Wyoming Judiciary Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to repeal gun‑free zones; work session set for Monday

CHEYENNE — The House Judiciary Committee spent its allotted two‑hour hearing Thursday on House Bill 172, the measure introduced by Representative Harrelton that would repeal many existing “gun‑free” restrictions and expand where concealed carry is permitted in state‑owned buildings, K‑12 and public college facilities and some university settings.

Representative Harrelton, the bill sponsor, told the committee the text would allow concealed‑carry permit holders to carry in locations currently off‑limits under the cited statutory sections and would remove many state‑level prohibitions on carrying in public buildings. “This opens up state funded facilities, the capital, Herschler, all of those buildings,” Harrelton said while walking committee members through the bill’s sections and the changes they would make.

Supporters urged passage on grounds of self‑defense and deterrence. Mark Jones, national director for Gun Owners of America, said the bill is primarily about constitutional rights and citizens’ ability to protect themselves. “This is a constitutional rights issue. The citizens of Wyoming have a right to defend themselves,” Jones told the committee. Brian Gosch, a lawyer and registered lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, cited data compilations his group uses to argue mass shootings disproportionately occur where guns are prohibited and said other states that have…