Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has officially approved legislation in Wyoming that supporters say will help prevent unconstitutional gun control laws from being enforced in the state. The Second Amendment Protection Act was signed into law by Gordon on Monday after sailing through the legislature, and will take effect later this year.

The bill prohibits the state government as well as any political subdivisions “from using any personnel or funds appropriated by the legislature of the state of Wyoming or any other source of funds that originated within the state of Wyoming to enforce, administer or cooperate with any act, law, treaty, judicial or executive order, rule or regulation of the United States government that infringes on or impedes the free exercise of individual rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”

Violations of the SAPA law can be pursued by county attorneys, which was a bone of contention for the group Wyoming Gun Owners. That organization had been pushing a competing bill called the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which contained language about nullifying federal gun laws and allowed for civil lawsuits to be filed against local or state agencies for alleged violations.

The debate over the competing bills got pretty heated, with Wyoming Gun Owners head Aaron Dorr bashing the Second Amendment Protection Act as well as the lawmakers and Second Amendment groups that supported it. A couple of weeks ago Dorr accused Gun Owners of America of delivering a “knife to the back of gun owners” over it’s support for the Second Amendment Protection Act over the Second Amendment Preservation Act; something GOA obliquely referred to in its press release celebrating SAPA’s signing.

Despite strong opposition from anti-Second Amendment groups alongside a misguided “Pro-Gun Group” based out of the Northeastern U.S, Wyoming finally has STATE-LEVEL protections for our Second Amendment rights.

With the out-of-control Biden Administration in office, now is the time to finally have SAPA in Wyoming!

SAPA IS A HUGE WIN FOR WYOMING FIREARMS FREEDOMS!

HERE ARE SOME FACTS ABOUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT.

• The penalties for violation of SAPA include a $2,000 fine and up to one year in jail.  The penalty of one year in jail gives this law one of the nation’s strongest criminal penalties and should be a huge deterrent to any official considering enforcing unconstitutional gun control.
• Despite claims to the contrary, SAPA does not allow Wyoming officials to participate in federal gun control task forces.
• SAPA is capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny and was able to garner the support of a diverse group including members of both the Senate and House, Wyoming citizens, and Wyoming law enforcement officials.
• SAPA has the support of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, and these Wyoming officials have made it clear they intend to defend the Second Amendment Rights of law-abiding citizens by prosecuting state or local officials who would enforce federal gun control.

With your support, we have finally passed a Second Amendment Protection Act that can protect the citizens of Wyoming from an over-reaching Federal Government.

GOA wants to thank Representative Mark Jennings (R) and Senator Larry Hicks (R) for taking the lead on passing this critical legislation.  In the coming weeks, we will share a complete list of Representatives and Senators with voting records on SAPA.  In the meantime, Wyoming can be proud to be one of only 10 States with a significant Second Amendment Protection Act to protect the rights of their citizens.

My own personal take on the two bills is more in line with GOA than WYGO, for what it’s worth. Nullification bills never fare well in court, and if the goal is to put a law on the books that won’t be overturned and still has some teeth to it, then the Second Amendment Protection Act fits the bill.

So, congratulations to Wyoming gun owners, including those who were hoping to see the Second Amendment Preservation Act passed instead. Your laws are stronger than they were yesterday morning, and that’s saying something considering the fact that Wyoming is already one of the most Second Amendment-friendly states in the country.