Weekly Spotlight 7/18/25 – 7/25/25
Wyoming Repeals Gun-Free Zones, Expands Concealed Carry Rights
As of July 1, Wyoming enacted HB 172 — the “Wyoming Repeal Gun-Free Zones Act” — marking a major victory for Second Amendment advocates across the state. The new law expands the rights of concealed carry permit holders, allowing them to legally carry firearms in areas previously designated as “gun-free zones,” including public schools, certain airport areas, community colleges, state buildings, the University of Wyoming, and legislative meetings.
This is a significant step toward enhancing public safety. As we’ve long argued, so-called “gun-free zones” are among the least effective forms of gun control. Criminals, by nature, do not obey laws — meaning these zones often serve only to disarm law-abiding citizens while leaving them vulnerable in places where threats are most likely to occur.
HB 172 builds on Wyoming’s proud legacy of protecting and expanding gun rights. In 2010, the state passed the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, laying the groundwork for future reforms. Then, in 2017, it gave school districts the option to implement concealed carry policies. Now, with this latest legislation, Wyoming once again leads the way in affirming that the right to self-defense does not end at the door of a public institution.
This win isn’t just for concealed carry permit holders — it’s a victory for every Wyomingite who believes in the fundamental right to protect themselves and their loved ones. As momentum for pro-Second Amendment legislation grows nationwide, other states should follow Wyoming’s lead in empowering responsible gun owners and making their communities safer.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
The Reload: Analysis: Gun-Control Advocates Make Progress Piercing Federal Gun Industry Protections
The effort to circumvent the gun industry’s federal liability shield scored a win this week. On Thursday, a unanimous three-judge panel for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Section 898 of New York law. That means the state and members of the public face an easier path for suing gun companies over failing to prevent firearms from being used in illegal activity, even if those companies weren’t directly involved in the crimes. The panel ruled so despite lawmakers having enacted Section 898 for the express purpose of repudiating the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), deciding that the federal liability shield does not preempt the state’s law.
Ammoland: Fifth Circuit Holds Gun Free School Zone Law To Be Constitutional
Unsympathetic defendants make for bad precedents. This is what happened in the Rahimi case, where the Supreme Court opened the door a crack, allowing judges to believe they can create more exceptions to Second Amendment rights. Rahimi is cited as the reason for the upholding of the Gun Free School Zone Act in the Fifth Circuit. On January 29, 2023, 25-year-old Ahmed Adballa Allam had been living and traveling around the United States in his father’s Toyota RAV4 since July of 2022. He had purchased an AR-15 type rifle in Pennsylvania on the way to California.
The Truth About Guns: NSSF Leadership Encouraged About Regulatory Overhaul Efforts At ATF
We reported on July 2 about how the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is targeting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with a goal of cutting more than 50 gun rules and restrictions by the end of this week. “This modernization project focuses ATF’s enforcement on violent criminals, while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on lawful gun owners and dealers,” the ATF wrote in an email explaining the effort. The move, which is part of the administration’s overall effort to cut red tape and the overregulation of America’s lawful gun owners, was met with favor by many gun owners. And many gun organizations, including the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), are also speaking out in favor of the move.
The Truth About Guns (California): Federal Judge Strikes Down California’s Law Banning Carry Permits For Non Residents
We reported back in early May how a U.S. District Judge had issued an injunction requiring California to accept permit applications from any United States resident outside the state who is a member of SAF or organizations that were partners in the lawsuit CRPA v. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The California Rifle & Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of California, and several private citizens had joined SAF in the action against the law that makes it impossible for nonresidents to protect themselves when visiting the Golden State.
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