There’s a phrase tossed around in political circles — “government shouldn’t pick winners and losers.”
It sounds principled, fair, and free-market-pure. But in reality, it’s often just an excuse to do nothing while other states take bold action to secure their futures.
The truth is, I do want my local and state government to pick winners — because I want winners in my community and in our state.
I want Wyoming to grow, to thrive, to compete. And to do that, we have to be intentional about which industries, projects, and partnerships we encourage.
For decades, Wyoming has been a state that unapologetically picked winners.
Our pro-mineral regulatory environment, low severance taxes, and infrastructure investments built the foundation for generations of prosperity. Those weren’t accidents.
Those were conscious policy choices — decisions to prioritize energy development, to attract industry, to make Wyoming a good place to do business.
Today, as our economy evolves, we face a new set of opportunities. Data centers, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy technologies are the next frontier. But they won’t come here by accident either.
They’ll come because we make the choice — through tax incentives, streamlined permitting, and strategic infrastructure — to tell the world Wyoming is open for business.
Picking winners doesn’t mean government handouts or favoritism. It means being strategic.
It means recognizing the industries that create jobs, expand our tax base, and align with Wyoming’s strengths — our land, our people, and our resources.
It means saying yes to investment that pays long-term dividends and no to stagnation disguised as neutrality.
Every time another state lands a major employer, a tech hub, or an industrial expansion, it’s because they made deliberate choices to compete — to win.
Wyoming should be doing the same.
So yes, I want our government to pick winners. I want them to pick Wyoming — our communities, our workers, our future. Because if we don’t, someone else will.
Gunnar Malm is chairman of the Laramie County Commissioners
