Opinion

Jonathan Lange: Heartbeat Act Rebuilds What The Court Tore Down

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, “During this final week of the 2026 budget session, there is one bill that can begin to rebuild the wall protecting our most vulnerable citizens – HB126.”

Dennis Sun: Future Looks Bright for Dairy

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Higher beef prices and improved genetics are rewriting the dairy industry. Older dairy cows producing milk at higher numbers and producers using young cows to crossbreed with beef genetics, the business has really changed."

Tom Lubnau:  Checkgate Stinks. An Investigation Won’t Clear the Air.

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "When Rebecca Bextel was escorted onto the Wyoming House floor by Rep. Nina Webber, R-Cody, to hand out checks to members of the House of Representatives, no one could have predicted the political wildfire that would follow."

Scott Clem: Wyoming's Poor Are Wyoming's Problem

Columnist Scott Clem writes, "As the Legislature worked through the state budget, one question rose above the rest for what it revealed about our values: Should Wyoming authorize administrative funding to draw down federally funded summer nutrition benefits for low-income children?"

Tom Lubnau: Cruelty Is Not Conservatism

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "In other words, Rep Rachel Rodriguez Williams, Freedom Caucus Chair, was apparently arguing a life for a life. If the Court system would not protect unborn children, the judges should be eliminated, too."

Dave Simpson: We Used To Be Welcome In The People's House

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “In the last two weeks I've heard the floor of the Wyoming House of Representatives referred to as almost 'sacred,' and 'hallowed ground.' ('Hallowed grounds?' I can hear my crustier conservative friends hoot in disbelief.)"

Gail Symons: Just Here For The Circus... In The House 

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "The coming negotiation will not resemble a routine compromise. It will be the John Bear version versus the Senate version, with Wyoming’s fiscal stability in the balance. Watch the conference. Ask your legislators where they stand."

Cassie Craven: Signing Off

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “There is a season for everything. Reading the Catholic Saints will remind you quickly that you may be called to suffer for truth. But politics, must never cost your soul. And, your first loyalty is to God, not to power, party or success.”

Tom Lubnau:  Checkgate Theater — Everyone Knows The Ending To The Investigation

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Disband the committee. Stop wasting time. Stop pretending the outcome is uncertain. What happened stinks. It may not be illegal, but it damaged the institution — and pretending otherwise only deepens the damage."

Bill Sniffin: Smells Permeate Our Lives — Fresh Sage Is My Favorite Wyoming Odor

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “With a last name like Sniffin, it was probably inevitable that someday I would write a column about smells. Today is that day. My favorite is the odor of sagebrush after a fresh rain. I also love the odor of grilled steak!”

Joan Barron: This Will Be 'The Check-Gate Session'

Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The check passing wasn’t just an amazing error of judgment. It was a monumental breach of protocol and the ethics of the Legislature."

Jonathan Lange: Is This About 'Bad Optics,' Or A Witch Hunt?

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes,  “Maybe we should pass a rule that campaign donations can only be hand delivered on the House floor. That would give the people of Wyoming unprecedented transparency.”

Dennis Sun: Should Producers Worry About Beef Imports?

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Since President Donald Trump announced the U.S is expanding the annual tariff rate quotas for Argentinian beef from 20,000 metric tons (mt) to 80,000 mt a year on Feb. 6, beef producers have been expressing their concerns."

Scott Clem: When Campaign Cash Matters More Than The People's Work

Columnist Scott Clem writes, "We’re being told it’s Rep. Provenza’s fault for taking the picture. It’s Rep. Yin’s fault for raising the issue on a bill supported by the lobbyist who handed out the checks. It’s everyone’s fault except the people who accepted the money."

Tom Lubnau: When the Weakest Take a Back Seat to Hunger for Power

Tom Lubnau:  Saving Pennies, Burning Dollars

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Here's one that will hit you in the wallet – and one you didn’t see coming. How would you like it if your tax relief cost you more in insurance premiums than your discounted tax bill – or cost you your homeowners insurance, all together?"

Dave Simpson: Laramie County Sheriff Enters 'CheckGate' Scandal

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Laramie County's sheriff might have to open a satellite office at the Capitol, with 93 lawmakers, receiving campaign donations from long lists of folks, and each lawmaker casting multiple votes on hundreds of bills each session.”

Ray Hunkins: The History, Tradition And Future Of UW Football

Columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "Times have changed, but principles haven’t. Most fans want loyalty from athletes who choose to play for UW.  Most Wyoming people also want the state’s only university to excel in all its endeavors, including intercollegiate athletics."

Gail Symons: Who Is Really Out Of Touch On The University Of Wyoming's Budget?

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Freedom Caucus leaders keep calling the University of Wyoming “out of touch.” Their presentation of the budget to the House this week exposed who is actually “out of touch.”

Cassie Craven: The Republicans And Democrats Are All Over The Place 

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Too much important work depends on this Legislature’s ability to act with precision. In my opinion, the lives of innocent babies and the ability of a working class to survive depend on it.”

Tom Lubnau: We Need Answers About CheckGate

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Traveling to Cheyenne with $15,000 worth of checks to give to candidates who have not filed for office yet looks, at minimum, like sloppy influence peddling — particularly when the influence peddler is championing legislation opposed to affordable housing rules in Jackson. At worst, it’s bribery."

Bill Sniffin: W. Edwards Deming, Wyoming Genius Who Taught World About Quality

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Ed Deming grew up on a dry farm near Powell. And yet he changed the world. Those early tough years helped frame his business genius.”

Joan Barron: Budget Session Starts With A Stunner

Columnist Joan Barron writes, ''The defeat of the election reform bills and others supported by the hard-right-wing Freedom Cause was a surprise.”

Jonathan Lange: Restoring Protections To Wyoming Women

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes,  “Rep. Martha Lawley (R-Worland) has introduced legislation that restores to women protections that the Court stripped away. HB 117 will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday morning.”