Wyoming’s House of Representatives has passed legislation that attempts to exempt the state from proposed federal regulations restricting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The law would also charge federal officials who try to enforce the ban with a misdemeanor,
reports CBS.
The state could have problems enforcing its own law. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that federal laws supersede state laws. It’s uncertain whether the block would be legally enforceable.
President Barack Obama has called for reinstituting a federal assault weapons ban following the shootings in Connecticut in December that killed 20 elementary school students. However, it’s far from certain whether there are enough Republicans who would join with Democrats to pass a renewal of the ban, as Republicans in general have been cool to the idea.
The Wyoming House also preliminarily approved a bill that would allow residents who hold permits to carry weapons on public school campuses, colleges, and on the grounds of the University of Wyoming.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican State Rep. Allen Jaggi, said he was motivated by the fact that most of the worst gun incidents of which he’s aware have occurred in gun-free zones. However, a fellow GOP member, Rep. Jerry Paxton, a former school principal, voiced serious concerns over including elementary and secondary schools in the bill. He believes it would be too easy for a student to have access to weapons if a teacher made a mistake and forgot to properly secure the weapon.
A University of Wyoming official also voiced concern that the bill would mean the university could no longer prohibit students from carrying weapons on campus property.
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