CHEYENNE — Wyoming on Wednesday became the fourth state to allow citizens to carry concealed guns without a permit, with Gov. Matt Mead signing a bill into law as several other states considered similar action.
The law allows state citizens legally entitled to own guns to carry them concealed starting in July. The guns still wouldn’t be allowed in schools, bars and government buildings.
Good on you Wyoming! It's good to know that the state that produced a Vice President who shot a lawyer in the face has now joined Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona in no longer requiring a permit to exercise one's Constitutionally enumerate right. What was interesting was this:
Similar bills are pending in states including Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Utah.
If all six of these states were to pass the legislation, that would bring to ten the number of states that no longer require permits. This is a phenomenal change. Hell, I find it simply shocking that four states do not require a permit - that's double the number of states that don't permit concealed carry at all.
I won't be happy until all 50 allow concealed and open carry without a permit - but this is a helluva good start.
That is all.
Hat tip to Unc for the link...
9 comments:
The article you linked to only mentions "concealed carry" -- what is the status of open carry in Wyoming?
Sadly, the chance of Utah passing it is kinda slim. They screwed up in the last committee meeting and added an amendment, but didn't word it right. The bill now states that EVERYBODY must notify an officer they are carrying if they are talking to them. Not talking to them during the course of an investigation, just talking to them.
Because of that, a few pro RKBA agencies withdrew their support for the bill.
Robert - I'm pretty sure WY is already a "Gold Star" open carry state
Mike W -- thanks for the info. My worry was that you now didn't need a permit to carry concealed, but still couldn't carry openly. (Yes, that would be insane. And? ;) )
Note that this only applies to Wyoming *residents* who have resided there for at least 6 months. It's an improvement, but it's not perfect.
The text of the law literally makes the permit optional *if* you qualify for it. WY doesn't issue non-resident permits, so the law doesn't apply to them. Non-residents still need a permit from a state that honor's WY's permit (that's how their reciprocity works, they don't have specific requirements or negotiate agreements).
It's pending in VA too:
http://themillermeister.blogspot.com/2011/01/proposed-law-in-va.html
So Wyoming, which went Shall Issue in 1994 like Alaska and Arizona did is now also at an (improvable yes) Alaska-style Constitutional Carry.
Hmm, that's yet ANOTHER win for the incremental method.
YES! Another reality check for the Brady Bunch... :-)
"I won't be happy until all 50 allow concealed and open carry without a permit - but this is a helluva good start."
And all the people said. "Amen!"
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