Guest Columnists
News
Megan Degenfelder: University of Wyoming Must Respond to Concerns Over DEI
Guest columnist Megan Degenfelder writes, "Our universities should not presume the righteousness of only one side, promote a sense of guilt and division among students, neglect important context in order to obscure the whole story, or legitimize fringe ideas."
CSD StaffMarch 28, 2024
Letter To The Editor: Gratitude And Reflection On Our Legislative Journey For Behavioral Health
Dear editor, "We owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Mark Gordon, whose unwavering vision for a Wyoming where behavioral health services are prioritized and strengthened has been a source of hope for us all."
CSD StaffMarch 28, 2024
Letter To The Editor: 'Fairness In Farming Act' Is Target Of Flat Out Lies
Dear editor: There are exciting initiatives in the works to stop the decline of beef cattle numbers and cattle ranching operations as well as independent cattle feeding and beef processing businesses.
CSD StaffMarch 27, 2024
Guest Column: Why We Think A Special Legislative Session Is A Bad Idea
Senate President Ogden Driskill and House Speaker Albert Sommers write, "Without special rules governing the special session, it’s likely to be a Pandora’s Box scenario devolving into a mini-session akin to what we witnessed in the 2021 special session, where 41 bills were filed, and only one passed."
CSD StaffMarch 27, 2024
Guest Column: Why We Will Not Call A Special Session
Senate President Ogden Driskill and House Speaker Albert Sommers write, "A special session would require 8 - 10 days and cost approximately $35,000 a day. Should we spend $350,000 of taxpayer money because we couldn’t get our job done within the calendar that we had agreed upon?"
CSD StaffMarch 25, 2024
Guest Column: Governor Gordon Unconstitutionally Plays Politics with People’s Lives
Guest columnist Rep. Jeremy Haroldson writes, "The governor issued a line-item veto to remove funding for an aging water tower in my home of Wheatland - a water tower that is in such poor shape, it could breach at any moment, destroying ten or more city blocks in its wake."
CSD StaffMarch 25, 2024
Guest Column: Choosing Substance Over Flash In Local Elections
Laramie County Commissioner Gunnar Malm writes, "As we approach election season, it's essential for voters and residents to take a step back from the noise of partisan rhetoric and carefully consider the qualifications of those running to serve ALL residents."
CSD StaffMarch 21, 2024
Guest Column: Wyoming Education Association Falsely Attacking My Voting Record
Rep. Jeanette Ward writes, "When it is suggested to children that boys can become girls, that mental anguish can be solved by degrading and mutilating their bodies, that America is an evil empire, and that the world is sure to end because of your mom’s SUV, mental health problems are sure to proliferate."
CSD StaffMarch 20, 2024
Guest Column: “Education Savings Accounts” Invite The Government Into The Church
Guest columnist Rep. Jerry Obermueller writes, "Education savings accounts are not a “wall of separation” as proponents suggest, rather the mechanism to transfer money from the public treasury to the collection plate, the largest church fundraiser ever in Wyoming."
CSD StaffMarch 19, 2024
Guest Column: State Sees 32% Increase in Government; Leaves Taxpayers Behind
Members of the Freedom Caucus write, "The Uniparty and their allies in the media don’t want you to know how much was just spent in Cheyenne– and how much of it was discretionary spending."
CSD StaffMarch 18, 2024
Guest Column: Chloe Reminded Us It’s About Children, Not Gender Change
Guest columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Chloe Cole did not come to Wyoming as an 'anti-transgender' anything. She came to prevent the child-abuse that forever changed her life from happening to Wyoming kids."
CSD StaffMarch 17, 2024
Guest Column: Winter Fishing In Wyoming
Guest columnist Abby Roich writes, "Few alarms are likely going off at 5 am on a Saturday but mine is buzzing. I’m thankful for an automatic brewer as it’s already filling the air with the aroma of coffee. 'I get to go fishing today,' I think to myself..."
CSD StaffMarch 15, 2024
Guest Column: Budget Session Ends
State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz writes, "The committee restored roughly $340 million to the governor’s energy slush fund, gave back the gender studies program and the requirement of a standard budget at the University of Wyoming, approved $2.5 million for an air show at the Casper airport and approved a third raise for state employees."
CSD StaffMarch 11, 2024
Guest Column: Legislature Passes Conservative Budget, Largest Property Tax Reform In History
Senate President Ogden Driskill and House Speaker Albert Sommers write, "Despite political differences and policy disagreements, the Legislature passed a conservative, balanced budget that addresses our state’s needs and invests in the future."
CSD StaffMarch 11, 2024
Mandy Fabel: Adjusting to Chaos
Guest columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "One of my favorite self-reflection and coaching tools is a personality inventory called the Hogan Assessment. It includes a scale called Adjustment that measures how well you operate in times of uncertainty, complexity, and pressure."
Mandy FabelMarch 09, 2024
Guest Column: Wyoming Freedom Caucus Supports Senate Budget
Members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus write, "We are strongly opposed to the Uniparty's position in the House of growing government by 30% over the next two years– after all, will your income grow that much over the next two years?"
CSD StaffMarch 05, 2024
Guest Column: Extreme Partisanship Is Hurting Wyoming Businesses
Rep. Trey Sherwood writes, “Many of my colleagues at the Capitol — and particularly in the radical Freedom Caucus — are actively trying to defund state agencies and programs that I have seen firsthand help Wyoming businesses flourish.”
CSD StaffMarch 04, 2024
Guest Column: Stop Playing Legislative Games
Guest columnist Rep. Harriet Hageman says the so-called border security bill "...was instead a classic bait and switch, whereby the Democrats received a windfall of additional funding for the military-industrial complex, Ukraine pork, and the ability to expedite the processing of illegal immigrants."
CSD StaffMarch 03, 2024
Guest Column: House Of Reason v. House Of Cards
Rep. Landon Brown writes, "You deserve to know what is happening with the budget bill. The type of wasteful grandstanding is exactly what we despise about our national Congress and now we are seeing it infiltrate Wyoming."
CSD StaffMarch 02, 2024
Guest Column: Wyoming Senate - No Longer Supportive of Energy Industries?
Guest columnist Rod Hendry writes, "In any event, [defunding the Energy Matching Fund] is a message that the Wyoming Senate no longer cares about the core Wyoming energy industries.
CSD StaffMarch 01, 2024
Guest Column: Fully Fund the 988 Suicide LIfeline and Save Lives
Guest columnist Rep. Jon Conrad writes, "By refusing to provide stable, long-term funding for the suicide lifeline, the Wyoming legislature is accepting the fact that loss of life is part of Wyoming culture. I refuse to accept that."
CSD StaffMarch 01, 2024
Guest Column: State Senate In Step With Wyoming Citizens
Sen. Cheri Steinmetz writes, "The way policies are vetted is through legislative process, not a budget footnote that creates a $430 million dollar slush fund for the governor."
CSD StaffFebruary 28, 2024
Guest Column: Do We Really Want Separate Mule Deer and Whitetail Hunting Seasons?
Guest columnist Earl DeGroot writes, "Senate File 111 proposes to offer separate licenses for mule deer and whitetail deer, whereas currently hunters must select one or the other. The bill is being debated with a lot of bias against whitetails."
CSD StaffFebruary 28, 2024
Guest Column: Bill Would Eliminate Property Taxes for Most Wyoming Residents
Guest columnist Steve Harshman writes, "This bill would create a $1 million exemption for single-family residences, thereby eliminating property taxes for 97 percent of Wyoming homeowners.
CSD StaffFebruary 24, 2024