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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Senate committee advanced a bill that would allow individual Wyoming school districts to allow K-12 school personnel to carry concealed guns during classes.
The Senate Education Committee voted 5-0 Wednesday to send House Bill 194 to the full Senate for debate.
The bill marks a compromise between lawmakers who have been unsuccessfully advocating in recent sessions for permitting guns at all schools across the state and lawmakers who have rejected that as too broad.
The proposal leaves it up to each district to decide whether to allow armed staff and in which schools. District school boards would designate which staff members, including teachers, could have a firearm and anyone designated by the board would have to possess a state-issued concealed carry permit.
In addition, their names would be known only to district officials and local police and any guns would have be on the designated person or kept in a lock box or special container directly controlled by that person.
Supporters of the bill say it would deter attacks on schools and provide a means for schools to defend themselves in the event of an attack. They expect the bill would be particularly helpful to districts with rural schools that can be up to an hour away from local law enforcement.
"I believe it's a very reasoned approach to a very difficult situation and involves the safety and security of our children," sponsor Rep. John Eklund, R-Cheyenne, testified.
Opponents expressed fears of an accidental discharge in a classroom or a child somehow getting possession of the gun and questioned whether staff with guns would receive adequate training to handle an active shooter.
"It's very important they're trained in active shooting because there's a big difference between the pressure if there is an active shooter and just having a concealed carry permit," Vetter said.
State schools Superintendent Jillian Balow said she supports the bill.
Before endorsing the proposal, the committee approved several changes that include providing districts with some guidance on the training required of armed staff and requiring districts to work with local law enforcement on setting up the process for approving armed staff.
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