House rejects third attempt to keep guns out of UW childcare center
Laramie representatives and others wanted to exempt the Early Childhood Education Center from a bill allowing concealed carry into government meetings, schools and UW facilities.
Proposed legislation to eliminate gun-free zones in public schools and at the University of Wyoming has cleared the State House.
Representatives voted 50-10 Thursday to send House Bill 172 to the Senate. Shortly before the final vote, those representatives rejected a third attempt to exempt a childcare facility on the University of Wyoming campus from the provisions of the bill.
If the legislation passes in its current form, concealed carry firearms will be allowed in the Early Childhood Education Center despite being banned from other childcare centers “licensed by the department of family services.”
On the bill’s third reading, Albany County Rep. Trey Sherwood (HD-14) proposed an amendment that would have allowed the ECEC to set its own policy.
“We have inadvertently left out all early childhood education centers,” she said. “I have one in my district, and I’m hearing from my constituents [who are] concerned they’re being treated differently in this bill, and they’re asking to be treated the same. So again, I don’t think this was on purpose. It was inadvertent.”
But the exclusion of UW’s center doesn’t appear “inadvertent.” Lawmakers have now stood by the exclusion in three separate votes:
When the bill appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, Laramie Rep. Ken Chestek (HD-13) proposed an amendment allowing UW to exempt the ECEC. The committee killed that amendment.
When the bill appeared before the full House for its second reading, Casper Rep. Elissa Campbell (HD-56) pitched an amendment declaring, “any early childhood education center located on the campus of any post secondary education institution shall be a gun free zone.” The chamber killed that amendment.
Sherwood’s amendment, proposed during the bill’s third and final reading in the House, represented the third attempt to exempt the ECEC from the provisions of the bill. This final attempt would have allowed the center to set its own policy about weapons so long as it established an alternative “prevention and protection plan.”
Keeping guns out of the ECEC has been at the heart of the struggle over the topic of guns on campus.
During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill eliminating gun-free zones. At UW, where concealed carry is already allowed on campus grounds, the bill would have forced the university to allow guns in its buildings as well. Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed the 2024 bill, but instructed UW and other agencies to review their current bans.
The university did this, publishing proposed changes, surveying its campus community and hosting public forums about the topic. Amid that process and following concerns raised by members of the campus community, UW altered its original proposal specifically to exempt the ECEC.
UW trustees eventually voted down the administration’s proposal, deciding not to change the current policy.
HB172 outlines several locations where anyone may carry a concealed weapon — including local government and legislative meetings. It also outlines several locations where those bearing a state-issued concealed carry permit may bring a gun — including “any public elementary or secondary school facility” and “any public college or university facility,” as well as any alcohol-free athletic event hosted by either.
The bill exempts university labs where explosive or volatile materials are present.
The bill is limited to concealed carry in government buildings. It does not apply to private businesses and does not allow the open carrying of firearms into government buildings.
Other legislation filed this session aims to establish an “enhanced” concealed carry permit, to lower the minimum age for a concealed carry permit to 18, and to eliminate sales tax on firearms and ammunition.