Controversial Wyoming gun law changes would hinder Trump agenda, Gordon argues in veto message

Framing the measure as a hindrance to the Trump administration’s agenda, Gov. Mark Gordon has vetoed controversial changes to a Wyoming gun law that aimed to further restrict enforcement of federal firearms directives within the state.

Gordon vetoed a similar measure last year. “It sincerely pains me to need to write this letter again this year,” the governor wrote Tuesday in his veto message to Senate President Bo Biteman, who sponsored Senate File 101.

Gordon lamented that the “litany of troubling language, problematic consequences, and irreconcilable issues” he had pointed out in his 2025 veto “were completely ignored by the legislators advancing this newest iteration and still stand today.”

Senate File 101 would have added major changes to Wyoming’s Second Amendment Protection Act, including a civil option allowing anyone—not just the state—to sue over alleged violations, and imposing $50,000 civil penalties per violation on agencies, including those that hire officers who previously enforced federal firearms directives.

All 23 Wyoming sheriffs opposed the measure, warning it would create legal ambiguity putting officers at risk, threaten federal partnerships, and hamper crime-fighting efforts. Gordon cited their opposition in his veto, writing, “Whether it is willful ignorance of their appeals or blind acceptance of the voices seeking to disparage them, I am sickened to see our local and state law enforcement treated this way in Wyoming.”

The governor linked his veto to a March 7 letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, who argued the measure would threaten Wyoming law enforcement “simply for cooperating with federal law enforcement on firearm investigations—even when those investigations target violent offenders, traffickers, or organized criminal networks.”

Supporters, including Second Amendment advocacy groups, described the changes as protection against federal overreach. Gordon dismissed their arguments, labeling certain lobbyists as “snake oil salesmen” promoting a false narrative.

Lawmakers have until Wednesday to attempt an override, which requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers—a high hurdle given that the Senate voted down a twin measure last week.