Wyoming Lawmakers Pass Stand Your Ground, Send to Governor’s Desk

The Wyoming legislature passed stand your ground legislation and sent it to Gov. Matt Mead’s (R) desk for a signature.

The legislation, HB 168, protects law-abiding citizens who have to use deadly force in defense of their lives.

The NRA-ILA reports that “Wyoming currently has no statutory provision excluding a mandatory duty to retreat for those who are assaulted, without fault, in a place other than the home.” Wyoming’s castle doctrine removed the mandate to retreat inside the home, and HB 168 would remove any requirement to do so outside one’s residence.

The Associated Press reports that HB 168 also provides protections from “civil prosecution” for law-abiding citizens who are justified in using firearms for self-defense.

Gov. Mead was hesitant about one of the earlier versions of HB 168. The Casper Star Tribune reports that Mead had trouble with an “immunity” clause that would have automatically allowed people to be free from arrest or prosecution if they claimed self-defense. That aspect of the bill was changed, but Mead did not signal whether he would sign the legislation.

He is expected to take some type of action Wednesday. If he vetoes the bill, the legislature will convene Thursday to consider overriding Mead.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.