Cheyenne, WY -(Ammoland.com)- Hi Ted,
It’s been a little over a month since anyone has heard from Anthony. If you’re new to this list, Anthony Bouchard is the Founder and Director of Wyoming Gun Owners.
I have some important news to relay to you about what’s been happening.
Anthony has told me he would, “get results for WyGO members, or he would die trying.”
Little did I know he wasn’t kidding around…
Toward the end of the legislative session Anthony became ill and was hospitalized. It was a life threatening ordeal and we could have lost him. I visited him in the hospital and have been monitoring his progress daily. After eight days in the hospital, Anthony left to finish recovery at home. The good news is, Anthony is now doing well and the Doctor says he can return to work soon.
As a founding member of Wyoming Gun Owners myself, I can tell you that Anthony has sacrificed time with is family, his own resources and apparently his own health as he has worked diligently to defend the Right to Keep and Bear Arms for over 6 years. I don’t know of any other activist that works as hard in Wyoming politics — to change policy and to expose politicians in opposition to freedom. As he has done since WyGO’s beginnings, Anthony drafted WyGO backed legislation, gathered supporting legislators and worked hard bringing it all together for the 2015 legislative session.
Anthony promised that, “either we will advance pro-gun legislation, or we would get the anti-gun politicians on the record.”
HB-114 the Repeal Gun Free Zones Act introduced by Representative Allen Jaggi was passed through the House 42-17 without any amendments. This was a victory, even if only in the House.
By contrast, the Senate majority showed their real stripes — these Senators are now on the record for keeping deadly gun free zones in place. Of course the Senate majority ignored the fact that in neighboring Utah, permit holders have conceal carried in public schools, college campuses and government building for over 15 years.
And the Senate ignored Dr. John Lott’s factual testimony, that permit holders are statistically revealed as more “law abiding” than law enforcement. Dr. Lott is a renowned economist who crunched the numbers in his book, “More guns, less crime.” As usual, what should have been reported as headline news…the Senator’s pals in the anti-gun media completely ignored Dr. Lott’s relevant testimony in the Senate’s committee.
On the other hand, we are grateful to Dr. Lott who traveled a great distance to testify in favor of repealing gun free zones in Wyoming. Just as we hoped, the Senate fell into a well laid trap, and you can be proud of this! – they are now firmly “on the record.” There were a total of 18 Republican Senators who went along with Senate Democrats who also voted in opposition pro-gun legislation.
You just can’t make this stuff up!
That in Wyoming, Republican Senators ran a gauntlet to replace a 3 page pro-gun bill with a 14 page gun control scheme.
And it gets worse…
The Senate committee Chairman Hank Coe, actually put the original House sponsor’s names on the phony version of HB-114.
- *** The bill number stayed the same.
- *** The bill name was changed.
- *** The bill description was changed.
- *** The bill intentions were changed.
Even though the original HB-114 House sponsors had never laid eyes on the Senate’s “substitute” bill, the House members were told their names could not be removed from it as sponsors.
In case you haven’t compared the two bills:
One word defines the Senate’s Actions – Dishonest. Again, Anthony’s hard work has paid off. The Gun-Grabbers are now on the record. But more hard work is still ahead of us. Now these same voting districts around the state need to know just how their Senator really feels about their gun rights.
For the past three years, the Senate has killed WyGO backed legislation in committee. This is how they shelter the entire Senate from having to vote on what they refer to as, “controversial legislation.” This year’s outcome was much different. With heavy grassroots pressure from WyGO supporters like you, HB-114 made it to the Senate floor for a tally that revealed the bad actors.
Now that the legislative skirmish is over — the battle still goes on. Except after WyGO’s costly high impact mail and radio ads during the election cycle, combined with our action during the legislative fight, WyGO’s war-chest is at an all time low. It’s like having plenty of firearms, but no ammo to hit the target. If the Senate is going to be exposed using hard hitting mail and media, it will only happen because of financial supporters like you.
With Anthony soon returning to work, he’ll need the resources to get the job done. If you would like to wish Anthony well, drop him a short note at anthony@wyominggunowners.org, he’ll be glad to hear from you.
I am certainly happy to bring you both of these updates. That Anthony is doing well and will return to work soon. And just how well WyGO’s 2015 legislative plan was executed.
Thank You, for being a supporter of Wyoming Gun Owners.
Sincerely,
T.D. Ball
Volunteer President
Wyoming Gun Owners
P.S. WyGO Director Anthony Bouchard was hospitalized and is now home recovering. Anthony’s plan to get the Senate on the record came to full fruition. Now the Gun Grabbing Senators can no longer hide behind an unrecorded “voice vote.” But now WyGO needs to get the word out on these same politicians — whose only agenda is to trample your right to bear arms.
With Anthony returning to work soon, he’ll need your help if he is going to turn the tables on Wyoming politicians who acted to keep Gun Free Zones in Wyoming.
About Wyoming Gun Owners
Wyoming Gun Owners is a not-for-profit issue advocacy organization that is on a deliberate mission to protect and defend the Second Amendment. Contributions to WyGO are unlimited and are used to expose politicians who treat your rights with contempt. Contributions to WyGO are not deductible as charitable contributions for tax purposes.
For more information, please visit www.WyomingGunOwners.org.