The Wyoming House of Representatives will consider a bill to allow people to carry guns into governmental meetings, including proceedings of the Wyoming Legislature.

Wyoming House members on Wednesday voted 47-13 to allow introduction of House Bill 86, which would allow people to carry concealed weapons into governmental meetings ranging from the legislature to local city council and county commission meetings.

The bill would not affect gun free zones in courtrooms, which are specifically exempt from the legislation.

Sponsor Rep. Kendall Kroeker (R-Evansville) says this bill is a scaled back version of several bills that have been introduced in recent legislative sessions that would have repealed gun-free zones in schools, at sporting events and several other venues in addition to governmental meetings.

In presenting his proposal to lawmakers, Kroeker said there had been a considerable amount of pushback in regard to allowing guns in schools and at sporting events, but not much on repealing gun free zones at public meetings.

Kroeker said with that issue in mind supporters of repealing the zones would address the different areas covered in separate bills.

Among the critics of repealing gun free zones at governmental meetings in the past has been Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen, who last year said "I don't see any reason why someone has to carry a gun into a city council meeting."  

Kaysen could not be reached for comment on the latest proposal on Thursday morning

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