Under the rules of the Wyoming Legislature, lobbyists aren’t allowed on the House floor. Instead, they often fill up the lobby outside the chambers or wait in the hallways leading to committee meeting rooms.
There are some skilled lobbyists who have found their way to the House floor, and they even cast votes on bills!
These lobbyist-legislator hybrids have made it clear who they represent, and it’s not the people – it’s the government. While conservatives are accused of voting according to mysterious yet undefined directives, these lobbyist-legislators vote how they’re instructed by government associations, and even admit to doing so during debate.
The presence of lobbyist-legislators in the Wyoming House is a lot less pronounced since conservatives gained ground in the 2024 election cycle, but they’re still at the Capitol.
This is evidenced by the proposed amendments to the supplemental budget, which combined would add $340 million in new spending while adding 35 new state employees. It’s important to note that the purpose of a supplemental budget is to fund unforeseen emergencies.
One amendment to the supplemental budget seeks $25,000 to study the construction of a government-run hotel and conference center in downtown Cheyenne adjacent to the Capitol. While a nice amenity for lobbyists, it’s not an emergency– nor is it the role of government.
Another seeks to pull $20 million from the state’s rainy-day account to build houses.
Yet another tries to give the governor $100 million for “Green New Deal” projects with no legislative oversight– despite President Trump making clear that in America, we’re done with subsidized woke energy projects.
Meanwhile, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and our conservative allies are working hard to cut wasteful spending while maintaining the constitutional functions of government.
Why? It’s not for sport. We can only provide real tax relief and reform if we rein in out-of-control spending.
If the Wyoming Senate is willing to adopt a can-do attitude and join us in finally requiring the government to live within its means, we can achieve lasting policy change for the better of our people.
John Bear, Chairman Joint Appropriations Committee
Representative, Wyoming House District 31
