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Follow Wyoming Public Radio as we cover the Equality State and U.S. elections online and on-air.

Candidates Debate Guns In Schools

Two of the three Republican candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction say it should be left up to local school boards to determine if teachers or others can have guns in schools. Bill Winney was adamant that the issue should be decided locally.

“There’s something in me that says a teacher shouldn’t be standing in front of a classroom with a pistol on their hip…I got that. But that’s not the real point…the real point is the authority and local control of our school boards.” 

Jillian Balow says she would convene stakeholders to discuss the issue, but she says prevention is the focus.

“My daughter has a resource officer at her school who spends most of his time building relationships with students, teachers, and families in the communities.  This is how we keep kids safe.”

Sheryl Lain favors a little bit of both and says Wyoming schools have made progress.

“The schools are more button down, there’s security cameras, we do have resource officers in some of the larger schools and according to the one I just visited with in the hall that is a deterrent, not necessarily to the use of gun, but a deterrent to bad behavior in general. So what I’d like to say it’s a local control issue, but I want my children safe.”

The three face off during the August 19th primary election. The debate was broadcast by Wyoming PBS and Wyoming Public Media.

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
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