By james art 
Cheyenne-reducing “amazing grace” and lying on the floor outside the office of governor Mark Gordon, a group of students from the University of Wyoming were hoping to send a direct message to the CEO: Do not cancel the Wyoming weapons zones.
Placed as a protest for “dying”, students wore white T -shirts, sprayed with red paint and kept signs that read “I prefer not to be a goal”, “books> bullets” and “I don’t feel safe at school. “
The Bill of the House 172, “Cancellation of hassle -free zones and changes of prevention”, passed to a third reading on Friday in the State Senate. On Monday, Senate President Bo Bitman, R-Ranchester and House Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, signed the bill, which is now recorded in Act 24, heading for Gordon’s Bureau.
Students have repeatedly spoken at meetings of the legislative committees of this session to oppose HB 172, which will affect the university, as well as the schools of the K-12 of Wyoming and other state facilities. However, students say they think they were largely ignored in the process.
“I was quite disappointed to see [HB 172] Go with such a little debate, with such a little consideration for any amendments or precautions we wanted, “Associates from the University of Wyoming Community and Government Government Director Sofia Gomelski told Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Monday afternoon.
“The fact that it flew through the house so quickly is quite representative of the fact that legislators do not listen,” she said.
Lying on the floor outside the Gordon office was perhaps their efforts for the last moat to be heard.
“We hope to click [lawmakers] Back to reality, in order to make them realize that they have voters, they swore to serve. When they do not listen to us, we cannot just continue as usual, with legislation that actively puts us in danger, “Gomelski said.
Gordon vetoed a bill very similar to HB 172 in 2024 and many similar measures failed to become a state law over the years. Michael Perlman, a communications director in the governor’s office, told WTE on an email on Monday afternoon that Gordon “thanked Sofia for exercising his first amendment and stated that she would take into account her comments.”
Gordon is still considering the bill and has to act on it until Thursday, Pearlman said.
Gomelski said that the governor had left his office on Monday to talk to her.
“We talked about issues that affect students many times and talked about the consequences of this bill,” she said. “We ask for a veto. He vetoed the account last year. It was a bad idea last year, this year is a bad idea. It has hardly changed. “
The UW Undergrad Liz Pearson is present at the protest, she said, as she believes the addition of more weapons will only increase violence to campus, whether through errors, suicides or other violence, which can become a direct threat to the student body.
“I actually heard students from where I graduated [Riverton High School] Saying they won’t want to come to UW if it passes. They do not want to come to school where they feel dangerous, “Pierson said.
Jacey Myrtle, a UW graduate student, said not only HB 172 threatens students, but also many other legislative acts moving through the state capitol, has reduced the university morality. The protest flyer for the event on Monday included a reference to “legislation that would harm students, including resolving weapons in schools and anti-LGBTQ+ bills aimed at transitions.”
“I hope we are heard and listened to because we are here that we are vulnerable … and with toy [diversity, equity and inclusion programming] It just feels so dangerous, “Myrtle said.
UW trustees voted not to allow hidden wearing; Legislators discuss the transformation of their chosen position
Last November, the University of University of Wyoming met several times and held a series of public meetings to discuss the resolution of a hidden firearm on the campus. In the end, this council, which was appointed by the governor, voted 6-5 on November 22 against the authorization of concealed holders of carrying permits to bring a firearm into the campus facilities.
The trustee Macy Moore said at a time that the whole process felt like a “giant disturbance” of the university’s mission. Currently, holders of carrying permits are currently entitled to hold a university open space such as Prexy’s pasture, but not inside facilities, classrooms and offices for teachers.
Monday morning, Reporter Rachel Rodriguez Williams, R-Cody, who heads the House for Freedom, a group of Republican hard line laws, presented a bill of the Chamber 148, “Selected Poobers of the University of Wyoming”, at the Senate Education Committee. Its bill will allow seven selected UW trustees, who, in her opinion, will “provide accountability without taking advantage” of the existing guardian structure.
“There is nothing to unite Wyomingites like our university, regardless of the disagreements regarding politics, religion and or lithies of other things that divide us today. We all love our cowboys in Wyoming, “Rodriguez-Wiliams told the committee.
However, she continued that many in her area were concerned about the UW management and would like to say how the trustees are selected.
Senator Charles Scott, R-Casper, said the Wyoming Constitution clearly stated that the trustees of the University “are appointed by the governor”. The head of Gordon, Drew Perkins, said in the committee that his service agreed that the constitution was “quite clear” by the fact that this council would be appointed.
“How can you build this language as allowing selected trustees?” Scott asked.
Rodriguez-Wiliams replied that she had checked her bill through staff lawyers who had no concern, but that other MPs had a “right to their opinion”.
Scott also pointed out that in recent years the University “has been constantly becoming better and better” in the education of students and in their research fields. Senator Wendy Shuler, R-Evanston, asked if the bill was represented by voters.
“This was not a bill … I would say it was a more area,” said Rodriguez-Wiliams. “I can tell you that you are a parent of a high school student and knowing many other parents in my area who contributes to their children to where they should consider attending college, there is [discussion] What experience did other students have in the campus who could direct parents away from UW.
“This bill allows Wyoming residents from all over the country to choose a representation in the UW Board of Trustees. It increases the presentation of people and enables the Oyoming citizens to have the word in the leadership of our beloved university, “she said.
But students on Monday said that those who live on the campus directly feel the impact of this session.
“Parents in Wyoming, they are not the ones in the campus. It is customary for parents to say that the university radicalizes children, but I would not say that this is the way it goes. Anyway, we are the ones who live there, “Katie Wilford, a UW student, told WTE.
Pearson said last fall spoke at least twice before the UW trustees about canceling zones without weapons in the campus and felt heard in the process. Later, Pearson lay on the marble floor in the Capitol, quietly humming with his colleagues protesters.
Gomelski said she was talking about “why there was no permission for”, but that she tried to receive it and said from the State Construction Committee that they did not issue permits for the lobby of the capitol during the session.
“I think our trustees listened to us,” Pearson said. “I think we came to them and I really hope to be able to get to (legislators) today. But we realized that doing what we did with UW trustees is not attractive (legislators), so we will try something a little different. “
The Chamber Bill 148 stepped into 3-2 votes with a recommendation “Do not Pass” from the Senate Floor Debate Committee. Although the bigger part of the legislators said they did not prefer the bill, his fate would be left for the whole body to discuss.
However, the fate of the cancellation of the pistol areas is in the hands of the governor.
“This is our life here,” first -year student UW Illyas Kahn said on Monday.