The state of Wyoming basically killed gun-free zones, at least for most places, this year. That means schools aren't gun-free zones, which is unusual, to say the least.

History shows that when schools aren't soft targets because of gun laws, school shootings decrease. It seems most of those who want to kill people at school don't want to be killed themselves, particularly before they can do anything.

Now, with the law changed, Wyoming school systems are working to address this change in their policies.

In Campbell County, a place where nearly 90% of voters are registered Republicans, public schools already allow workers to carry concealed guns on school property. Still, the district found itself busy this spring revising those rules ahead of a new law poised to take effect July 1. Although Deputy Superintendent Kirby Eisenhauer described his district’s prior gun policy undertaking as a “good, healthy process,” he called the current situation a “serious matter” in “uncharted waters.”

Four hundred miles to the west, in Wyoming’s bluest community, the Teton County school district is also deep in writing a policy to allow civilians to carry guns — for the first time — in its schools. 

“I cannot vote for this item,” Teton County Trustee Kate Mead said at an April 16 school board meeting. “Some of this stuff calls for resistance, calls for us to say, ‘No. Here, we’re not going to let concealed carry in our schools. We’re not going to endanger our kids.’

“That’s our job,” Mead said. In addition to serving on her local school board, Mead is a rancher, attorney and the sister-in-law of former Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican who signed what had been the law of the land for guns in schools, until now.

The new law, enacted by the Wyoming Legislature this winter after multiple failed attempts in past sessions, does away with most gun-free zones in the state, including those in public schools. In preparation for it, school districts are now revising policies or drafting them for the first time, consulting lawyers and safety experts, calculating costs and seeking public feedback. While some school district boards propose adopting the state’s policy as is, others are working to beef up safety precautions related to the mandate as much as they legally can. 

The law punishes districts that don’t allow concealed carry. Teton County School District Superintendent Gillian Chapman called the penalties significant — a misdemeanor that carries a fine or jail time or both — for denying someone the right to concealed carry in a public school building. The district can’t ask visitors if they’re packing, she said.

And honestly, in 99.9 percent of cases, they'll never know the person had a gun on their person. That's because most people who carry are carrying a gun for self-defense. This law just means they can attend a parent-teacher conference without leaving their gun in the car. They can sign their kids out for doctors' appointments without disarming. They can just live their life without disarming.

In the tiny percentage of exceptions, though, what you'll find are people who wouldn't have followed the gun-free zone laws had they remained. They'd have actually counted on them to some degree.

So really, anyone who has a problem with this needs to adjust their perspective of reality to something more...well, real.

The truth, though, is that safety precautions for something like this are simple. Allow teachers to carry firearms if they qualify and want to. That's all you need. If that happens, then you've got layers of defense for students and staff. That's really all you need.

But unfortunately, the one thing I've learned about schools lately is that they're always worried about the wrong things. Sexual misconduct by teachers? Nah, let's not worry about that, even if it happens 200 times more than school shootings. Let's focus on the slim possibility of something else happening that wouldn't be stopped by a gun-free zone sign on the door instead.

Typical.