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CHEYENNE -- The House on Friday approved a bill that would allow citizens to carry concealed handguns without state permits.
The House approved the bill by a vote of 37-23. It now goes to the Senate.
Supporters said the bill recognizes the constitutional right of Wyoming citizens to carry guns. But opponents said they fear that easing restrictions on carrying concealed guns will lead to more violence.
"It means people in Wyoming can exercise an unalienable right," said bill sponsor Rep. Becket Hinckley, R-Cheyenne. "An unalienable right to protect yourselves from the bad guys. And, although it may seem a little outdated, an unalienable right to protect yourselves from a government that a lot of people in Wyoming don't trust."
Rep. Jane Warren, D-Laramie, noted citizens need government permission for such things as driving cars. She warned that allowing people to carry concealed handguns with no oversight could lead to more gun violence.
Hinckley responded that driving is a privilege -- not a right.
"My good friend from Laramie talked about permission," Hinckley said. "I shouldn't have to have permission to exercise a right."
Rep. Lorraine Quarberg, R-Thermopolis, said the bill was clearly a vote on citizens' rights to keep and bear arms.
Concealed weapons bill clears House
By BEN NEARY
Associated Press writer Monday, February 27, 2006
"Lest we forget how we got here today, this country was born out of a revolutionary war," Quarberg said. "We did not ask Britain for permission to carry at that time."
The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police opposes the bill. J.M. Reed, president of the association, said in a press release this week the bill "does not restrict carrying a concealed weapon while impaired by alcohol or drugs, nor does it offer legal remedies for prosecution of individuals guilty of participating in these types of behaviors."
The group says it favors the current state system of issuing permits for concealed weapons only to people who have passed background checks and who have shown that they're familiar with firearms.
Hinckley has said his bill wouldn't prevent Wyoming residents from obtaining permits under the current system -- they simply wouldn't be required to do so.
There still are advantages to having permits. Wyoming residents who have state gun permits would be able to carry concealed guns in states with which Wyoming has reciprocity agreements, and they also would not have to undergo background checks when buying guns from dealers.
Rep. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, a school administrator, said he didn't like the position that voting on the bill placed him in. He said he supports the right of hunters to use guns to hunt, but said he also strongly supports law enforcement.
"I support the law-enforcement community, because they have gone out of their way in my community to make our schools safe," Wasserburger said. He said he believes the bill would put officers at risk.
The House approved the bill by a vote of 37-23. It now goes to the Senate.
Supporters said the bill recognizes the constitutional right of Wyoming citizens to carry guns. But opponents said they fear that easing restrictions on carrying concealed guns will lead to more violence.
"It means people in Wyoming can exercise an unalienable right," said bill sponsor Rep. Becket Hinckley, R-Cheyenne. "An unalienable right to protect yourselves from the bad guys. And, although it may seem a little outdated, an unalienable right to protect yourselves from a government that a lot of people in Wyoming don't trust."
Rep. Jane Warren, D-Laramie, noted citizens need government permission for such things as driving cars. She warned that allowing people to carry concealed handguns with no oversight could lead to more gun violence.
Hinckley responded that driving is a privilege -- not a right.
"My good friend from Laramie talked about permission," Hinckley said. "I shouldn't have to have permission to exercise a right."
Rep. Lorraine Quarberg, R-Thermopolis, said the bill was clearly a vote on citizens' rights to keep and bear arms.
Concealed weapons bill clears House
By BEN NEARY
Associated Press writer Monday, February 27, 2006
"Lest we forget how we got here today, this country was born out of a revolutionary war," Quarberg said. "We did not ask Britain for permission to carry at that time."
The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police opposes the bill. J.M. Reed, president of the association, said in a press release this week the bill "does not restrict carrying a concealed weapon while impaired by alcohol or drugs, nor does it offer legal remedies for prosecution of individuals guilty of participating in these types of behaviors."
The group says it favors the current state system of issuing permits for concealed weapons only to people who have passed background checks and who have shown that they're familiar with firearms.
Hinckley has said his bill wouldn't prevent Wyoming residents from obtaining permits under the current system -- they simply wouldn't be required to do so.
There still are advantages to having permits. Wyoming residents who have state gun permits would be able to carry concealed guns in states with which Wyoming has reciprocity agreements, and they also would not have to undergo background checks when buying guns from dealers.
Rep. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, a school administrator, said he didn't like the position that voting on the bill placed him in. He said he supports the right of hunters to use guns to hunt, but said he also strongly supports law enforcement.
"I support the law-enforcement community, because they have gone out of their way in my community to make our schools safe," Wasserburger said. He said he believes the bill would put officers at risk.
