Last week, in response to the headline “Wyoming is losing young people. Lawmakers are unclear how to fix it” I turned to my constituents and asked, “why are you or your peers leaving”?
My inbox and social media feed was flooded with responses.
I heard from students, recent graduates and young families frustrated with a lack of job opportunities, cost of housing, limited access to healthcare, attacks on education and individual freedoms.
A mix of social, economic and cultural shifts make the Equality State an increasingly challenging place for the next generation to live.
Despite these barriers, I believe there is a shared desire for Wyoming to be a place where hardworking people can afford to raise a family, where our public schools prepare children for good paying jobs and the next generation benefits from a diversified economy.
So, what can elected leaders do to embrace this vision and reverse the exodus of young people?
It starts with honest conversations about the role and responsibility of government.
Instead of slashing services, let’s make smart investments. Instead of passing laws that limit personal freedoms, let’s embrace Wyoming’s traditional “live and let live” tolerance for differences.
Instead of shrinking government, let’s make the state a good partner to the private sector.
Wyoming can be a place where young people stay and build meaningful lives.
But this requires a reckoning with the current trajectory. It requires grit, vision and a government willing to make strategic investments in healthcare, housing, education and public infrastructure. It requires cultural change — leading with kindness and curiosity, with a focus on people over politics.
As we prepare for the 2026 budget session, I invite my fellow lawmakers to join me in listening to the young people in our communities — and come ready to work on policies that give them a reason to stay.
Trey Sherwood represents House District 14 in Laramie
