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NEWS RELEASE
March 18, 2025
CONTACT: Michael Pearlman, Communications Director
Governor Gordon Defends Law Enforcement in Veto of Problematic Second Amendment Bill
Governor signs bills banning sanctuary cities and ranked-choice voting
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – In a public ceremony that included members of state, county, and municipal law enforcement, the Governor signed a letter vetoing Senate File 196 - Second Amendment Protection Act - amendments, calling the bill “overkill” that would punish first responders and threaten the cooperative work between Wyoming law enforcement officers and their federal partners.
“This Act takes aim at – and potentially vilifies – law enforcement if, in the process of working to apprehend, prosecute, and detain illegal aliens, drug mules, human traffickers, abusers, and other miscreants, they cooperate with the federal government and a gun is involved. Wyoming can do better,” the Governor wrote.
Governor Gordon also signed nine bills today, including legislation banning sanctuary cities in Wyoming, prohibiting the use of private funds for elections, and a prohibition on ranked-choice voting.
The Governor also exercised his line-item veto authority on Senate File 169 - Strategic investments and projects account-repeal. The Governor left in place $10 million for the siting, design, construction, and operation of a new State Shooting Complex. However, he questioned the inclusion of the shooting complex by usurping the supplemental budget process, while the Legislature chose not to fund other capital construction projects, including a new veterans home.
In his letter vetoing Sections 1, 2, and 3 of SF 169, the Governor says he has always supported simplicity in budgeting, but the repeal of the Strategic investments and projects (SIPA) account removes the ability of the Governor to use investment income that should be available to any Governor in recommending a budget.
“The effort seems counterintuitive and parochial, serving only the narrow focus of withholding revenue from the Executive Branch budgeting process while preserving it exclusively for the legislature’s priorities,” Governor Gordon wrote. “Wyoming is required to balance its budget with expenditures not exceeding income. That effort has always been a joint effort. Artificially constraining income to one branch breaks with that practice and will not necessarily result in a cleaner or a leaner budget.”
The Governor also vetoed Section 4 in the Act, which would have terminated the Wyoming State Penitentiary Account (WSPA), a subaccount of the SIPA. The preservation of the account will enable the Department of Corrections to fund integrated security improvements.
The Governor signed the following bills today:
Enrolled Act Bill # Bill Title
HEA0062 HB0318 Maintenance of voter lists.
HEA0065 HB0228 Prohibition on private funds for conducting elections.
HEA0071 HB0165 Ranked choice voting-prohibition.
HEA0076 HB0133 Sanctuary cities, counties and state-prohibition.
SEA0073 SF0174 Constitutional apportionment of legislators.
SEA0074 SF0166 Political party formation-amendments.
SEA0077 SF0057 911 service reporting.
SEA0081 SF0032 Unpaved roads speed limits-amendments.
SEA0090 SF0160 Treatment courts-amendments-2.
The Governor vetoed the following bill. Click on the bill for the Governor’s letter:
SEA0082 SF0196 Second Amendment Protection Act-amendments.
The Governor exercised his line-item veto authority on the following bill. Click on the bill for the Governor’s letter.
SEA0098 SF0169 Strategic investments and projects account-repeal.
The full text of all bills can be found on the Wyoming Legislature’s website. A list of bills the Governor has taken action on during the 2025 Legislative Session can be found on the Governor's website.
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