When Legislating, Consider Local Control

The 68th Legislature is set to convene for the 2025 General Session on January 14. Bills are already being filed and there will be even more changes in the make-up of both the House and the Senate.

The majority of the bills filed so far appear to be aimed at cleaning up already existing statutes. A few, however, seem to override local control of political subdivisions such as school districts. Indeed, two bills introduced already are regarding concealed-carry on school campuses and the banning of cellphones in schools.

Enhanced Concealed-Carry

Senate File 37 establishes enhanced concealed-carry permits allowing those who meet the requirements to carry firearms onto elementary school, high school and college campuses without prior approval from campus security. Admittedly, the bill does provide stringent requirements for those who want to concealed-carry on campuses. We also understand why a bill like this would come up considering that, as of December 16, there had been 83 school shootings in the United States. Parents, grandparents or guardians want to be able to know they could ensure the safety of their children should such an incident occur at their school.

We’re not here to debate the benefits or detriments of gun-free zones, nor are we here to debate the effectiveness of “good guys with guns.”

Our concern on Senate File 37 comes down to an issue of local control. In 2017, the Wyoming Legislature passed House Bill 194, which gave school districts across the state the authority to adopt rules which would allow teachers and staff to carry firearms on campus. Earlier this year, Carbon County School District No. 2 began discussing such a policy.

During the discussion at a September work session, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken explained how law enforcement trains for active shootings and what his biggest fear was in regards to concealed-carry on school campuses. According to Bakken, active shooting training is straightforward: find the shooter and engage the shooter. HIs concern, he said in September, would be law enforcement engaging a teacher.

Fortunately, House Bill 194 required that the identities of staff who opted to concealed-carry on campus—after the appropriate amount of training—were known to members of the school board, district administration and law enforcement. Under Senate File 37, as it is currently written, a member of the public could concealed-carry onto a campus without prior written approval from campus security.

This, we believe, overrides local control.

Cell Phones

Senate File 21, meanwhile, would require that all school districts adopt policies which would ban the use of cell phones and smartwatches in schools. The exceptions to these policies would be in the case of emergencies or perceived danger, when a student is authorized to use their device by a staff member, when using a device is part of a student’s education plan, or when the use of a device is part of a plan by a healthcare provider.

To be clear, we are not advocating for students to be able to use their cell phones or smartwatches during class time.

While these devices can be a useful tool, they also have their determinants. We agree with Governor Mark Gordon and State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder that the uninhibited use of such devices can lead to a variety of mental health concerns, eating disorders and even attempts of suicide. While they can be a tool for education, we have too often seen that they are also a tool for harassment and bullying which can extend beyond the school hours.

That being said, we would argue this is also something which requires local control. Additionally, while a school district may not have a set policy doesn’t mean a policy isn’t used within the district. Carbon County School District No. 2, for example, does not have a district-wide policy on cell phone use in schools. Each individual school does have a cell phone policy, which is included in student handbooks each school year.

As the 68th Wyoming Legislature prepares to convene, we would remind them of what Thomas Jefferson once said about government: ‘The government closest to the people serves the people best.”

*A previous version of this editorial read the 67th Legislature would begin on January 14, instead of the 68th. It has been corrected.*