Story perspectives

Wyoming Bills Spark Controversy Over Hunting and Gun Rights

1/29/2025

38 5

Summary

Story summary

In Wyoming, a controversial Senate Bill 118 could change the landscape of big-game hunting by allowing landowners to sell hunting tags, raising fears of privatizing wildlife access among critics like the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. Simultaneously, House Bill 172 aims to repeal gun-free zones, igniting heated debates over concealed carry in schools and government buildings.

History

Historical Context

Wyoming's Senate Bill 118, allowing landowners to sell big-game hunting tags, echoes historical tensions over wildlife access, reminiscent of the 2019 Supreme Court ruling affirming tribal hunting rights. The current push reflects a broader trend of privatization in resource management, paralleling past controversies like the 2015 "data trespass" laws that restricted environmental data collection, highlighting ongoing conflicts between conservation and property rights in Wyoming.

1 of 2

Story summary

In Wyoming, a controversial Senate Bill 118 could change the landscape of big-game hunting by allowing landowners to sell hunting tags, raising fears of privatizing wildlife access among critics like the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. Simultaneously, House Bill 172 aims to repeal gun-free zones, igniting heated debates over concealed carry in schools and government buildings.

1 / 2