CHEYENNE — After 50 years of tracking the Legislature I have no clue about what the new class will do when they gather next month for the general and budget session.
The new legislature will be in charge of a group of tight-fisted lawmakers with a new ideology — the “New Right’ — and a new conservative agenda.
It’s a departure from any Legislature we have seen before.
I am not alone in noting the unusual nature of this legislative group
“In all of my reading I don’t think there ever has been a situation like this,” said Wyoming historian emeritus Phil Roberts in a phone interview.
“I think it’s going to be one disaster after another,” he added.
Let’s hope not. It will be a test, though.
In the past couple of sessions this group in the House always seemed to me clannish, like high school cliques where members speak only to other members.
Their agenda appeared to be a list of assignments from the Freedom Caucus headquarters in D.C.
Some of those assignments, like critical race theory, had nothing to do with what was going on in Wyoming but were on the list nevertheless..
Going into the 2025 session some Freedom Caucus leaders seemed willing to try to get out of their clan and get along with the traditional Republicans and the few Democrats.
But that is not what the Freedom Caucus Committee is saying.
And that statement may show us what to expect from this session
The Freedom Caucus has control of the House and half the Senate.
The committee, however, was troubled by the committee appointments in the Senate.
“All eyes must be on the Senate and the Governor,” the Freedom Caucus statement said.
“Will they work with the House or fulfill their mission to block any legislation from conservatives,” the statement continued.
“The election proved the power is with the people they have cleaned the House. Now they will be watching the Senate to see which game players to purge next.”
This harsh message does not presage a friendly cooperative working atmosphere ahead.
Still, maybe this session will come out as a shining example of how to run a legislative session fairly and equally.
One of my first mentors when I first began covering the Legislature was Dick Tobin of Casper, a very popular Senate president.
A few days before the session, Tobin told me he had once served in a legislature when his Republican party was in the minority.
He said he had a great time; it was great fun because they were in the minority; they were not responsible for the final product.
Being in the majority meant no more fun and games; the GOP was in charge and had to produce a constitutional budget among other things.
The Freedom Caucus people now have this same huge responsibility for the next two years.
Then we will find out if this “new right” is more than a hiccup in Wyoming history.
Let the games begin.
Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net
