Winters discusses concealed carry in schools

State Representative Nathan Winters began his first day back after the President’s Day Holiday in the judiciary committee.

While in committee, they passed a bill, 8-1, that covers sexual assault from a position of power, creating stiff penalties for offenders.

Winters said they heard heart-wrenching testimony from women who have suffered this type of assault, generally from a coach or a teacher when they were younger.

“This happens more than we think,” Winters said.

A similar bill was proposed last session but failed. This time, they’ve taken more care in the wording of the bill and Winters hopes, this time, it passes.

HB194, the school safety and security act, is set to be on the docket soon.

The bill would allow teachers and other staff to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds.

It does require training for those who carry and security measures that would prevent students from getting at any gun in the classroom.

Winters said the impetus behind the bill is those really rural schools like Meeteetsee who are about 45 minutes away from any help from law enforcement.

“We had rural schools ask us to find a solution,” Winters said. “When they have help so far away, this makes sense.”

Winters added that teachers know the student’s faces, they know the school and its hallways, so it makes sense they would be the first line of defense for student security in such remote areas.

What to do about the condition of Interstate 80 is also being considered through SF140. The bill has passed the Senate and moved to the House.

The bill calls for a cost-benefit analysis of the main thoroughfare with decisions on what steps need to be taken for repairs and maintenance as well as how to pay for it coming later.

A study done at the University of Houston said one fully loaded semi is the equivalent of 50,000 passenger cars. The trucks along the I80 corridor make up a majority of the traffic on the road.

“We’ve looked at what needs to be done and how to get that accomplished for years,” Winters said. “There was talk of making it a toll road, but we had to look at the cost of building the toll booths and manning them as well.”

Winters is pleased that this bill will at least bring the conversation out again so they can start tossing ideas around, saying its very important to have this conversation as the road not only affects Wyoming, but really, the whole country as I80 is the Interstate that moves everything from one side of the country to the other.