boswell said it is unclear how campus will change if the bill passes.
“It’s difficult to predict until we see the bill in its final form, if and when it becomes law,” Boswell said.
The House passed similar legislative propositions last year, but the bill died in the state Senate. David Miller (R-HD55), one of the bill’s sponsors, said this year’s proposal has a better chance than past attempts.
“Yes, it’s a better bill with license requirements and an age requirement,” Miller said.
Boswell said he thinks it is uncertain whether the bill has a better chance of passing in this session than in the past, but as to whether the potential for incidents resulting in accidental injury or death would result from the bill’s passage, he said, “Yes.”
Another of the bill’s sponsors, Kendall Kroeker (R-HD35), said the real risk is allowing campus to remain a gun-free zone.
“Statistics show that concealed carry permit holders are the most responsible gun owners, and if that were going to be an issue, it would be an issue in the many other states that have similar laws,” Kroeker said.
Three states, Idaho, Colorado and Utah, all have laws allowing for concealed weapons to be carried on campuses. According to armedcampuses.org, Idaho’s legislature, facing opposition from educators and law enforcement officials, passed a law allowing for those with “enhanced” permits to carry firearms on campuses. In Colorado many schools still have regulations prohibiting individuals from carrying weapons. In Utah the legislature “reserves the authority to regulate firearms at higher education institutions.” This authority prevents institutions from making colleges gun-free zones.
Miller said while there is always a risk of accidents resulting in injury, allowing individuals to carry weapons would prevent the possibility of a violent public attack.
“Gun-free zones invite terrorists and others that mean to do harm,” Miller said. “This will take UW off their list.”
According to the results of UW’s recent Student Satisfaction Survey, 87 percent of student respondents said campus is a safe environment. Boswell said he believes UW does well with current safety measures.
“The UW Police Department and the many other safety programs on campus collectively do an effective job of seeking to address campus safety,” Boswell said.
Miller said he has had three children attend UW over 12 years with no safety concerns he knew of, while Kroeker said UW is “as safe as most college campuses, but that doesn’t mean that students should give up their right to self defense.”
“Unfortunately there are bad people out there and I believe we have a right to be able to defend ourselves,” Kroeker said.
Opponents to the repealing of gun-free zones in the state has included newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. Balow, a Republican, said she supports Second Amendment rights, but introducing guns to schools is not the right initiative to increase safety.
“If we pass a blanket law that says that gun are allowed in current gun-free school zones, the good guy might not always win,” Balow said in an interview with KCWY in Cheyenne.
A vote of 42-to-17 passed the bill on to the state Senate.
