CASPER, Wyo. — With Gov. Mark Gordon preparing to make a determination on a bill that would eliminate gun-free zones in Wyoming, a group of concerned residents took to the streets on Monday afternoon to send a message: Keep guns out of schools.
In the coming days, House Bill 172 will reach the governor’s desk, where he will be able to either sign it into law or veto it. The bill would permit guns in public schools, governmental offices, college campuses and more areas that are currently considered gun-free zones.
“More guns equals more gun violence; it’s really that simple,” protest organizer Melissa Behringer said.
Behringer said one of the primary aims of the protest is to raise awareness. According to Behringer, many people she’s talked to about the issue were not even aware of the bill.
“Everyone, even trained professionals, can make a mistake,” protester Debbie McGregor added. “Teenagers can have guns when they’re juniors in high school; they aren’t even professionals.”
Protesters who lined Center Street near Pioneer Park included some former teachers who were none too thrilled about the prospect of guns in classrooms.
“I taught at Kelly Walsh for 25 years, and the idea of allowing people to bring guns into the school is terrifying,” protester Sandy Bouchier said. “If this was passed while I was still teaching, it’d be enough to make me quit.”
Sandy Leotta, another former local educator, said she remembers an incident in the early 2000s where a student was expelled for bringing a gun onto the high school’s campus.
Leotta said the very presence of guns in school — even if they aren’t used — impacts learning. According to Leotta, sensitive subjects become even more fraught when people know others might have a weapon.
Protester Natalie Jones added that arming teachers and administrators might not be the best solution either.
“As a student, I watched teachers lose their cool with students who might have been misbehaving,” she said. “I don’t think they should have guns either. … I think the best thing to do in schools is just erase guns from the equation.”
In the 2024 legislative session, Gordon vetoed a similar bill that would have eliminated schools as a gun-free zone. At the time, the governor cited the lack of local control as a reason for his veto.
HB 172 can be read in its entirety below:
