Guest Column: What a "Nay" Vote on the Special Session Means

Guest columnists Reps. Haroldson, Rodriguez-Williams and Knapp write, "A vote against the special session is a vote AGAINST property tax relief, AGAINST the Second Amendment, AGAINST protecting pre-born babies, FOR Biden’s 30x30 land grab, and FOR an all-powerful governor who operates in the absence of checks and balances."

CS
CSD Staff

April 01, 20245 min read

Guest column haroldson knapp rodriquez williams
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Did you know that the Wyoming Legislature overwhelmingly passed a two-year 25% property tax cut to all Wyoming homeowners?

The Legislature also passed a bill that would have eliminated dangerous gun free zones.

The body also forwarded a bill to regulate abortion mills in Wyoming, which currently operate with impunity.

Legislators also approved a bill to push back against the Biden Administration’s 30x30 Plan, and another that would allow our Wyoming beef producers to sell directly to Wyoming consumers without big-state interference and intermeddling.

Each of these measures was approved by the Wyoming Legislature with solid, veto-proof majorities.

Gov. Gordon, a self-proclaimed “Republican,” vetoed all of them.

The Wyoming Legislature is constitutionally empowered with the ability to override vetoes – so why didn’t we?

Legislative leaders adjourned early with three days left in the bank, allowing the governor to issue vetoes without the possibility for the legislature to check and balance the flagrant swishes of his pen.

Why Didn't We Convene?

The Wyoming Legislature is also constitutionally empowered with the ability to convene a targeted special legislative session – so why didn’t we?

Thirty-five members of the Wyoming House decided that it’s not worth it to reconvene – even virtually, for only four days– to complete the work of the people.

These 35 representatives stood in the way of property tax relief – even though they supported it just one short month ago.

They blocked your Second Amendment rights – even though they cast an "aye" vote to protect those rights on the House floor.

They gave a thumbs-up to the murder of innocent, pre-born children – even though they proclaimed to stand for life in Cheyenne last month.

They voted against convening a strategic, short, and targeted special session because they claimed it wasn’t urgent enough to deliver on the things they deemed worthy only when the Governor’s veto pen waited at the other end of their feigned support.

I urge the people of Wyoming to be discerning when election season kicks off. When your lawmaker knocks on your door and boasts of his vote to defend the Second Amendment, ask how he voted on the Special Session.

When a slick flier lands in your mailbox proclaiming the pro-life bona fides of your rep, check to see what she did when presented with a real opportunity to stand strong for the preborn.

A vote against the special session is a vote AGAINST property tax relief, AGAINST the Second Amendment, AGAINST protecting pre-born babies, FOR Biden’s 30x30 land grab, and FOR an all-powerful governor who operates in the absence of checks and balances.

The public special session vote tally may be found below:

Representatives

Allemand: Aye

Allred: Nay (or no ballot received)

Andrew: Aye

Angelos: Aye

Banks: Aye

Bear: Aye

Berger: Nay (or no ballot received)

Brown: Nay (or no ballot received)

Burkhart: Nay (or no ballot received)

Byron: Nay (or no ballot received)

Chadwick: Nay (or no ballot received)

Chestek: Nay (or no ballot received)

Clouston: Nay (or no ballot received)

Conrad: Aye

Crago: Nay (or no ballot received)

Davis: Aye

Eklund: Nay (or no ballot received)

Haroldson: Aye

Harshman: Nay (or no ballot received)

Heiner: Aye

Henderson: Nay (or no ballot received)

Hornok: Aye

Jennings: Aye

Knapp: Aye

Larsen, Lloyd: Nay (or no ballot received)

Larson, JT: Nay (or no ballot received)

Lawley: Nay (or no ballot received)

Locke: Aye

Neiman: Aye

Newsome: Nay (or no ballot received)

Nicholas: Nay (or no ballot received)

Niemiec: Nay (or no ballot received)

Northrup: Nay (or no ballot received)

Oakley: Nay (or no ballot received)

Obermueller: Nay (or no ballot received)

O’Hearn: Nay (or no ballot received)

Olsen: Nay (or no ballot received)

Ottman: Aye

Pendergraft: Aye

Penn: Aye

Provenza: Nay (or no ballot received)

Rodriguez-Williams: Aye

Sherwood: Nay (or no ballot received)

Singh: Aye

Slagle: Aye

Smith: Aye

Sommers: Nay (or no ballot received)

Stith: Nay (or no ballot received)

Storer: Nay (or no ballot received)

Strock: Aye

Styvar: Aye

Tarver: Aye

Truillo: Aye

Walters: Nay (or no ballot received)

Ward: Aye

Washut: Nay (or no ballot received)

Western: Nay (or no ballot received)

Winter: Aye

Wylie: Nay (or no ballot received)

Yin: Nay (or no ballot received)

Zwonitzer, Dan: Nay (or no ballot received)

Zwonitzer, Dave: Nay (or no ballot received)

Senators:

Anderson: Nay (or no ballot received)

Baldwin: Nay (or no ballot received)

Barlow: Nay (or no ballot received)

Biteman: Aye

Boner: Aye

Bouchard: Aye

Brennan: Aye

Case: Nay (or no ballot received)

Cooper: Nay (or no ballot received)

Dockstader: Aye

Driskill: Nay (or no ballot received)

Ellis: Nay (or no ballot received)

French: Aye

Furphy: Nay (or no ballot received)

Gierau: Nay (or no ballot received)

Hicks: Aye

Hutchings: Aye

Ide: Aye

Jones: Nay (or no ballot received)

Kinskey: Aye

Kolb: Aye

Landen: Nay (or no ballot received)

Laursen, Dan: Aye

McKeown: Aye

Nethercott: Nay (or no ballot received)

Pappas: Nay (or no ballot received)

Rothfuss: Nay (or no ballot received)

Salazar: Aye

Schuler: Nay (or no ballot received)

Scott: Aye

Steinmetz: Aye

Rep. Jeremy Haroldson represents House District 4 and has been in the Legislature since 2021.

Rep. Chris Knapp represents House District 53 and has been in the Legislature since 2020.

Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams represents House District 50 and has been in the Legislature since 2021.

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