Don't sign onto U.S. gun legislation, Wyoming lawmakers ask Barrasso and Lummis

Jun. 21—CHEYENNE — Wyoming's two U.S. senators have been asked by well over a dozen Republican state legislators to not back changes to gun laws being discussed by members of Congress.

A letter dated Friday, which was released Monday evening, was addressed to U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo. It was signed by some prominent state legislators from Wyoming, with the lead signers being Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, and Rep. Robert Wharff, R-Evanston. Bouchard also is a candidate for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Reportedly, "you are supportive of the draconian gun control measures, including Red Flag gun confiscation being fast tracked through Congress right now," the letter opened. While the two U.S. senators representing Wyoming may be open to such a tack, they have not confirmed any such interest to local news media, including the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Red flag laws, which some states are putting on their books, let local authorities with court approval seize firearms in emergency situations.

On Capitol Hill, such laws have been among the discussion points in bipartisan congressional negotiations over new gun legislation. These discussions were spurred on by several recent mass shootings, one killing well over a dozen kids and some adults at a Texas school.

Congress could "deflect responsibility for enacting such horrid laws by essentially punting to the states," the Wyoming state senators and representatives wrote Lummis and Barrasso about red flag laws. "Knowing that forcing such immoral and unconstitutional provisions nationwide would not garner enough votes to overcome a filibuster, Senator Murphy instead proposes to bribe States with their own tax money to do his dirty work for him. This is unacceptable."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has been one of the senators taking the lead on such conversations on the Hill. Neither his office nor Lummis' had any immediate comment to the WTE.

On Monday evening, a spokesperson for Barrasso pointed to a statement from last week, in which the senator said there's "a group of senators who have worked up a framework, and every senator wants to see the actual language. As a senator from Wyoming, I know the meaning of the Second Amendment. And I am never going to vote for anything that would jeopardize the rights of law-abiding citizens."

The letter continued, "You may believe your vote on this proposed bill comes at little risk, as Wyoming has demonstrated time and again that our Legislature would not vote to pass such laws. While that may be true, many other states will not have such resolve. As Republican legislators in the great State of Wyoming, the state with more firearms per capita than any other state in the union, we DO NOT approve of ANY gun control measures at all."

Others signing the letter included Wyoming state Sens. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester; Tim French, R-Powell; Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne; Tom James, R-Rock Springs; Troy McKeown, R-Gillette; and Tim Salazar, R-Riverton. Among others were Reps. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie; Mark Baker, R-Green River; John Bear, R-Gillette; Bill Fortner, R-Gillette; Chuck Gray, R-Casper; Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland; Scott Heiner, R-Green River; Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan; Dan Laursen, R-Powell; Chip Neiman, R-Hulette; Pepper Ottman, R-Riverton; and Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody.

Jonathan Make is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's assistant managing editor and editor of the Wyoming Business Report. He can be reached at jmake@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3129. Follow him on Twitter @makejdm.