skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Florida picks up the pieces after Hurricane Milton; Georgia elected officials say Hurricane Helene was a climate change wake-up call; Hosiers are getting better civic education; the Senate could flip to the GOP in November; New Mexico postal vans go electric; and Nebraska voters debate school vouchers.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Civil rights groups push for a voter registration deadline extension in Georgia, federal workers helping in hurricane recovery face misinformation and threats of violence, and Brown University rejects student divestment demands.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month, and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

WY lawmakers consider concealed weapons in public schools, state facilities

play audio
Play

Tuesday, September 24, 2024   

Wyoming lawmakers are discussing gun legislation, after Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill which would have repealed "gun free zones" this spring.

The bill would have made concealed weapons legal in more places, including the Capitol, universities and grade school campuses, where school districts currently make the rules.

Annie Griffin, superintendent of Washakie County School District #2, where teachers have been allowed concealed carry for seven years, told the Joint Judiciary Committee the rule creates challenges with hiring, permit-pulling and enforcement with adults from outside the district, at sporting events, for example.

"Unfortunately, I can tell you of many events of verbal abuse, of violence from children in the classroom," Griffin testified. "I don't think people fully understand the volatility that can go on in schools."

After the bill passed both chambers, Gov. Gordon vetoed it, saying he is a "fervent supporter" of the Second Amendment but the bill lacked "sufficient review and debate." Its sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, said he will introduce a similar bill next session.

Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, said the decision on what is allowed should be left to school districts but noted the districts have not been included in the discussion.

"We talk a lot about local control and we talk about how important that is," Schuler pointed out. "And I don't think we've really brought our educational folks to the table throughout this whole process."

The University of Wyoming's Board of Trustees will discuss how the university will approach concealed carry at a meeting this week.

Proponents of repealing gun-free zones said such zones are more vulnerable to violent crime. But a new study showed gun-free zones may "be protective against active shootings."

When a citizen cited the research during public comment, Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, said the right to bear arms is "God-given."

"As I think about studies, I think, boy, how important it is that we don't do our governing by studies," Jennings asserted.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
In Florida, the deadline to register to vote was Monday, and a Florida driver's license or Department of Motor Vehicles ID card was necessary to complete the registration. (Vilkasss/Pixabay)

Social Issues

play sound

As Hurricane Milton makes landfall and Florida recovers from Hurricane Helene's devastation, voting rights groups have filed a legal challenge to …


Social Issues

play sound

A Detroit educator recently told a congressional committee he is "terrified" at what a second Trump term as president could bring for America's public…

Social Issues

play sound

Ho-Chunk Farms' annual Indian Corn Harvest is reviving and preserving this tradition for the northeast Nebraska tribe. Corn from a Winnebago family's …


There is no safe level of lead in a person's blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Scientists note even low lead levels have been shown to affect IQ, the ability to pay attention and academic achievement. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Clean water advocates in Maine are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's new rule on lead pipe removals but warned drinking water in school…

Health and Wellness

play sound

When it comes to stroke care, experts say, "time is brain." Now, a program launching in South Dakota will coordinate and strengthen stroke care …

Buildings are 32% of New York's annual greenhouse gas emissions, making them the state's largest emitter. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York State authorized utilities to develop thermal energy network pilot programs to further its decarbonization goals. Thermal energy networks …

Environment

play sound

From power outages to burnt farmland, North Dakota is coming to grips with the impact of several large wildfires that are linked to at least two …

Environment

play sound

By Bennet Goldstein for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for Wisconsin Watch-Public News Service…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021