Governor Mead signed the Jennings-Jaggi bill into law today. As with Alaska, Vermont, and recently, Arizona, Wyoming residents no longer need to apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Congratulations and gratitude are due for the efforts of Wyoming Gun Owners.
Some will predict that blood will run in the streets. We’ve heard it before, and it never happens. Since passage of Alaska’s law in 2003, crime rates have remained largely static. Arizona’s law just passed last April, so crime statistics are not yet available. However, I don’t expect to see any fallout.
Wyoming isn’t alone. Support is rapidly gathering in both houses of South Carolina.
For a long time, Vermont was considered an anomaly. Alaska could also have been written off as a bit eccentric, but adding two (possibly three or four) states to the rolls may very well constitute a trend.