The Trump administration has formally opposed a Wyoming bill to nullify federal gun control.
Senate File 101 (S.F. 101), which was considered during the 2026 budget session, would have amended Wyoming’s existing Second Amendment Protection Act (SAPA), largely clarifying the bill to make it more enforceable. According to Gun Owners of America (GOA), it would have created “a clear path to take state and local agencies or departments to civil court for damages,” amounting to “a huge deterrent to local cooperation with federal gun control because of the potential impact on budgets.” Wyoming Senate President Bo Biteman (R-Ranchester) noted that the originally passed SAPA “had a few gaps in it,” which S.F. 101 would have filled.
Although the Legislature passed S.F. 101, Governor Mark Gordon vetoed the bill, arguing that it would “have a stifling impact on state and local partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies.” He also vetoed a similar bill last year.
GOA described the veto as “a disappointing surrender to federal interests,” arguing that Gordon “has chosen to prioritize the demands of federal agencies over the clear will of the Legislature and the protections of the Second Amendment.”
Administration Opposition
Notably, the Trump administration publicly opposed the bill. In a letter to Gordon, Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wrote:
Many of the most serious gun crimes today — international firearms trafficking, cross-border smuggling, terrorist cartel-linked straw purchasing, airport security violations, and financial crimes tied to arms trafficking — are primarily federal offenses. In many of these cases, Wyoming law has no parallel statute at all. Without federal cooperation, these serious crimes may never be prosecuted….
At a time when criminals operate across state lines and international borders, the answer cannot be to divide law enforcement. Public safety depends on cooperation between federal, state, and local officers working together to stop crime and protect our communities. [Emphasis in original.]
GOA responded by arguing that “the Governor and federal agencies are engaging in fearmongering rather than an honest reading of the law,” and that S.F. 101 would not prevent the federal government from combating “international smuggling and cartel networks.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the Trump administration has undermined the Second Amendment. In a November 20, 2025 federal court filing, for example, the U.S. Department of Justice defended the National Firearms Act of 1934, taking expansive positions on both gun control and federal power. President Donald Trump himself has previously made comments contrary to the text of the Second Amendment.
Nullification Is the Answer
Lyons’ letter portrays S.F. 101 as a dangerous and irresponsible bill. However, it ignores the fact that federal law enforcement — not being an enumerated power under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution — is inherently unconstitutional, and threatens the independence of state and local law enforcement. States have a sovereign duty to nullify all unconstitutional federal acts, something that S.F. 101 would help accomplish.
The letter also inadvertently acknowledges that state nullification is effective. By refusing to assist the federal government in enforcing unconstitutional laws, states can make a significant impact in protecting their citizens.
Instead of acting as junior partners to the federal government, states must reassert their sovereignty, including by nullifying unconstitutional federal acts and rejecting federal funding.
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