As legislation targeting gun-free zones continues to work its way through Wyoming’s state legislature, ASUW is seeking student feedback on the issue through a survey emailed to UW students that will remain open until the end of today. (date?)
While Senate File 75 failed in committee, Wyoming House Bill 183 is still in the works and would repeal gun-free zones throughout the state, as well as “clarifying that only the state legislature may regulate firearms,” according to the bill’s text.
Such legislature has come and gone, and ASUW President Alex Mulhall came prepared for this most recent iteration. Back in November, Mulhall pre-emptively tasked ASUW’s Student Outreach and Programming Committee to gather student feedback regarding the carrying of weapons on campus.
“We’ll be able to use the results from our survey to create a resolution surrounding student opinion on the topic so that we can then take that student opinion and lobby the legislature,” Mulhall said.
Heading that committee was then-Senator Jason Wilkins, now ASUW vice president, who worked alongside other committee members and UWPD Chief Mike Samp to craft an effective and relevant survey.
“Overall, I hope students see the survey as a great way to get involved with their student government, have their voices heard, and we will do our best to represent their opinion going forward,” Wilkins said.
ASUW anticipates the survey data to be a valuable resource for gauging students’ attitudes toward the open and concealed carrying of firearms in various situations around campus — UW-owned living facilities, athletic events and other specific areas.
Of particular relevance is the UW Laboratory School, a K-9 public school located in the College of Education building on the UW campus. Allowing the carry of firearms in the Lab School could affect its accreditation.
“There could be a difficulty maintaining accreditation of the Lab School, which would be a huge issue for us,” Mulhall said. “I think that’s one of those things that not a lot of people are aware of, and that might kind of change people’s minds about where they might want guns and where they might not.”
Chad Baldwin, director of Institutional Communications at UW, said the university’s primary goal regarding state firearm legislation is maintaining as much autonomy as possible.
“At the current time, UW is being patient to see how the legislation develops,” Baldwin said. “When similar bills have come up in the past, UW has worked diligently to avoid situations where our hands would be tied when it comes to safety on campus.”
Open and concealed carry are both prohibited in UW facilities by current policy. UW Regulation 6-4 reads, in part, “No dangerous weapon may be stored or carried in or upon University facilities. Any person carrying a dangerous weapon in a University facility is required to relinquish the weapon to the UW Police Department voluntarily or upon request.”
“Open carry in public spaces outside the facilities will be allowed, provided those involved are not a danger to others or otherwise breaking the law,” Baldwin said. “Currently, the UW regulation only applies to facilities.”
Wyoming’s constitution states that “the right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be denied.” Permits to carry deadly weapons are not required for residents, though non-residents must hold a permit from states recognized by Wyoming as reciprocity partners. Specific restrictions, such as in courtrooms or places prohibited by federal law, still apply. A recent lawsuit against UW by a man cited for trespassing after openly carrying a handgun in a UW facility ended with a December ruling maintaining UW’s right to regulate firearms on its property. Albany County District Court Judge Tori Kricken ruled against Lyle Williams, who argued that campus gun bans are unconstitutional, on the grounds that his weapon was manufactured outside Wyoming and not affected by Wyoming legislation prohibiting regulation by non-state entities.
