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This appears to be a dancing cat caught on a security camera -- which is good enough for us.

Smile 7 27 23

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

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, July 27, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 27, 2023

 This appears to be a dancing cat caught on a security camera -- which is good enough for us.

Dennis sun 1 25 23

Dennis Sun

Opinion

CSD Columnists

In its latest quarterly outlook, CoBank notes, “Consumers continue to pay premium prices for beef despite historically tight cattle supplies and elevated retail prices. At the same time, lower-cost protein alternatives such as pork and chicken have not absorbed as much demand as market fundamentals would suggest.”

The report says, “This disconnect highlights the importance of factors beyond price, including taste preferences, perceived quality, convenience, meal habits and foodservice menu offerings. While pork, chicken and eggs often provide a lower cost per gram of protein, consumers have shown a willingness to continue purchasing beef even as prices remain elevated.”

CoBank continues, “Animal protein markets are becoming increasingly out of sync with changing consumer purchasing behavior. Supply responses vary significantly by species, creating different market conditions for beef, pork and poultry producers.”

The report suggests protein purchasing decisions are influenced by a combination of economic and lifestyle factors rather than price alone.

This is good news for ranchers raising cattle in the short term, but long term it may be a hindrance. There is a monster out there called a drought which is affecting over 54 percent of the nation’s cattle herds.

Since about May, ranchers in drought-stricken areas have been selling their cattle as they have no forage or water. Under income tax laws, if they buy back cattle in a certain time period, they won’t have to pay taxes on the income received for those cattle.

If cattle keep going up in price, it is going to be hard to restock cattle herds, as producers could be buying them for a higher price.

We all know it is going to take more cattle numbers for beef products to lower in price.

For years now, cattle producers have been using better genetics to provide consumers a more tasteful and tender Prime cut of meat, and it is working. They are selling high Choice or Prime cuts of meat to individuals who want to lose weight, eat more protein and recognize the health benefits of beef.

An issue – which is good for both beef producers and consumers – is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcing a voluntary “Product of USA” label to identify products including beef which are truly born, raised, harvested and processed in the U.S.

Some cattle producers wanted a mandatory U.S. label, but nobody could decide who was going to foot the cost of having it. So far, the voluntary label is working, and USDA has announced 10 additional meat and poultry companies are planning to use it.

Also, food companies are changing the way they are measuring their perceived food safety success by simply demonstrating compliance with rules and regulations. Now most food companies are not only being inspected to ensure their food safety, but they are being challenged to prove their food safety compliance to the USDA.

The USDA is also providing dollars to help fund small to mid-size meat processing facilities.

We all like to eat, but it is more enjoyable if we trust our food is safe, nutritious and healthy.

Dennis Sun is the publisher of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, a weekly agriculture newspaper available in print and online.

<title>Dennis Sun: Consumers Are More Selective When Buying Protein | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Some cattle producers wanted a mandatory U.S. label, but nobody could decide who was going to foot the cost of having it. So far, the voluntary label is working, and USDA has announced 10 additional meat and poultry companies are planning to use it."

Dennis Sun: Consumers Are More Selective When Buying Protein

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Second-quarter campaign finance reports for Wyoming’s GOP primary House race are in, and four candidates have loaned themselves more than $1 million each.

Steve Friess has amassed the largest war chest with $2.5 million, which includes a $2 million self-loan. Reid Rasner is second, loaning himself $1.7 million out of $2 million, while two others, Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Teton-County-based attorney Frank Chapman, also hit above the $1 million mark with self-funding. 

Those four will face off against six other Republican contenders for the GOP nomination in Wyoming's Aug. 18 primary election in the hopes of winning the state's lone U.S. House race soon being vacated by Rep. Harriet Hageman. 

Friess has “invested $2 million of his own money in the effort,” as his Wednesday statement describes the self-loan. 

That puts Friess’s principal campaign committee Friess For Wyoming at nearly $2.2 million after another $92,361 in other contributions and $81,136 in transfers from other authorized committees.  

While U.S. Federal Election Commission reports for the second quarter surfaced this week, Friess’s financial lead is more notable because he declared his run later than most candidates in April.

Recognizable names appear in Friess’s donations receipts, such as National Museum of Military Vehicles founder Dan Starks and major 

The joint fundraising committee Friess Wyoming Victory Fund also raises money for the Friess campaign and has logged $363,626 in receipts, all from individuals.

Those include conservative media giant Tucker Carlson, Turning Point USA board member Doug DeGroote, and Friess’s mother Lynne.

Friess’s principal committee has $606,907 cash on hand — the most of any candidate.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s spent about $1.49 million so far."}]

Friess's spokesman Tim Edson noted that within the past three months, Friess has outraised all opponents combined. 

"Republicans are rallying around Steve because they want a political outsider and businessman who can't be bought," wrote Edson in a Friday text message. "With a month to go, Steve has the money and the momentum — he's now tied for the lead and poised to overtake Chuck Gray and win this race." 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Next Up, Reid"}]

For total receipts, Rasner is second at nearly $2.044 million for his primary committee, Reid Rasner for Wyoming.   

That includes a nearly $1.71 million self-loan and $328,762 in other contributions.

Rasner’s committee’s ending cash on hand is $81,017.78, and he’s spent nearly $2 million.

His campaign did not return a Thursday text message request for comment by publication.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chuck Gray"}]

Gray’s committee Citizens for Chuck Gray has logged $1,378,842 in receipts, including $230,936 in contributions and a $1.147 million self-loan.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s spent about $852,365 so far."}]

Gray’s individual receipts show giving by Drake Hill, who is a Cheyenne-based attorney and husband to former Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill; Gray’s father Jan Charles Gray; and Gore-Tex heiress Susan Gore, among others.

Gray told Cowboy State Daily in a Thursday text message that his campaign is “in the lead, is gaining momentum and remains in a strong financial position.”

“Thank you to the people of Wyoming for your support,” wrote Gray, who said he has a proven track record of advancing Wyoming values “and will continue that work as a member of Congress.”

He added a critique that surfaces in many of his public statements against the media and an undefined group of “insiders.”

“That track record is why our campaign is in the lead, and it’s why the leftwing media and the insiders continue to attack me,” wrote Gray.

The PAC Protecting Wyoming Values dispatches mailers regularly in Gray’s favor. Its receipts total $657,009, all contributions from Gray’s father.

Gray’s committee’s cash on hand nearly rivals Friess’, at $526,476.60.

To Matt Micheli, a longtime politico and former chair of the Wyoming Republican Party, Gray’s name recognition and Friess’s momentum are honing the race.

Micheli donated money to another contender, Senate President Bo Biteman, but has since endorsed Friess.

“Listen, money matters in elections, and you need to have enough money to get your message out to voters,” Micheli said Thursday. “We’re at the point now people are starting to pay attention.”

Micheli added, “Right now, I see it as a two-person race. I think it really comes down to Steve Friess or Chuck Gray. They’re the two candidates right now that have a chance of winning this race.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chapman"}]

Chapman told Cowboy State Daily he believes his campaign is doing “very well finance-wise in the race.”

“You’ve got four main, you know, candidates that have gone out and raised money or contributed money to make themselves viable in responsible campaigns,” said Chapman, listing himself among Friess, Gray and Rasner.

His main campaign committee Chapman for Congress lists just over $1.09 million in receipts with $31,622.89 in contributions and a $1.06 million self-loan.

Chapman’s cash on hand notation tallies $495,161.33 — the third most after Friess and Gray. He’s spent at least $596,462.50 from his principal committee, says the FEC.

Chapman noted that independent political action committees (PACs) may also play a huge role in the race.

 has dropped $2.5 million into the super-PAC Fighting For Wyoming, which has 

 “a conservative rancher ready to fight with President Trump for the people of Wyoming.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Chapman said strategy is also important."}]

“When you’re running a campaign, a responsible candidate will buy the last three weeks (of TV ads) three months out,” said Chapman, adding that his campaign did that for prominent Wyoming TV channels. He also spoke of going to forums and gaining momentum in the field.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"David Giralt"}]

The other six candidates in this 10-way primary election are Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, military veterans David Giralt and Kevin Christensen, former lawmaker Keith Goodenough and Richard Dodson.

Giralt has raised at least $184,529.88, including one $64,691.48 self-loan, and spent $31,449, the FEC says.

[{"type":"text","text":"He narrowly outpaced Balow for that fifth-place earner slot."}]

He said he’s honored to have donations and support from members of Congress, but more humbled when he’s out door-knocking and a Wyomingite “decides to wrap a contribution check for $50 in an envelope and send us on our way with it.”

“As someone who’s new to politics I’m very proud of the work, the momentum we’ve been able to build,” he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Giralt said he was out knocking doors during his Friday phone interview."}]

“As someone starting on this journey as a bit of an outsider I’m just very humbled to out-fundraise people who’ve been in the political realm for years or even decades, for some,” he said, adding that people’s giving is more touching since he started out his campaign as “a long shot.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Jillian Balow"}]

Balow’s primary campaign committee Jillian Balow for Wyoming has raised $166.451.09 as of the July FEC filing deadline. That includes $41,449 in individual contributions and $125,000 of her own money.

The FEC shows her at $124,051 cash on hand and $42,399.75 in expenses as of the July report cutoff.

“I’m incredibly proud of the groundswell of support that is providing my campaign with the critical resources I need to connect with undecided voters,” said Balow in a Thursday text message. “I’m the only candidate in the House race with Wyoming roots, a conservative record as a leader, and the tenacity to fight hard and win for Wyoming.”

Balow added, “Slick television ads and endless family wealth will not win this race. Shoe leather and grit will.”

Both Balow and Biteman have garnered donations from multiple former state lawmakers.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bo Biteman"}]

Biteman promised this year that he would not declare for higher office at least until the legislative session was over, saying he wanted to focus on leading the Senate rather than campaigning. 

As a result, he declared his run later than Rasner and Gray, but still a few days earlier than Friess.

He’s raised $94,342.45 as of his second-quarter FEC report, nearly all donations from individuals.

The FEC lists his cash on hand at $20,407.69 and his expenditures at nearly $74,000.

“We also have a number of outstanding donor commitments that were made after the close of the reporting period or have not yet been received, so this report doesn’t reflect all the support behind our campaign,” said Biteman in a Thursday text message.

He said his campaign has been disciplined with its spending out of respect for the donors who “expect us to be good stewards of every dollar.”

“I’d rather be known for running an efficient campaign than an expensive one,” Biteman said. “Every dollar we save today is another dollar we can invest in reaching voters when it matters most. 

"Campaigns aren’t built to accumulate cash — they’re built to communicate with voters and earn support, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Biteman said many donors are watching to see how the crowded primary contest develops before making larger commitments, but said his campaign is budling support across Wyoming, adding volunteers and meeting with voters every day.

“I feel very good about where this campaign is headed because we have the experience, the record, and the grassroots support to win,” he said.

At a Wednesday morning coffee gathering in Riverton, Biteman had quipped at the incongruity of some candidates spending more than $2 million to win a nearly $180,000 a year job.

“That was simply to say that public service should be about serving the people, not building a career in politics,” said Biteman.

He said he prefers to deliver his message in person, “not through a $125,000 mailer or a late night Roku ad buy, as most Wyomingites don’t want to believe that this election can be outright bought or that the voters can be enticed by shiny objects over proven, consistent and effective leadership.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kevin Christensen"}]

The Christensen campaign has raised $13,258.21. That’s $10,258.21 in contributions and $3,000 of Christensen’s money.

[{"type":"text","text":"The FEC lists him as having $4,573.98 cash on hand."}]

Christensen acknowledged in a Thursday phone interview that he can’t match many others’ fundraising.

“I’m going off of, you know, people that know me and people who are Wyoming residents. I haven’t accepted any PAC money,” he said. “But you know for value on the dollar, I’m doing very well for the amount of money I’m bringing in.”

Christensen said he believes is campaign is gaining momentum, and he’s looking forward to proving it.

FEC reports for Dodson and Goodenough were not publicly available as of publication time.

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<title>FEC Report: Four Wyoming House Candidates Loan Themselves More Than $1 Million Each | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Second-quarter campaign finance reports for Wyoming’s GOP primary House race are in. Steve Friess has amassed the most with $2.5 million, which includes a $2 million self-loan. Reid Rasner is second, loaning himself $1.7 million out of $2 million.

FEC Report: Four Wyoming House Candidates Loan Themselves More Than $1 Million Each

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Outdoors

Activists want the famous Mollie’s Pack spared from hunters this fall and say the matter is, once again, drawing worldwide attention to Wyoming’s wolf management policy.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday followed the Game and Fish Department’s recommendation and voted to approve a 20-wolf quota for the 2026 hunting season. Most hunts run from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31.

Prior to the vote, Lisa Robertson of Wyoming Untrapped and Marke Cooke of Wolves of the Rockies called in to the meeting via Zoom and admonished the commission to carve out an exception for Wolf Hunt Area 1, where the Mollie’s Pack is.

The commission unanimously approved the wolf hunting seasons as recommended, including for Area 1.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Mollie’s Pack Leaves Park"}]

Included in the 20-wolf quota are four tags in Wolf Hunt Areas 1 and 2 (Clarks Fork, North Fork).

For most of its 31-year history, the Mollie’s Pack has lived within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park, where hunting is prohibited.

However, the pack strayed outside the park, probably late last year.

The Mollie’s Pack is denning and raising pups on the Shoshone National Forest, in Wolf Hunt Area 1.

Wolf advocates worry that members of the pack could get shot this fall, particularly Wolf 1090F. At age 12, she’s the oldest living Yellowstone wolf and has gained a global fan base.

The Mollie’s Pack is thought to be the first pack to form in Yellowstone, in 1995, shortly after wolves were reintroduced into the park. It was originally called the Crystal Creek Pack.

In 2000, the pack was renamed the Mollie’s Pack. That was in honor of the late Mollie Beattie, the first woman director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Emails From All Over"}]

Robertson and Cooke told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that they, and many others, haven’t given up on trying to save the Mollie’s Pack.

Wyoming Untrapped is leading a social media campaign to keep pressure on the Game and Fish Commission to change its stance. Wolves of the Rockies and other groups are joining in.

Robertson said the matter will likely be brought up again at the commission’s next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 21 and 22 in Evanston.

Commissioner Carlisle "Fonzy" Haskell said he’s received "dozens of emails" about the Mollie’s Pack, including some from across the United States and other countries.

He doesn’t think the campaign will die down anytime soon but isn’t certain if, or how, it might affect any decisions from the commission.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"What Could the Forest Service Do?"}]

Robertson is encouraging people to reach out to the Shoshone National Forest headquarters in Cody.

The Forest Service could possibly order that cattle on grazing leases there be moved away from the Mollie’s Pack to avoid any possible conflicts, she said.

And she thinks there’s a chance that the Forest Service could halt wolf hunting in that area.

There could be precedent for that. A similar move has been attempted before, albeit unsuccessfully.

In the spring of 2023, environmental groups sued to have the Forest Service declare a "no-kill zone" for wolves on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, near the Colorado-Wyoming state line.

That was proposed to protect wolves crossing into Wyoming from Colorado.

The Forest Service has authority to shut down wolf hunting in its jurisdiction—and indeed at one time shut down prairie dog shooting in parts of Wyoming, the Center for Biological Diversity claimed at the time.

A message left at Shoshone National Forest headquarters on Friday wasn’t returned by publication time.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Aggressive Policy"}]

The growing controversy over the Mollie’s Pack mirrors that over Daniel resident Cody Roberts running a wolf over with a snowmobile and then capturing, torturing and killing the animal in February 2024, Robertson said.

The push to save the Mollie’s Pack, especially Wolf 1090F, is gaining momentum, she said.

"This is an extreme situation, something nobody expected. We need to address this now, not later," she said.

"A $27 wolf tag could take her life, and the pack’s life, with a long-range rifle," Robertson added.

The Mollie’s Pack not only has great social value, it’s "the most studied wolf pack in history" and could still offer a wealth of scientific knowledge about wolves, she said.

Cooke said the goal isn’t to shut down the 2026 wolf hunting season altogether, but rather to push the commission to at least suspend hunting in Area 1 to ensure the pack’s safety.

He said that Wyoming and his home state of Montana have gained a reputation for being overly aggressive toward wolves and other predators.

"The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission botched an opportunity" to boost the state’s reputation by moving to spare the Mollie’s Pack, Cooke said.

 wolves have huge value for the tourism industry.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"'Humans They’ve Never Met'"}]

Haskell said he understands the tourism value of Wyoming’s wildlife, including wolves.

However, wildlife policy must be guided by the best available science, not sentimentality, he said.

"Do we not take the science into consideration just because it doesn’t match your socio-political viewpoint?" he said.

"I think that’s a risk we run into when we try to humanize or name animals and make them somehow more special than other wolf packs," Haskell said.

"They (wolves) are a species of animal that doesn’t know they’ve been named by humans they’ve never met," he said.

He said that during Tuesday’s commission meeting, he was satisfied by the explanation from Ken Mills, a Game and Fish large carnivore biologist and wolf management specialist, regarding whether the Mollie’s Pack has special scientific value.

Mills indicated that all packs have equal value in that regard.

Haskell noted that some Wyoming animals, such as Grizzly 399, have gained celebrity status, particularly with the advent of social media.

Game and Fish field personnel should work according to hard science, Haskell said. That leaves the department’s top administrators and the Game and Fish Commission to deal with controversy or politics regarding wildlife.

The commission wants all sectors of the public to have a voice while also respecting the hard work and scientific approach of the Game and Fish Department, he said.

Game and Fish is obligated by state statute, in agreement with the FWS, to maintain a population of at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs in the state’s trophy game zone for wolves—adjacent to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, he said.

Mills and other Game and Fish biologists demonstrated a good plan to have at least 160 wolves and 13 or 14 breeding pairs by the end of the year, Haskell said.

Mollies pack 7 17 26

<title>Oldest Yellowstone Wolf Pack Strays Into Hunt Area, Activists Want Pack Protected | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack has strayed outside the park into a Wyoming wolf hunt area, and activists worry that 1090F will be shot this fall. They are requesting the pack be protected.

Oldest Yellowstone Wolf Pack Strays Into Hunt Area, Activists Want Pack Protected

 to a DUI charge and was fined and sentenced to probation issued a public apology Friday. 

Rep. Bill Allemand, R-Midwest, was arrested Dec. 28 in Buffalo on suspicion of driving drunk from at least an interstate outlet intersection to the Miller's Travel Center gas station. 

More than seven months of a highly publicized, hotly contested case followed. He pleaded guilty Wednesday in Buffalo Circuit Court and was sentenced to pay a $500 fine and spend a year on unsupervised probation.

[{"type":"text","text":"If he fails probation, 88 days of jail time could follow."}]

“I would like everyone to know that I do owe you an apology for my offenses,” began Allemand in a public video posted Friday to Facebook. “I would like you to know also that throughout the duration of these proceedings and under the advisement of my legal representation, I was told to offer no apologies, that could affect the case that I was contesting.”

Allemand continued: “I do apologize for drinking while driving on a public road. I do acknowledge my actions could have been much worse, with much consequences.”

He said he’s never denied “that it was illegal and was honest up front.” 

Just after the legislative session ended in March, he said, he entered a counseling program without anyone ordering or pressuring him to do so. He completed that program and continues counseling, and hasn’t consumed alcohol since his arrest, said Allemand.

Allemand said he fought the charge because “I do not believe that the amount of beer consumed (had me) nearly as intoxicated as reported.”

Case prosecutor and Johnson County Deputy Attorney Josh Stensaas reported Allemand at a 0.24% blood-alcohol concentration. Allemand’s attorney, Mike Vang contested that finding during that case, and the BAC dispute wasn’t resolved by the time the case settled.

 “As the case developed, I felt I was not being given a fair opportunity to use the legal system to defend myself,” said Allemand. “There are many details that you weren’t all privileged to know and only chosen information was published by the media.”

Contacted by phone Friday, Allemand clarified to Cowboy State Daily that he was referencing details the media didn’t know. 

[{"type":"text","text":"These may surface later, he added. "}]

He declined to comment beyond that and beyond the statements in his apology video.

“I ultimately made the decision to plead guilty because I was wrong for drinking and driving,” he said in the video. “It also seemed to be a major consensus that I couldn’t ignore.”

He said he hopes his decision doesn’t impact others’ ability to exercise their rights under the system. He also said he’s served the  people with fidelity and will continue to do so.

Allemand faces a Republican opponent, Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer, at the Aug. 18 primary election. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Grateful He Apologized"}]

Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, had called for Allemand to apologize about one hour before Allemand’s apology video published.

“The silence is deafening from not only Rep. Allemand on his guilty plea but also from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus,” said Brown in a Friday Facebook post to his political page. “Accountability for his actions should be demanded by every single member of our body.”

Allemand is a member of the populist-leaning Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which is a controversial group of House Republicans that Brown often opposes.

Its proponents cast it as the true voice of Wyoming conservatives. Its foes accuse it of groupthink and sloppy legislating.

Brown told Cowboy State Daily in a Friday interview after Allemand’s apology that he’s “incredibly grateful that he did apologize.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That shows accountability, said Brown."}]

“I am a little disturbed that he still continues to push back against the judicial system, and it seems to be that is a growing concern from the Freedom Caucus in general; that they have little to no faith in the judicial system,” he said. “And it undermines our ability as a nation to believe in one of our three branches of government.”

The Freedom Caucus has not called outright for the election of judges. Its members have criticized multiple judicial rulings in recent months, including a Jan. 6 ruling by the Wyoming Supreme Court, proclaiming abortion access a fundamental health care right throughout Wyoming.

Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Rachel Williams, R-Cody, who is also campaigning for secretary of state, did not immediately respond to a Friday text message request for a response to Brown’s statements.  

Brown said now that Allemand has taken accountability, he hopes people show him grace.

Rep. Bill Allemand issued a public apology Friday for driving drunk last December. The state legislator pleaded guilty Wednesday to a DUI charge and was fined and sentenced to probation. “I do apologize for drinking while driving on a public road," he said.

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 27, 2023

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