Guest Columnists
Points of view on Wyoming issues from Wyoming people.
Daily Smile: Sunday, February 23, 2025
We can watch this all day.....
CSD StaffFebruary 22, 2025
Guest Column: Teton County’s Workforce Housing Regulations Are Unconstitutional
Guest columnist Austin Waisanen writes, "'Workforce housing' fees — a bad idea that drives up the cost of housing and unconstitutionally places the burden of other people’s housing on individual property owners — may soon run their course in Wyoming."
CSD StaffFebruary 20, 2025
Guest Column: Another Municipal View on Property Tax Relief
Star Valley Ranch Mayor Ruzena Rok writes, "In Lincoln County, locally assessed residential valuations have increased 122% over the past 5 years. For many families who want to stay and raise their children in Lincoln County they simply can no longer afford to do so."
CSD StaffFebruary 18, 2025
Guest Column: I'm Fighting For Moms And Ranchers. John Bear Says That Makes Me A "Lobbyist."
Rep. Karlee Provenza writes, "Last week in this publication, Rep. John Bear called me and some of his other non-Freedom Caucus colleagues in the Wyoming House 'lobbyist-legislators.'"
CSD StaffFebruary 15, 2025
Guest Column: A Perfect Storm on the Horizon
Upton Mayor Nick Trandahl writes, "The misconception that small Wyoming towns like Upton are sitting on any sort of fat whatsoever in our budgets is mind-blowing to me and, frankly, it's uninformed.
CSD StaffFebruary 13, 2025
Guest Column: A Testament to Wyoming’s Culture of Opportunity, Merit and Excellence
UW President Ed Seidel writes, "Since Josh Allen was crowned MVP last week, the university hasn’t been just celebrating. We also are reaffirming a powerful truth: Excellence is built where opportunity is given, merit is recognized and hard work is rewarded."
CSD StaffFebruary 11, 2025
Guest Column: Let's Repeal Gun Free Zones
State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz and John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, write, "By identifying and targeting gun-free zones, attackers can ensure they will be the only armed people present."
CSD StaffFebruary 06, 2025
Guest Column: Lobbyists on the House Floor Are Wasting Your Money
Rep. John Bear writes, "There are some skilled lobbyists who have found their way to the House floor, and they even cast votes on bills. These lobbyist-legislator hybrids have made it clear who they represent, and it’s not the people – it’s the government."
CSD StaffFebruary 06, 2025
Guest Column: Bringing Law And Order To Digital Wild West -- Protecting Our Children Online
Rep. Martha Lawley writes, "I have long been concerned about the safety of our children online. I want to make sure Wyoming is doing all that it can to protect children from online pornography."
CSD StaffFebruary 01, 2025
Guest Column: The Freedom Caucus “Five And Dime” Plan Failed
Rep. Karlee Provenza writes, "For the Freedom Caucus to claim that it has somehow stopped 'woke' investments is dishonest. So is the claim that its Five and Dime plan was a success."
CSD StaffJanuary 31, 2025
Guest Columnist Ray Hunkins: The Whirling Dervish President
Guest columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "Donald Trump is off to the most incredible start of any president in my lifetime and unlike his first term, he knows what he is doing and how to do it."
CSD StaffJanuary 31, 2025
Guest Column: Protecting Private Property Rights -- A Core Wyoming Value
State Rep. Rob Geringer writes, "If a rancher, farmer, or homeowner decides that selling their land to the federal government is in their best interest, it is not the role of the state to stand in their way. That decision belongs to the property owner and the property owner alone."
CSD StaffJanuary 28, 2025
Guest Column: Saving Our Rangelands -- The Urgent Battle Against Invasive Grasses
"In his State of the State address, Gov. Gordon called cheatgrass 'as flammable as gasoline.' Last summer’s wildfires in Wyoming have proven how accurate that description is."
CSD StaffJanuary 28, 2025
Guest Column: A Wyoming Hunter's Call -- Uphold Our Heritage with the Clean Kill Bill
Guest columnist Josh Coursey writes, "The Clean Kill Bill respects the importance of predator management while drawing a hard line: If someone intentionally tortures and brutalizes an animal in Wyoming, they will face real consequences."
CSD StaffJanuary 24, 2025
Guest Column: American Coal Council Welcomes New Administration -- Renewed Commitment To Coal
Emily Arthun, CEO of the American Coal Council, writes, "As the nation moves forward under President Trump’s second term, the coal industry is poised for a resurgence."
CSD StaffJanuary 23, 2025
Guest Column: A Tale Of Two Funerals
Guest columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "So far this winter there have been two funerals of people who had an impact on my life, Jimmy Carter and Jack Finnerty. I attended their funerals, one in person and the other, virtually."
CSD StaffJanuary 23, 2025
Guest Column: Protecting Women’s Sports -- Pushing Back Against Males Competing with Our Girls
Harriett Hageman and Megan Degenfelder write, "When Ronald Reagan first proclaimed a National Women in Sports Day in 1987, he never imagined “feminists” would be advocating for males to play against women and girls in sports..."
CSD StaffJanuary 15, 2025
Guest Column: Our Greatest Challenge is Also Our Greatest Opportunity
Rob Creager, Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, writes: "From the world’s largest trona deposit and abundant coal, oil & gas reserves to the largest uranium deposit in the United States and significant rare earth elements critical to national security, Wyoming’s natural wealth is unparalleled."
CSD StaffJanuary 15, 2025
Guest Column: DEI -- Defunding Political Divisiveness and Discrimination
Sen. Cheri Steinmetz writes, "I am introducing legislation in 2025 to terminate and defund DEI programs, starting with the University of Wyoming and extending this effort to all public institutions across our state."
CSD StaffJanuary 13, 2025
Guest Column: Less Than 10% Of The State “Mandated” The Freedom Caucus
Rep. Karlee Provenza writes, "I keep hearing my colleagues who belong to the Wyoming Freedom Caucus say that they have a 'mandate' to make big changes to our state. That could not be further from the truth."
CSD StaffJanuary 13, 2025
Guest Column: How The University Of Wyoming Is Building Trust
UW Dean of Business Scott Beaulier and Professor Matt Burgess write, "Concern about the left-activism focus passed concern about costs to become the number-one trust issue for U.S. higher education in the past year. The two of us have been working for years to combat universities’ partisan turn."
CSD StaffJanuary 10, 2025
Guest Column: Keeping Wyoming Strong: Adapting to Secure Coal’s Future
Wyoming Rep. J.T. Larson writes, "The fight to save coal isn’t just about energy—it’s about preserving Wyoming’s future. The real question isn’t whether coal can survive without change, but whether we are willing to evolve to ensure it does."
CSD StaffJanuary 09, 2025
Guest Column: The People Have Spoken And We Have A Mandate
Rep. Bill Allemand writes, "The Freedom Caucus had huge wins in the last election, The people have spoken and given a mandate to fix our property tax problems, stop woke polices in Wyoming that are constantly being pushed by the left, and stop waste, fraud, and abuse in state spending."
CSD StaffJanuary 07, 2025
Guest Column: Rethinking Carbon Dioxide – Wyoming’s Bold Move
State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz writes, "The bill 'Make Carbon Dioxide Great Again' is not about denying science, it is about applying science, thoroughly reevaluating the ‘climate change’ scientific assumptions and advocating for policies grounded in common sense."
CSD StaffJanuary 06, 2025
Mark Miller: The Dimensions Of Wyoming
Guest columnist Mark Miller writes, "Every reader of Cowboy State Daily who ponders our diverse natural environment can marvel at its accomplishments revealed in the stones, sediments, and water that make up our Equality State, almost 100,000 square miles of undulating terrain."
CSD StaffDecember 31, 2024
Guest Column: Pushing Back Against Resource Management Plans
Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "I am seeking to block both the Buffalo and Rock Springs RMPs and have introduced stand-alone legislation and amendments to House appropriations bills that were successfully included in an appropriations package."
CSD StaffDecember 30, 2024
Mandy Fabel: Two Wyoming Kids Threw Their Rebellious Streak Into New Pool Business
Mandy Fabel writes: "It didn’t take long for Reed Merschat to be impressed by Colby Frontiero's boldness and indifference to authority figures. These qualities would serve both of them well as life’s story unfolded."
Mandy FabelDecember 25, 2024
Guest Column: China-Bustin’ Rare Earths In Wyoming -- Taking The Reins For America’s Future
Guest columnist Paul Hickey writes, "Today there is a new opportunity for our state to develop another natural resource, Rare Earth Elements. The Bear Lodge critical rare earth deposit in Crook County is a fully delineated world-class rare earth resource with some of the highest concentrations in the country."
CSD StaffDecember 05, 2024
Guest Column: Wyoming’s Legacy of Opportunity: Protecting Rights for Women and Girls
Rep. Martha Lawley writes, "I’m introducing two bills focused on safeguarding the rights of women and girls in Wyoming: one that protects the integrity of women’s sports and another that ensures privacy and safety in spaces where it matters most."
CSD StaffNovember 25, 2024
Letter To The Editor: Trump Won -- Now Let Him Govern
Dear editor: Republicans’ rush to judgment on President Trump’s cabinet nominees is astonishing, irresponsible and hypocritical, but typical of a party that can never rally behind its leadership and govern with collective focus and clear purpose.
CSD StaffNovember 16, 2024
Guest Column: Matt Gaetz Should Not Be Confirmed
Guest columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "The question is not whether Gaetz is guilty of any of the charges swirling around him. The question is whether the president and the American people deserve a better, untainted, qualified candidate for United States Attorney General."
CSD StaffNovember 15, 2024
Marta Mossburg: Let’s Hope Trump Scraps The Electronic Cattle Tag Rule
Marta Mossburg writes, “Knowing exactly how many cattle ranchers own means the ability to tax cows based on their greenhouse gas emissions as has been enacted in Denmark, to start in 2030. It could also mean forced slaughter, for example.”
CSD StaffNovember 14, 2024
Guest Column: Why Donald Trump Won And Why Kamala Harris Lost
Guest columnist Ray Hunkins writes: The Harris campaign was built on two platforms – dislike of Trump and abortion. Trump on the other hand, addressed the issues people cared about: the economy, inflation and the border.
CSD StaffNovember 11, 2024
Guest Column: How Much Federal Land Is Too Much?
Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "Although there are certain individuals who seem hell-bent on selling this invaluable property (Kelly Parcel) to the National Park Service for $100 million dollars, it is obvious by every metric that its value is significantly higher. It is also apparent that the NPS itself believes this parcel is worth substantially more than $100 million."
CSD StaffNovember 06, 2024
Ray Hunkins: Why I’m Voting For Donald J. Trump
Guest columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "For the most part, we know what the Trump policies will be in a second term because we know what they were in his first term. I can’t think of any policy of the first Trump administration with which I disagreed."
CSD StaffOctober 31, 2024
Guest Column: Maybe The Kelly Walsh Band's Performance Was Just A Show
Guest columnist Susan Stubson writes, "Let’s lower the temperature here and consider for a moment that perhaps Kelly Walsh was not trying to communicate any message other than musical and visual excellence."
CSD StaffOctober 30, 2024