Wyoming Bill to Allow Employee Guns in Parking Lots Proposed

A bill that would allow employees to keep guns in their cars in an employer's parking lot has been proposed for the Wyoming Legislature.

The bill, known as the ''Right to Keep and Bear Arms In Private Vehicles Act", is being sponsored by Rep. Stan Blake (D-Sweetwater County). Several Republican lawmakers are co-sponsors, including Laramie County legislators, Rep. Jared Olsen and Sen. Tara Nethercottt.

Reps. Clem, Duncan, Harshman, Larsen, and Lindholm are additional house sponsors. Sens. Hicks and Driskill are also sponsors.

The bill would list several requirements for keeping guns in vehicles, including that the weapons are not in plain view and that the vehicles are kept locked when no one is in them. Certain parking lots would be exempt from the law, including schools, government offices, and religious organizations.

The University of Wyoming and community colleges would also be exempt.

You can read House Bill 78 here.

Because the proposal is a non-budget item and 2020 is a budget session, it will take a 2/3 majority vote for the bill to be introduced. The session will convene on Feb. 10 in Cheyenne.