CASPER - Meeting privately on Saturday, the Republicans of the Wyoming Legislature elected Cheyenne-based Sen. Tara Nethercott as Senate President and Lander-based Rep. Lloyd Larsen as House Speaker.
The two positions are chief in their respective chambers. They decide lawmakers’ committee assignments, bill assignments to committees, and run the Legislature’s administrative panel the Management Council.
The Senate GOP majority elected Sens. Ed Cooper, R-Tensleep, as Senate Vice President and Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, as Senate Majority Floor leader.
On the House side, the GOP caucus elected Rep. Andrew Byron, of Jackson, as House Speaker Pro Tem. Rep. JD Williams, R-Lusk was elected House Majority Floor Leader and Rep. Cody Wylie was elected House Majority Whip.
“The House is in great hands,” Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper, told Cowboy State Daily after the meeting. Washut had also run for House Speaker.
Gov Elect Eric Barlow spoke to the GOP legislative caucus before it elected leadership Saturday in Casper (Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily) 
New House Majority Whip Cody Wylie (Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily)
Nethercott declined to comment.
Gov-Elect Eric Barlow and U.S. Sen. John Barrasso both addressed the bicameral Republican gathering before it separated into each chamber’s elections, multiple attendees confirmed.
Applause sounded from the third-floor gathering multiple times.
The state House departed from its prior Wyoming Freedom Caucus control when a slew of non-Freedom Caucus Republicans won the primary election Aug. 18, leaving just a few WYFC allies and members in the House.
No Freedom Caucus members were elected to legislative leadership Saturday.
The Legislature contains 93 members: 62 in the House and 31 in the Senate.
Republicans hold a roughly 90% supermajority - with two Democrats in the Senate and six in the House. That number will grow to seven House Democrats in January.
Animal shelter CEO Britney Tennant flipped a Cheyenne swing district blue in the general election.
This year’s caucus unfolded in ultra-secret. While the press has been allowed to await results in the lobby for past meetings, Caucus Chair Pepper Ottman, R-Riverton, forbade the press from entering the building Saturday.
When the Democratic caucus arrived for its meeting hours later and took joint control of the building, it allowed the press to wait in the lobby.
Nethercott
An attorney by trade and a Wyomingite of old Riverton stock, Nethercott now lives in Cheyenne. She’s held her Senate seat there since 2017, and served as majority floor leader for the past two sessions.
This cycle she chaired a task force on health insurance affordability, as well as the Select Committee on Capital Financing and Investments.
Nethercott in 2023 held one of the Legislature’s most powerful positions: Senate Appropriations Committee chair. She also chaired Senate Judiciary Committee early in her legislative career.
Larsen
Towering in stature but soft-spoken, Larsen has held his House seat since 2013.
The former oil-and-gas supply businessman chairs two task forces and has chaired multiple committees, plus served as House Appropriations Committee vice-chair.
Two of Larsen’s known strengths are in medical and health care laws, and the state’s budget.
Meanwhile…
The Democratic minority caucus followed the GOP event, also at the Thyra Thomson building in Casper Saturday.
Cowboy State Daily will update this story once the Democrats choose this year’s minority leadership.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
