Daily Darwin

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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Daily Darwin: Monday, February 13, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Practicing for the Olympics...

Daily Darwin: Monday, February 13, 2023

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” 

Reid Rasner is also running in a 10-candidate Republican primary race to win the party’s nomination toward Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. Last year he announced, and later suspended, intentions to buy the tech giant TikTok amid congressional efforts to transfer the Chinese-involved company into American hands.

 also appears in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission profile, which says he started working through the investment clearinghouse LPL Financial LLC on March 1, 2019, and remained there until spring of this year.  

LPL Financial discharged Rasner on April 24 due to allegations he engaged in unapproved outside business activity, the profile says in a “disclosure” category. The disclosure doesn’t elaborate.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) profile of Rasner says he was registered previously as a broker “and is currently registered as an investment advisor.”

He’s held state registrations in New York and Wyoming, the profile says.

Before Rasner’s seven-year relationship with LPL Financial he was with Edward Jones for a year.

In 2019, the year Rasner’s work with LPL Financial began, he registered Wyoming Wealth Advisors LLC with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, and three years later he registered his business Omnivest LLC with the state.

“Our Website is currently under maintenance!” the banner says. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

A disclosure brochure about OmniVest, dated June 15, says Rasner has a non-financial affiliated business as a congressional candidate.

“Approximately 10% of his time is spent on these activities. This does not present a conflict,” says 

LPL Financial did not respond by publication to an email inquiry to its press line.

[{"type":"text","text":"FINRA directed Cowboy State Daily to LPL."}]

Rasner, in response to an inquiry sent to his campaign team, said “In our industry, the transition of business relationships is a routine and common occurrence, particularly when professionals launch new firms.”

Rasner added, “I remain fully focused on growing my new firm, continuing to deliver exceptional service to clients, and helping bring investment, jobs, and economic opportunity back to Wyoming.”

As for what LPL Financial could have meant with the “unapproved outside business activity allegation,” Riverton-based financial advisor Mike Zirbel said, “It’s hard to narrow down.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s because financial advisors are tightly regulated, he said."}]

“There are so many things that would count as unapproved activities,” Zirbel added.

[{"type":"text","text":"A Little Background"}]

Rasner’s first-quarter Federal Election Commission report for his House campaign says he has loaned himself $1.2 million and contributed another $9,072 to his own campaign. That’s within a total of about $1.264 million in total receipts.

Rasner also ran an unsuccessful 2024 campaign against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Barrasso

[{"type":"text","text":"Barrasso defeated Rasner 70,494 to 25,427 in the 2024 GOP primary."}]

Rasner’s total receipts for that campaign finished off at $1.33 million, the 

[{"type":"text","text":"Rasner loaned himself $1.28 million in the 2024 campaign.  "}]

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<title>Wyoming Congressional Candidate Reid Rasner Fired By Clearinghouse | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” federal filings say.

Wyoming Congressional Candidate Reid Rasner Fired By Clearinghouse

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Courts

A Casper teen accused of attacking his mother led police to a hidden cache of stolen firearms tucked behind a secret wall in his bedroom. 

Honor Jason Wickert, 17, appeared Tuesday afternoon in Natrona County Circuit Court, where he was formally charged with four felonies and several misdemeanors, including interference, domestic battery, carrying a concealed weapon, and being a minor in possession of tobacco products. 

Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen confirmed Wednesday morning that prosecutors are charging Wickert as an adult.

Court documents paint a picture of a family dispute that escalated into a foot chase through Casper neighborhoods and ended with police uncovering several stolen firearms, credit cards, and more. 

The four felony theft charges alone carry a combined maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if served consecutively. Additional jail time could be imposed for the misdemeanor charges.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Family Fracture"}]

According to an affidavit, police were called June 20 after Wickert's mother reported her son had assaulted her during an argument over a cellphone.

She told investigators she was increasingly concerned about what Wickert was hiding inside his locked bedroom.

Days earlier, she forced her way into the room and found vape pens and what she believed could be a credit-card skimming or cloning device, according to court records.

Afterward, Wickert reportedly installed a new locking knob on the bedroom door.

The situation boiled over June 20 when the woman attempted to take his cellphone, says the affidavit submitted by Casper Police Officer Colton Lewis. 

The woman told investigators Wickert pushed her to the ground, pinned her with a knee to her back and caused injuries to her face, elbow and back. 

Officers documented bruising and redness consistent with her account, the affidavit states.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Backyard Sprint"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Wickert called the police himself."}]

According to court records, he reported that his mother was accusing him of stealing her belongings and kicking doors inside the home.

[{"type":"text","text":"Officers instructed him to wait for law enforcement."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Instead, he took off running."}]

Police allege Wickert fled through multiple backyards near South Forest Drive and Seminole Street, tossing two backpacks as officers searched for him.

One backpack contained a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun later confirmed stolen, along with ammunition, vape devices, gloves and a flashlight.

Another contained a wallet holding multiple bank and credit cards belonging to other people.

[{"type":"text","text":"Among the items recovered was a handwritten note that read:"}]

"Hi my sweet boy," the note read. "I don't know if you're gonna go to jail, but I want you to know that I will wait for you."

[{"type":"text","text":"Officers eventually took Wickert into custody. "}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hidden Arsenal"}]

With his mother's consent, investigators later searched Wickert's bedroom.

According to the affidavit, officers noticed an access panel in a wall that appeared unusual because several screws were missing.

After removing the panel, they discovered a pillowcase wrapped around a pipe inside the wall cavity.

Inside, police found four handguns, loaded magazines and ammunition, Lewis wrote. 

Investigators identified the firearms as two Ruger LCP pistols, a Springfield Hellcat Pro pistol and a Glock 43.

Three of the firearms were confirmed to have been stolen. Investigators said the Glock was believed to have been stolen as well.

During Tuesday's hearing before Judge Nichole Collier, bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety.

[{"type":"text","text":"Wickert remains in custody at the Natrona County Detention Center."}]

His case is pending in Natrona County Circuit Court. He is expected to next appear for a preliminary hearing within about 10 days. 

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<title>Casper Teen Charged As Adult After Fight With Mom Leads To Cache Of Stolen Guns | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Casper teen accused of attacking his mother led police to a hidden cache of stolen firearms and credit cards tucked behind a secret wall in his bedroom. Honor Jason Wickert is being charged as an adult with four felonies and several misdemeanors.

Casper Teen Charged As Adult After Fight With Mom Leads To Cache Of Stolen Guns

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Outdoors

Adam Fink, the owner of Laird Sanitation LLC (“Got Poop?”) in Greybull, says trying to retrieve anything that's fallen into an outhouse, portable toilet, or vault toilet isn't worth the risk and effort. 

That includes sunglasses, which is what a man in central California was trying to recover when he fell into a vault toilet and had to be rescued from its fetid depths last week.

“Aside from a family heirloom or a wedding ring, it’s not worth digging through a pile of waste to recover something that’s fallen into a vault toilet,” Fink told Cowboy State Daily. "Even then, you should call someone, not try to get it yourself."

The incident occurred June 20 at Camp Edison on the Sierra National Forest, northeast of Fresno.

According to media reports, the unidentified man trying to recover his sunglasses was stuck inside for about 15 minutes before being rescued.

Fink typically doesn’t deal with vault toilets in Wyoming’s state and national parks, but he knows what horrors can lurk at their depths. This man was lucky he wasn’t down there deeper or longer, he said.

“A vault toilet can be anywhere from three to 10 feet deep,” he said. “If you jump in, you may not be touching bottom. It's not worth the risk."

[{"type":"text","text":"Disturbing Depths"}]

For the unfamiliar, vault toilets are non-flush toilets in which human waste is deposited into a large underground tank. Because no water is used, the waste sits until it’s pumped out and transported to a treatment facility.

Vault toilets are common in national parks and campgrounds where running water and sewer lines are unavailable. They can go several months or longer without being pumped.

You don’t know what diseases might be running around in there with all the human waste,” Fink said.

While vault toilets don’t use water, many are at least partially filled with the same biodegradable chemical solution Fink and others use to fill portable toilets. It helps break down everything that falls inside.

Nobody likes the idea of being partially submerged in a caustic chemical bath at the bottom of a vault toilet, but it’s preferable to everything else floating at the bottom.

Then there are the “lily pads” that give people a false sense of hope.

“Those vaults and tanks will develop a bit of a crust on top, or the toilet paper will act as a lily pad,” Fink said. “You might see something you dropped sitting right at the surface, but that doesn’t mean that’s the bottom.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Bowels Of Hell"}]

People lose items in portable toilets and vault toilets all the time. The lengths some will go to retrieve these lost objects can have dangerous and humiliating consequences.

In August 2022, a man was stuck in a vault toilet at Fishtrap Creek in western Montana for three hours, half-naked, after trying to recover his phone. Morgan Jacobsen, spokesperson for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, relayed the full details of the incident to VICE News.

“The man undressed, removed the toilet and climbed (into the vault) to retrieve his phone,” Jacobsen said. “He was unable to climb out and was stuck for about three hours until a few other people came along and were able to help him.”

The Good Samaritans saved the man from the bowels of Hell by lowering a camp chair into the vault, which he used as a platform to climb out.

In April 2022, a woman in Washington’s Olympic National Park was stuck in a vault toilet for more than an hour after she 

That incident was enough for the Wyoming Division of Parks and Cultural Resources to release a statement discouraging visitors from doing the same.

“While rare, we have received reports from several parks over the years,” spokesperson Gary Schoene said. “First and foremost, people should contact the respective park staff if they should drop their phone in the toilet. We advise folks not to reach down or try to retrieve the phone themselves because of the potential for dangerous, noxious gases in the vault.”

The Teton Raptor Center's Porta Potty Owl Project, or "

," developed a special screen to cover the open-pipe chimney on many vault toilets to protect owls and other birds. Getting stuck in a vault toilet might be a disturbing moment and memory for people, but it's often fatal for animals. 

"In our complicated times of complex problems, this is an issue for wildlife with a simple, affordable solution,” Teton Raptor Center CEO Amy McCarthy told Cowboy State Daily. “It's making a difference that has led to the safety of thousands of wild creatures, one toilet at a time.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Camp Edison staff"}]

rescued the man who fell into the vault toilet within 15 minutes. CAL Fire personnel hosed him off.

“(We) were able to safely get him out, decontaminate him, and he’ll be OK,” said Sgt. Chris Tullus with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

Fink has recovered many items that have been dropped into portable toilets.

[{"type":"text","text":"Few, he believes, were worth the call."}]

“We find items of all sorts in vaults and portable toilets, but they’re usually trash,” he said.

A smartphone can cost close to $2,000 in 2026. Nobody wants to lose that much in one fell swoop, but Fink said it’s probably best to leave that phone where it dropped.

“When it comes to cellphones, there's a thing called the Cloud,” he said. “If you're not backing your information up to the Cloud, this is a good reminder that it's probably time to do that, because it’s not worth diving into a vault toilet.”

That’s assuming a phone would even work after soaking in a cocktail of human waste and chemicals. Stranger things have happened, however.

When Wyoming outdoorsman Paul Ulrich dropped his iPhone into a vault toilet, he didn’t even consider trying to recover it.

“I never wanted to see that phone again,” he told 

Nevertheless, when he had his son call the phone hours later, it was still working.

“You gotta credit Apple,” he said. “At the bottom of an outhouse, which probably hadn’t been emptied since the 1940s, and it was still working. God bless America.”

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<title>Wyoming Outhouse Expert Says Retrieving Sunglasses From Vault Toilets Is Bad Idea | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The owner of a Wyoming sanitation company said it's not worth it to jump in a vault toilet to retrieve sunglasses like a man in California did last week. “It's anywhere from 3 to 10 feet deep,” he said. “If you jump in, you may not be touching bottom."

Wyoming Outhouse Expert Says Retrieving Sunglasses From Vault Toilets Is Bad Idea

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, June 24th.  I’m Mac Watson

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"–"}]

During a lengthy meeting that grew contentious, the Kemmerer City Council on Monday approved an ordinance establishing regulations for a possible man camp inside city limits. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports that despite resident’s objections, Mayor Robert Bowen says, “The groundwork’s been laid.

“The Kemmerer City Council was adamant at the meeting on Monday that there is no man camp guaranteed. The ordinance just lays this groundwork. One place that has gotten interest from potential developers for a possible man camp is an area near this Antelope Ridge subdivision. Multiple people were at this meeting who live in that subdivision saying we don't want this in our backyard. the main concerns are safety, one woman brought up, you know, when you have people in groups, strange things happen.”

Developers are proposing a temporary hub to house workers who will build the TerraPower nuclear power plant near Kemmerer.

The Wyoming Supreme Court denied a Cheyenne-based attorney’s request for an order appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Secretary of State Chuck Gray for handing sensitive voter data to the federal government on Tuesday. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that the high court also denied the attorney, George Powers’ request that it order Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz to recuse himself from this investigation since Kautz’s office has reportedly counseled Gray on the voter data transfer.

“George Powers had asked the Wyoming Supreme Court to make the Attorney General's office recuse itself from Fowler's requested investigation of Chuck Gray, and for the High Court to appoint a special prosecutor for that investigation itself. And now, while the Attorney General fired back last week, like we already got special prosecutors to look into this. The high court officially ended the case on Tuesday, saying George Powers, you didn't show that the Attorney General's office had shirked a clear duty here, so we're not going to make the Attorney General do certain things.”

The U.S. Department of Justice last year urged Gray to hand over unredacted voter rolls bearing driver's licenses or partial social security numbers. Gray did so, public records indicate. He’s since said repeatedly that Kautz’s office advised him in this, and approved the release.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"–"}]

At a meeting in Denver on Tuesday, Wyoming's state engineer said 2026 is “one of the worst, if not the worst, hydrologic years on record.” Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports the engineer added it’s due to the dire water situation in the Colorado River's Upper Basin states. 

“There's a representative from each of the four states, which are Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico. Our representative is our state engineer, Brendan Gebhart. Bottom line is looking really grim. I think Gebhart said, from a hydrological standpoint, it's one of the worst, if not the worst years we have on record for the Colorado River.  The commissioner from Utah mentioned that there's already towns there that have run out of water and are having to truck it in little towns in Utah.”

Members of the Upper Colorado River Commission expressed frustration during the meeting, saying water-management policy needs to shift away from legal wrangling and toward the realities of water availability. The commission didn’t make any policy decisions, and plans to meet again this summer.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"– "}]

The Wyoming group that launched a civility movement after the killing of Charlie Kirk has gotten candidates to sign a peacemaker pledge to love their enemies. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that includes gubernatorial candidates Eric Barlow and Megan Degenfelder.

“They launched in September after the killing of Charlie Kirk, calling for civility in politics. They, this candidate, see this election season, they released a pledge for candidates to sign if they wish, where they're basically promising to love their enemies, stand on their principles, but not resort to cruelty. And as of Monday, 35 candidates had signed it, including two running for governor.”

Three of the 10 Republican U.S. House candidates have also signed the pledge: Senate President Bo Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, and Casper-based veteran Kevin Christensen. U.S. Senate candidate Jimmy Skovgard is also among the signers.

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"–  "}]

Cheyenne’s City Council moved a massive 3,500-acre data center annexation closer to approval Monday night, rejecting an effort to secure a $50 million community benefits agreement. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that Mayor Patrick Collins recently described as “extortion.”

“What are the impacts of that? Councilman Wolf felt that the city should be looking to get more out of the deal, so that it could handle or deal with those impacts, but the council did not agree. There were three votes for such seeking an agreement and the rest were against. It's a nine-member council. The mayor was absent, and so you know that went down to defeat. Some of the councilmen pointed out that they can still seek annexation agreements.”

The tract, roughly one-fifth the size of Cheyenne and adjacent to Microsoft’s existing data centers, is envisioned as a long-term expansion site where it would build its facilities out over the next 10 to 20 years. 

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory confirmed Tuesday that a hydrothermal explosion occurred in Yellowstone's Biscuit Basin. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that Yellowstone authorities say they observed water spouting 30 feet into the air.

“When geologists went out there the next day, they found a 21-foot-wide crater filled with boiling water, a 60 foot long fissure, and several vents that were draining water into the nearby Fire Hole River.  I spoke with Mike Poland, the scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, and he said that this is evidence that these incidents are very shallow and they're very localized, that they only occur in individual thermal features rather than affecting an entire basin.”

Biscuit Basin has been closed since a similar explosion occurred at nearby Black Diamond Pool in July 2024.

Wyoming lawmakers started work on Tuesday to lift the upper limit on county prosecutors' salaries, topping out at $180,000. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that the bill would raise Wyoming Supreme Court Justices’ salaries and district court judge salaries as well.

“A lot of these salaries for prosecutors, judges were set like 18 years ago in state law, so that's a hard figure that remains rigid in state law, even as inflation and other factors take off, and so they're having a look at raising those, those amounts, and also maybe tying them to some kind of an escalator that hinges on economic factors like inflation and cost of living.”

If it becomes law, the bill now being drafted would raise Wyoming Supreme Court Justices’ salaries from $187,250 to nearly $225,000, district court judge salaries from $171,200 to almost $202,000, and circuit court judges from $153,700 to $180,000. Those figures would change over time based on economic metrics, as they’d be tethered to federal judge salaries, which have built-in escalators.

A Colorado woman, accused of stealing $2,000 worth of pyrotechnics from Artillery World along Interstate 25 in Cheyenne, is headed to district court. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that the woman allegedly drove toward store employees at high speed to avoid being detained.

“61-year-old Sandra Bafia loaded up her cart at a fireworks stand at Cheyenne, and then left without paying. As she was putting the fireworks into her car, two employees tried to stop her. Bafia scratched one employee, and then she pushed off the other one, got into her car, and then turned the car around and drove toward the employees as if to hit them. She missed them. If convicted, Bafia faces up to 10 years in prison. Anything over $1,000 in the state of Wyoming is considered a felony.”

Sandra May Bafia waived her preliminary hearing on Monday in Laramie County Circuit Court, sending the case to district court more than a year after the alleged theft. If convicted, Bafia faces up to 10 years in prison. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"—"}]

And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

News image no play 6 24 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wednesday's headlines include:
* Cheyenne OKs Microsoft Annexation
* Kemmerer Lays Groundwork For Man Camp
* Explosion Creates Boiling Crater In Yellowstone

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

As of Monday, 35 Wyoming political candidates have sworn to love their enemies.

 after the public killing of conservative icon Charlie Kirk, and has since been working to restore the servant spirit and civility to the public arena in Wyoming.

The Tuesday after the May 14-29 filing period ended for political candidates, the group sent each candidate a pledge, group incorporator Matt Micheli told Cowboy State Daily.

“I will love my enemies, not just my friends. I will stand faithfully upon my convictions without giving into cruelty,” the pledge says. “I will call out wrongdoing without canceling people. 

"I will refuse to let the letters on someone’s hat or the hashtags in their bio mean more to me than the Gospel. I will not be swept up in the outrage cycle, but will instead step out of the chaos and boldly examine my own actions.”

The signers also commit to “bring the peace of Christ back into the public square — to show a divided world what it truly looks like to follow Him, not as a culture warrior but as a Kingdom person.”

The pledge invokes the group’s founding verse, Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Two of the three GOP candidates for governor had signed the document as of Monday: Sen. Eric Barlow and Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

So too had three of the 10 Republican U.S. House candidates: Senate President Bo Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, and Casper-based veteran Kevin Christensen. U.S. Senate candidate Jimmy Skovgard is also among the signers.

In the governor’s race, Barlow told Cowboy State Daily he doesn’t normally answer candidate questionnaires, but this one was “quite simple” and in line with the promise he made last year to run a clean campaign anyway.

“And whether we agree on issues or don’t, we can still be respectful and honoring of them as, you know, fellow human beings,” Barlow said.

Degenfelder in an email said she's a "devout follo

wer of Christ and certainly agree that politics has become increasingly unchristian."

"People of faith can and should do better following Christ’s teachings as we engage in debates about policy and Wyoming’s future," she said. "We can do this without compromising on our convictions. I will always take an unequivocal stand on issues that are black and white for me - like protecting the Second Amendment, defending the sanctity of life, reducing taxes, and promoting Wyoming’s legacy industries."

She said she completes other questionnaires from voter groups, the media and industry associations "whenever possible" and sees them as a way to be transparent. 

Another GOP gubernatorial candidate, retired Marine Col. Brent Bien, did not comment in response to an email and voicemail.

[{"type":"text","text":"Wyoming Can Use It"}]

Cowboy State Daily this pledge could be effective in Wyoming, and that he wants to help the group’s cause.

Another former lawmaker, Fred Harrison, was less optimistic about the pledge’s ability to curb vitriol in the state’s political arena. But he said each person should take the effort seriously.

[{"type":"text","text":"As for Micheli, he said the pledge is meant to be unique."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Wyoming candidates face a number of pledges and have for years."}]

In 2020, the group Wyoming Gun Owners launched a pledge-style survey to candidates and derided the political hopefuls who didn’t sign it with phrases 

, “(it’s) a very dangerous situation for gun owners,” or “we all know what that means.”

More recently, the Wyoming Republican Party and its county subgroups launched a candidate pledge based on the state party platform. 

Some candidates have pointed to inconsistencies in the platform wording and called the 

 Others have called it a much-needed revival call for Wyoming’s broad-based GOP.

Micheli said the Peacemakers pledge isn’t meant to be used as ammunition, because its wording discourages that.

“The goal of this is kind of the opposite of all these other pledges you see out there,” he said. “The other pledges are kind of putting people into tribes and trying to figure out what tribe you’re in.”

Micheli said this pledge, however, tells each candidate to “look inward” and improve instead of “hammering anybody else over the head with it.”  

[{"type":"text","text":"Might Just Work"}]

Peterson, who served in the Wyoming Senate from 2005 to 2018, lauded the effort.

[{"type":"text","text":"“I could certainly get behind a movement like that,” said Peterson."}]

Peterson had voiced similar goals one week prior on a live video interview on Cowboy State Daily's Morning Show With Jake, 

Though the effort is “the light at the end of the tunnel” in what Peterson cast as a darkening, exhausting political arena, people will have to refocus on one another as fellow human beings to make it work, he said.

The Wyoming group that launched a civility movement after the killing of Charlie Kirk has gotten 35 candidates to sign a peacemaker pledge to love their enemies. That includes gubernatorial candidates Eric Barlow and Megan Degenfelder.

Daily Darwin: Monday, February 13, 2023

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