Wyoming House Votes YES on Firearms Protection Act, 46-13

In response to current threats from the Federal Government on banning firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition, States are beginning to take action to hold the Federal Government to its constitutional limits under the 2nd Amendment. “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Wyoming Rep. Kendell Kroeker has sponsored and introduced HB0104. the Firearms Protection Act. Representatives Baker, Burkhart, Jaggi, Miller, Piiparinen, Reeder and Winters and Senators Dockstader and Hicks have co-sponsered this bill.

Today, HB104 passed the full state house by a vote off 46-13.

Wyoming’s Firearms Protection Act, is “an act relating to firearms; providing that any federal law which attempts to ban a semi-automatic firearm or to limit the size of a magazine of a firearm or other limitation on in this state shall be unenforceable in Wyoming; providing a penalty; and providing for an effective date.” This act nullifies all federal laws made after Jan. 1, 2013.

“We need the second amendment because it is the protection for all of our other rights. Without it, those rights have no protection,” Kroeker said.

Beyond such statements, the bill backs things up with some teeth by providing for criminal charges for federal agents who attempt to violate the proposed state law:

“Any official, agent or employee of the United States government who enforces or attempts to enforce any act, order, law, statute, rule or regulation of the United States government upon a personal firearm, a firearm accessory or ammunition that is owned or manufactured commercially or privately in Wyoming and that remains exclusively within the borders of Wyoming shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be subject to imprisonment for not less than one (1) year and one (1) day or more than five (5) years, a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or both.”

There was some wrangling during committee hearings and votes this week. An amendment was passed that removed the criminal penalties from the bill on the 1st and 2nd round of voting. But Kroeker assured supporters that he would continue to press forward and on the 3rd – and final – vote, he introduced an amendment to put those penalties back into the bill. The amendment passed 31-28.

Kroeker celebrated the victory in an update to supporters, “Victory! HB104 passed the house 46-13 with 1 excused! And – even better – my amendment to restore the bill passed.”

HB104 now goes on to the Wyoming State Senate.

ACTION ITEMS for Wyoming

Wyoming activists, join the 2nd Amendment Preservation group to support this bill on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndAmendmentWyoming/

Contact your state senator and strongly, but politely, urge him or her to vote YES on HB104. Please contact your Senator at this link.

It is recommended that you CALL and EMAIL. But any action is better than none.

LEGISLATION AND TRACKING

If you would like to see model legislation to introduce in your state to nullify federal firearm laws, please see The Tenth Amendment Center’s Model Legislation: The 2nd Amendment Preservation Act.

Track the status of 2nd Amendment preservation legislation in states around the country HERE