Wyoming Governor Signs, Vetoes Laws Affecting Local Law Enforcement Priorities

Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans stood before the Senate Revenue Committee and delivered a blunt warning: pass Senate File 101 as written, and Wyoming lawmakers would be making the state less safe, not more. Gordon ultimately agreed.

For the second consecutive year, Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed amendments to Wyoming's Second Amendment Protection Act, rejecting SF 101, formally titled "Second Amendment Protection Act amendments-3," and citing a unified wall of opposition from the state's own law enforcement community. Every one of Wyoming's 23 county sheriffs opposed a mirror version of the bill in the House, and Gordon made clear in his veto letter that their voices went unheard during the legislative session.

"If this bill became law, it makes the job of locally elected sheriffs and trusted community law enforcement officers even more perilous," Gordon wrote. "Please note that every single one of Wyoming's twenty-three duly elected sheriffs, numerous community police chiefs, and state law enforcement officials spoke out to list their concerns throughout the legislative session to no avail."

Appelhans was among the most direct in his opposition. "I don't think that you guys are trying to pass a bill that decreases public safety, but in terms of passing the bill as written, as is, that would be exactly what you guys are doing," the Albany County sheriff told the committee. "We're asking you, please don't do that. Don't handcuff us. Let us do our job."

Wyoming's existing SAPA law addresses acts by law enforcement officers that infringe on residents' Second Amendment rights. Allen J. Thompson, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, said SF 101 pushed well beyond those boundaries. Thompson called it "unbelievable" that the bill reached the governor's desk given the breadth of opposition from law enforcement throughout the session.

Federal authorities added their own alarm. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons wrote directly to Gordon warning that the legislation "disrupts that cooperation by prohibiting Wyoming police officers from even referring such violations of the law to Federal authorities without facing serious penalties." Trump administration federal law enforcement officials also cautioned that the bill could weaken cooperation between Wyoming agencies and federal partners working to combat violent crime, firearms trafficking, and cartel activity. Wyoming Public Media reported that critics warned the provisions could make the state a magnet for straw-purchasing crimes, since local officers would lose the ability to support federal prosecution.

Gordon, who had vetoed nearly identical legislation after the 2025 session, wrote that many of the concerns raised that year were "completely ignored" by the bill's sponsors in 2026. In a social media post, he added that despite its name, the bill does not actually safeguard Second Amendment rights, which he emphasized he has always supported. The problematic provisions, he wrote, undermine law enforcement charged with keeping Wyoming communities safe from violent crime.

SF 101 was not the only bill Gordon rejected. He also vetoed House Bill 178, which would have barred public employees from voluntarily deducting union dues from their paychecks. Gordon noted that Wyoming's right-to-work status means employees cannot be compelled to join a union and must opt in to payroll deduction of dues. KGAB reported that Gordon separately vetoed Senate File 119, the "Strategic investments and projects accounts repeal-2" bill.

As of March 10, the Wyoming House and Senate were preparing to meet to consider whether to attempt override votes on some of the governor's vetoes. Clearing that bar requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber.