By Rep. Landon Brown
Landon Brown (R-Cheyenne) is a state representative from Cheyenne
In the coming weeks, you are bound to hear about the handful of bills, that either passed or died, that were on the Republican Party’s list of approved bills to support.
In that same list you will undoubtedly hear about those that chose to not support the “party platform” or represent their people (Republicans only). Please keep in mind, many legislators represent many other people beyond just Republicans in their district.
What you won’t hear about is the massive amount of work that was completed by your member in the Wyoming legislature that had NOTHING to do with politics but had everything to do with performing our duties as legislators.
Over 441 pieces of legislation were filed within in the legislature ranging from turning federal lands to state control, to antique vehicles, and even the treatment of animals.
Your legislator spent hours upon hours every day and every night going through these bills and casting votes to make Wyoming a better place. The vast majority of these bills that passed each house and will ultimately be signed or vetoed by the Governor were passed with a large majority of both chambers. Very few of the bills passed had a large contingent opposing most bills – why?
Simple, really. Much of the work needed to get done to make Wyoming a better place isn’t contentious.
It’s is not easy to know what is going on in every piece of legislation, but the fact is, we rely heavily on those that bring pieces of legislation through the process to guide Wyoming’s lawmakers in the right direction.
There is a ton of deference provided to those that have specialized backgrounds and understandings of the bills they are propose and work through the process. The vast majority of Wyoming’s policy discussions aren’t political – they’re work.
The next time you see the “list of names” that attempts to demonize those that may have voted in a certain way for a select handful of bills – remember, these are not the people’s work.
The people’s work was done in the large majority of legislation that made Wyoming better for the future. Most of the work completed by the legislature was done with little to no fighting or blaming another side or party for not acting.
Wyoming’s work was completed, with passion, by your legislature and always has been, since 1893.
