Government & Politics
News

Projected WYDOT Deficit Reaches $600M With No Solution In Sight
Wyoming Department of Transportation's director says the previously reported $400 million deficit in the department is closer to $600 million now. Lawmakers say solving the problem is no easy feat.
Jackson WalkerNovember 06, 2025

Uinta County Voters Defeat $40.6 Million Tax Project By More Than 2-To-1 Margin
Uinta County voters don’t want to pay an additional 1% tax for a new swimming pool and other projects totaling about $40.6 million. They voted more than 2-to-1 against the controversial proposal.
Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2025

Wyoming Freedom Caucus Membership Survey: 31 House Reps Say They're Not Members
Through past reporting and a slew of point-blank inquiries this week, Cowboy State Daily has determined that half of the Wyoming House of Representatives, which has 62 members, are not Freedom Caucus members or say they're not Freedom Caucus members.
Clair McFarland & Jackson WalkerNovember 06, 2025

Delegation Applauds Trump’s Pick Of Steve Pearce To Head BLM
Members of Wyoming’s delegation applauded President Trump’s Wednesday pick of New Mexico's Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management as a "major win for Wyoming."
Sean BarryNovember 06, 2025

Rebuilding Wyoming’s Stretch Of Interstate 80 Would Cost More Than $1 Billion
While Wyoming’s stretch of Interstate 80 is currently in good shape, maintenance is key. Otherwise, it would cost $2.6 million per mile to rebuild, or more than $1 billion dollars total. That doesn’t include costs associated with passing lanes, ramps, and bridges.
Jackson WalkerNovember 06, 2025

Wyoming Pastors Say Nobody Should Rejoice Over Cheney’s Or Kirk’s Deaths
Right after both Vice President Cheney and conservative influencer Charlie Kirk died, people mocked them and left hateful messages all over social media. Wyoming pastors told Cowboy State Daily that none of us are "pure enough to spit on anybody's grave."
Clair McFarlandNovember 05, 2025

Gillette Plan To Scrap Controversial 'Hate Crime' Law Survives Fiery Hearing
After hearing passionate debate Tuesday, the Gillette City Council voted 4-3 to advance a proposed repeal of its so-called "hate crime" ordinance. The repeal must survive two more readings to become effective.
Jackson WalkerNovember 05, 2025

Wyoming GOP Wants More Power For Non-Elected Members
The Wyoming Republican Party on Tuesday asked a legislative committee to loosen state laws that restrict its internal elections. The committee agreed to one of the party’s many suggested tweaks.
Clair McFarlandNovember 05, 2025

Wyoming’s Dick Cheney: ‘War Hawk,’ ‘Darth Vader’ And A Heck Of A Funny Guy
The nation is remembering Dick Cheney as the serious, steely-eyed, no-nonsense former secretary of defense and vice president who some dubbed a “war hawk” and others “Darth Vader.” In his home state of Wyoming, they also say he was a heck of a funny guy.
Greg JohnsonNovember 04, 2025
Bill Heads To Session That Would Ban Dropping Off Ballots For Others
A Wyoming legislative committee advanced a bill Tuesday to criminalize dropping of ballots for other people, with a few exceptions. Supporters say it protects election integrity, while critics say it could make felons out of well-meaning friends.
Clair McFarlandNovember 04, 2025

Dick Cheney, Vice President And Former Wyoming Congressman, Dies At 84
Dick Cheney, regarded as the most powerful vice president in U.S. history and former congressman of Wyoming, died Monday night at the age of 84.
Clair McFarlandNovember 04, 2025

Legislature To Consider At Least 13 Election Bills After Committee Adds 6 More
A Wyoming legislative committee on Monday voted to sponsor six election-integrity-oriented bills. That’s in addition to the three it adopted in August and the four another committee advanced last month, bringing the total to 13 so far.
Clair McFarlandNovember 04, 2025

Cody Coach Denies Sexual Misconduct Accusations, Says Parents Want Him Off Team
A Cody high school basketball coach denies accusations of sexual abuse against his players, saying they're motivated by parents who want him ousted from the team. He's accused of sending inappropriate texts and giving unwanted shoulder rubs.
Jackson WalkerNovember 04, 2025

Evansville Mayor Abruptly Resigns, Calls Wyoming's Political System ‘Broken’
Evansville Mayor Candace Machado abruptly resigned Saturday, saying the state’s political system is "broken.” She said that includes council members smelling of alcohol at meetings and "bullying" by state legislators.
Dale KillingbeckNovember 04, 2025

Ross Schriftman Is That Casper Guy Who Has Something To Say At Every Meeting
Every town has that guy who has something to say at just about every public meeting. In Casper, that’s Ross Schriftman, 73, a long-distance runner and self-described activist who says he feels compelled to be involved in everything.
Dale KillingbeckNovember 02, 2025

Gordon Declares Wyoming ‘Welfare Emergency,’ Orders Up To $10M For Food Benefits
Gov. Mark Gordon declared a Wyoming welfare emergency Friday, ordering up to $10 million in state money for emergency food assistance if federal SNAP benefits run out “due to the Schumer shutdown.”
Jackson WalkerOctober 31, 2025

Freedom Caucus Members Say Record Investment Revenue Should Drive More Cuts
Freedom Caucus members of the House Appropriations Committee in an impromptu press conference Thursday laid out its goals for the coming budget session. They highlighted conservative fiscal principles and called for a return to “pre-COVID” spending.
Jackson WalkerOctober 31, 2025

State Asks Court To Give Legislators A Breather While They Tweak School Funding
The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office is urging the state Supreme Court to give legislators more time to tweak school funding before being forced by a court order. That includes a computer for every kid and elementary mental health counselors.
Clair McFarlandOctober 31, 2025

Casper Legislator Wants To Cut License Plate Fees For Older Vehicles
Casper Republican state Rep. J.R. Riggins says he plans to introduce a bill that would allow people with older vehicles to pay less to renew their license plates. He says changing the fee structure would put more money in the pockets of Wyomingites.
Jackson WalkerOctober 31, 2025

Barrasso Says SNAP Benefits Illegal In Shutdown; Schumer Blames Trump
Sen. John Barrasso on Thursday said SNAP benefits cannot legally continue because of the government shutdown. Sen. Chuck Schumer disagreed, saying that President Trump is refusing to fund SNAP.
Sean BarryOctober 30, 2025

Wyoming Investment Earnings Blow Past Projections By Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars
The Consensus Revenue Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) report given to legislators Thursday shows that the state's investments outpaced projections by hundreds of millions of dollars. Record-high investment earnings of $1.86 billion “dominated” the 2025 fiscal year.
Clair McFarlandOctober 30, 2025

SNAP Fallout Has Wyoming Dem, Freedom Caucus Saying The Same Bible Verse
On the national scale, the federal government’s suspension of SNAP benefits has blue states suing the Trump administration. In Wyoming, the Freedom Caucus and a prominent Democrat have responded by quoting the same Bible verse.
Clair McFarlandOctober 28, 2025

Only Elementary In Bar Nunn One Of 2 Natrona County Schools Set To Close
The only elementary in Bar Nunn is one of two Natrona County schools set to be closed, meaning kids would be bused to Casper. More than 30 parents, teachers and students appealed to the school board Monday to not close it and the Woods Learning Center.
Dale KillingbeckOctober 28, 2025

Cheyenne Asking State For Nearly $500,000 To Offset Chugwater Wind, Solar Impacts
The Cheyenne City Council on Monday voted to ask for nearly $500,000 in state money to offset community or infrastructure impacts from a new wind and solar project proposed for the Chugwater area.
Jackson WalkerOctober 28, 2025
