Wyoming Bill To Prevent July 4 Fireworks Bans Filed

A bill to allow fireworks across Wyoming between noon and midnight on July 4 has been filed for the upcoming session of the Wyoming Legislature.

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You can read House Bill 57 here.

The bill would not overrule fireworks bans that are part of an open fire ban imposed due to fire concerns.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Steve Harshman [R-Natrona County].

Lawmaker Says He Supports The Bill

Rep. Daniel Singh [R-Laramie County] says an informal Facebook poll he conducted on the bill recently showed just under 50 percent in support of the measure. He said another 26 percent don't think fireworks should be regulated at all. The remaining 24 percent said municipalities should continue to decide the issue.

Singh told Townsquare Media that as of right now, he supports the bill: I still plan on supporting the bill. ''A community should be able to have some control over fireworks usage- people cant enjoy their own property if other people are shooting off fireworks 24/7, but the 4th of July is a holiday and that’s a tradition. The bill also states that if there is a fire ban there would be no fireworks.''

County Commissioner Calls It ''Feel Good' Legislation

But Laramie County Commissioner Linda Heath says she has enforcment concerns:

''It would be uninforceable, unless you stop people from buying fireworks altogether in or out of state. We have a ban on fireworks now and neighbors were shooting them off New Years Eve. You'd also put fireworks stands put of business.

I understand the sentiment behind the bill, but it is feel good legislation without much substance . You can set hours or times to shoot, and outside those hours, law enforcement would be running crazy just to answer all the calls. By the time they arrive the evidence is all burned up ( tisk, tisk). I would suspect then people would complain there are worse crimes to handle than shooting off fireworks outside of the allowed hours or days.''

The Wyoming Legislature will convene a two-month General Session in Cheyenne on Janaury 14.

UPDATE: After seeing the original article, Rep. Singh gave us the additional following comment:

The current total ban on fireworks is not only harmful to businesses that rely on holiday sales but also creates unnecessary strain on law enforcement, who are inundated with complaints about fireworks within city limits. Local municipalities have overreached with an unenforceable prohibition, and this bill is a necessary step for the state to restore balance—protecting property rights while upholding the patriotic spirit of Independence Day