House Bill 111

By

Representative John Eklund (HD-10)

Representative David Northrup (HD-50)

Representative Mike Greear (HD-27)
Representative Hans Hunt (HD-2)

We as lawmakers come to the Wyoming State Legislature every year as parents, neighbors, friends, co-workers and members of our local communities. We see our role as an opportunity to make life better in Wyoming – to boost our economy, create jobs, preserve Wyoming’s way of life and improve safety.

The safety of our children is a concern for each and every one of us as lawmakers, and as parents. We send our sons and daughters to school everyday with the assumption that they are protected and will return home safely. As lawmakers it is our solemn obligation to ensure our educational institutions are safe and secure.

House Bill 111 (HB 111) has garnered significant attention, and for good reason. Allowing firearms into our schools is not something to consider lightly. It was after careful consideration and consultation with teachers, administrators and parents we concluded doing nothing to enable educators to protect our children was not an option.

HB 111 empowers local school districts to make the right decisions for their communities and schools. It gives our local school boards the authority to permit – or not permit – teachers, administrators and other school employees who hold concealed carry permits to carry firearms in schools with proper training and authorization. This bill gives authority to local Boards of Education to decide the best way to protect their students and educators. It does not repeal gun free zones on school property, but instead allows local boards to decide – rather than state or federal government.

This measure is particularly important in rural areas, which make up the majority of Wyoming communities. In many towns across our state where there is minimal law enforcement to cover vast distances, response times for emergencies can be slow.  Empowering teachers and school administrators to be able to protect their students in the case of an emergency makes sense.

The scare tactics used by critics of this bill are just that. The truth is House Bill 111 expands local control and 2^nd Amendments rights – two values we hold dear here in Wyoming. The bill does nothing to infringe upon current Second Amendment rights and, in fact, expands gun rights in areas where they are currently prohibited altogether.

In Wyoming, we are incredibly fortunate to have not had to endure a fatal mass school shooting. But this should not give us a false sense of security. We have all watched helplessly tragedies unfold across the country. Now is the time for Wyoming to act before an incident does occur. House Bill 111 is a reasonable approach that stands a chance of approval to give local communities the power to decide for themselves the best way to protect their students.