More guns in more places: Bills pass Wyoming state Senate

By MEAD GRUVER
Feb. 27, 2017 6:32 PM EST

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Guns already are as much a part of Wyoming culture as rodeo and four-wheel drive vehicles.

They could become even more ubiquitous if the governor signs a pair of bills that cleared the state Senate on Monday and would allow teachers to carry them at school and citizens to take them into government meetings.

The bills await votes in the House on changes made in the Senate before heading to the desk of Gov. Matt Mead, who hasn't hinted how he will act on the bills but appears unlikely to veto either.

Mead has spoken openly about his collection of powerful firearms and about successfully recruiting ammunition manufacturer Magpul Industries to move to Cheyenne from Colorado after that state passed tougher gun laws.

Gun advocates in the Wyoming Legislature finally got the critical mass needed for both new gun-carry measures after several years of trying. They pointed to other states, including Texas, that have allowed guns in government meetings for years without significant problems.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]