SF67 allows the governor to organize and maintain a Wyoming State Guard without first requiring the Wyoming National Guard to be called into federal service. The bill also removes federal involvement from the State Guard's structure, places it more fully under the governor's authority, and allows the guard to be used for state defense, public peace, enforcing state law, responding to emergencies, suppressing riots or invasions, supporting wildland fire response, and other duties required by the governor. It also appropriates $25,000 through June 30, 2028 to help convene a state council of defense and establish or equip the State Guard.
The Wyoming State House of Representatives passed SF67 on March 2, 2026 by a vote of 54 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because a state defense force protects state sovereignty and helps Wyoming defend its citizens, enforce its laws, and respond to emergencies without depending on federally controlled forces. By placing the State Guard under state authority and removing federal involvement from its structure, the bill upholds Article I, Section 8, Clauses 15 and 16 of the U.S. Constitution and the 10th Amendment, and provides an important safeguard against unconstitutional federal overreach involving the National Guard.
