State Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, apologized Thursday for calling out the abortion voting record of a fellow legislator two days earlier.
“I would like to tender my apology to my colleague from Campbell County,” Hicks said, addressing Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette. “I believe on at least one or two circumstances, I may have misrepresented his voting record.”
What Happened?
Hicks had tried to block Barlow from becoming chair of the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee on the first day of the 68th Legislature on Tuesday because of what Hicks saw as Barlow not having a strong enough stance opposing abortion.
That committee is the typical home for most abortion-related bills.
Specifically, Hicks called out Barlow for the decisions Barlow made when he was House speaker from 2021-2022, saying he blocked certain pro-life bills from moving forward by sticking them in his drawer or sending them to committees where they didn’t have a chance of passing.
Hicks’ attempt to block Barlow as chair of the Labor and Health committee was resoundingly defeated on a 28-3 vote.
Barlow declined to comment on Hicks’ apology when reached by Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Barlow defended his abortion voting record in the Senate on Tuesday and in a Wednesday statement, saying it “speaks for itself.”
"I have always been committed to protecting life and supporting Wyoming families at every stage of life," Barlow said in the statement. "Some people choose to politically posture, but I believe our job as legislators is to lead with integrity and ensure that our work reflects Wyoming values."
He also accused Hicks of playing politics.
"I've always focused on doing the work that matters to Wyoming families, not divisive rhetoric or political theater," Barlow said. "I plan to continue to work toward making sure Wyoming remains a place that values life and family.”
Barlow said as chairman, he’ll make sure his work is respectful to his colleagues and the public.
The Apology
Hicks told Cowboy State Daily he also apologized to Barlow privately over the phone Wednesday.
During his public apology given on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, Hicks said that Barlow’s voting record has “evolved” over time into a more pro-life stance and that it’s more important to focus on more present actions than those made farther in the past.
The apology received a short ovation from the members of the Senate.
But Hicks still offered a little defense for the call-out, saying he made it based on his own “religious convictions.”
He also did not apologize to Senate President Bo Biteman or the Senate as a whole. It was Biteman who selected Barlow for the committee.
Former Senate President Ogden Drikisll, R-Devils Tower, dealt with his share of opposition from his own senators in 2024. He described Hicks’ call-out to Cowboy State Daily as “flirting with what happened with me last year.”
“When decorum breaks down, you get into a lot of tit-for-tat stuff,” Driskill said. “The decorum of the body is based on respect for the institution.”
Evolutions?
When speaking to Cowboy State Daily afterward, Hicks said many of his own views have evolved over time and it’s important to recognize when someone else’s has as well. Hicks said there were even certain topics he vehemently opposed in the past that he’s now glad passed.
“We all have the capacity to change,” he said. “People’s issues on things evolve over time.”
But Barlow told Cowboy State Daily his views on abortion haven’t evolved and he’s always been pro-life.
“I don’t think my views on abortion have evolved,” he said. “I’ve always been pro-life.”
He voted in support of all three of the biggest abortion bills brought from 2022-2023 banning most forms of the practice in Wyoming. Currently, abortion is still legal in Wyoming while its legality is being challenged in the state Supreme Court.
Barlow said that as a lawmaker, just because you may agree with the intent of a bill doesn’t make it an acceptable piece of legislation or legal.
When he was speaker, Barlow kept bills in his drawer prohibiting abortions based on selective reasons and disabilities, banning prescription-induced abortions, requiring physicians to provide patients with specified information before they receive non-emergency abortion.
“I’m still disappointed with many of the things he did in the past, but his voting record seems to be moving in the right direction,” Hicks said. “The last few years he’s voted pretty consistently with me and others. If I misrepresented that, I apologize.”
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
