‘Guns In Church’ Bill Faces Decisive Wyoming Senate Vote
A bill that would repeal current restrictions on holders of concealed firearms permits taking guns into houses of worship faces a third and decisive Wyoming Senate vote on Wednesday.
House Bill 141 has already passed the Wyoming House of Representatives. So unless it is either amended or defeated on Wednesday, the bill would move on to Governor Matt Mead with a majority vote.
Current Wyoming law says holders of concealed carry permits need written permission from the ''Chief Administrator'' of a church or other house of worship to carry a gun into a church.
The bill would eliminate that law.
Sweetwater County Democratic Senator Lisa Anselmi-Dalton, says that while the phrase ''Chief Administrator'' may need to be changed to something simpler, she thinks the current law is otherwise fine.
She says it maintains ''local control" of the issue, and allows churches to allow members who are ''rational and normal" to carry guns into church.
But Senator Larry Hicks [R-Sweetwater/Albany/Carbon counties] says there is a problem with the current law because Wyoming law allows people to carry concealed weapons without a concealed carry permit.
Hicks says that means the law as it is currently written would require a permit holder to get written permission, but a non-permit holder could carry a gun into a church without any written permission.
The bill passed second reading in the Wyoming Senate on Tuesday.