Wyoming’s three Republican members of the U.S. Congress are formidable incumbents, but the Albany County Democratic Party is trying to blast open what it sees as a chink in their armor.
The party raised billboards along Interstate 80 calling out U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman for not outright opposing a controversial public lands sell-off provision that was, before its ultimate failure, stashed in a budget bill this year.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, proposed including language in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, championed by President Donald Trump, directing the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to dispose of 0.75% and 0.5% of the land they own across 11 Western states.
That plan failed after immense backlash.
One of the Albany County Democratic Party’s billboards in protest shows Hageman, gaping, holding a “FOR SALE” sign next to a caption that reads “stop politicians from selling your public lands!”
Barrasso is depicted similarly.
A third billboard shows Lummis the same way “has been replaced,” says the party’s website, which depicts its imagery “in the interest of equally challenging all of our federal representatives over the theft of public lands.”
The party posted the billboards with the help of “many like-minded individuals, regardless of party affiliation, who love Wyoming and our public lands,” Albany County Democratic Party Chair Klaus Halbsgut wrote in a Friday email to Cowboy State Daily. “For the record, it was not a large donation from any out state (political action committee), political organization or wealthy individual.”
As to the three Republican delegates, “They are formidable incumbents, but the truth is that they haven't been working for the people of Wyoming for a long time,” Halbsgut said.
“Their stance on the issue of public lands is just one of the most glaring examples of how far out of touch they are,” he continued. “It's really opening people's eyes to the fact that Barrasso, Lummis, and Hageman couldn't care less about the will of the people they're supposed to represent.”
Halbsgut said Democrats in Albany County are “like the vast majority of Wyomingites — passionate advocates and users of our public lands” as they form “a deeply ingrained part of who we are and the legacy we leave to future generations.”
He said the party will continue to oppose what he cast as the erosion of protections for public lands, as long as the issue remains unresolved.
"We see public lands as an issue worth fighting tooth and nail for, and if Independents and moderate Republicans want to join us in that fight, we need them!" he wrote. "Right now, the Wyoming Democratic Party is the ONLY political party advocating and fighting for public lands."
But he's seen support from across the aisle, Halbsgut added.
Back In June …
As originally proposed, the provision didn’t give local governments a kill-switch option to halt problematic sales.
Hageman noted at the time that the provision was handled on the Senate, not the House side, but said dire claims about it were overblown.
Barrasso’s office in June said he’d support federal land sales that serve state, local, and public interests, and pointed to a provision requiring federal agencies to consult with local entities.
Lummis at that time cast the federal government’s ownership of roughly half of Wyoming as excessive, and called for “honest conversations” about strategic management.
And, Friday
Barrasso delivered a response Friday in an email in which his spokeswoman also noted that the federal land sale plan “never saw the light of day on the Senate floor.”
Barrasso is the no. 2 ranking Republican in the Senate.
“During consideration of the (One Big Beautiful Bill), I listened to people all around Wyoming about how important federal lands are to each of them personally,” he said. “I talked to mayors, county commissioners, legislators as well as hunters and fishermen, friends and neighbors.
"The people of Wyoming deserve to have their voices heard on such an important matter. If legislation like this is proposed in the future, it must be thoroughly debated through regular order with committee hearings and with input from all concerned.”
Lee’s original plan was a violation of budget reconciliation bill rules, the Senate parliamentarian determined this summer.
Lummis in her own email called the billboard “a complete lie and deeply misleading. We are glad to see that it has been taken down.”
Hageman’s office did not respond by publication time to a Friday afternoon email request for comment.
The plan had numerous carveouts to exclude national parks and other high-value areas.
The sold lands were to be frozen for a decade after their sale to fulfill housing needs and “associated community needs.”
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
