CHEYENNE — Maybe Wyoming needs a new Republican party, too.
Billionaire Elon Musk wants another national party. He would call it the American Party. If this ever develops, which is unlikely, his party would compete against the Republican Party, which now is owned by MAGA and President Donald Trump.
Who am I to say Musk’s idea is a bad move? It would make even more clear the cleavage in the GOP in D.C. and nationwide.
I doubt the idea would fly in Wyoming though, where the Republican Party and the state legislature have been taken over by the hard GOP Christian right.
I do question the Christian element of this group, “The Freedom Caucus” or FC, given its intense drive to cut spending and shrink government above all else.
These members seem to believe that private donations and churches are the ones that should be taking care of the sick, young and disabled, not government.
That plan has not worked out well in the past, which is why we have government programs. The Trump Administration has worked hard and with considerable success to get rid of the lingering New Deal type programs.
I expect we will see similar movements here in the next legislative session.
But, hey, this is what the people voted for.
So here we are. We have a group of FC folks who recently announced a huge education deficit which they pledge to take care of — by their budget cuts, of course.
It is sad to see these new leaders with their red MAGA hats and coats take over a legislature that once offered GOP statesmen like Warren Morton, John Ostlund, Tom Stroock, Malcom Wallop and John Turner.
I always mention these legislators because they all worked together on several major achievements like the Environmental Quality Act and creation of the Permanent Mineral Trust Fund.
They were followed by many more strong, independent lawmakers from both major parties, whose main purpose was the welfare of the state and its citizens, not to press an ideology.
In fairness, the FC has succeeded in pushing property tax relief bills through the Legislature. These bills help a lot of homeowners at the same time they are causing a lot of confusion. I am sure the new members worked hard to get educated on the spider’s web of property taxes, their origin and who gets the money. (It isn’t the state.)
Two years ago the traditional Republicans in the house started to organize a Wyoming Caucus, consisting of their type of moderate GOP politicians. This move was begun because the GOP house caucus was being taken over by MAGA legislators.
That plan failed after some of the leaders lost their bids for re-election in the primaries, or retired.
So today there is no Wyoming Caucus representing moderate Republicans.
Usually election cycles stir someone to announce plans to create another party.
Wyoming has had its share of that. But most of the ideas have been for yet another conservative party, perhaps with a different view of the U.S. Constitution.
The state currently has two major political parties—Republican and Democrat.
We also have two minor parties — the Constitutional Party — formerly the Taxpayers’ Party — and the Libertarian Party.
Incidentally, the Libertarian Party has announced on its web site that it favors immigration by “peaceful” folks.
A witticism I also saw on the internet read, “Libertarians are Republicans who smoke weed.”
There are no provisional parties and no active petitions for a new party, according to the Secretary of State’s web page.
It is still early in the cycle.
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Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net
