Government & Politics
News

Wyoming Lawmakers Look To Fix Grooming Bill, Which Had Worse Penalties Than Murder
What Elon Musk may not have known when he shared a post calling out Wyoming lawmakers who voted against an anti-child-grooming bill is that the initial version had harsher penalties for grooming than those Wyoming imposes for some murder cases.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2026

Rep. Mike Yin Claims Jackson GOP Leader 'Handed Out' Checks On Floor Of Legislature
Rep. Mike Yin claimed Wednesday that Teton County GOP leader Rebecca Bextel "handed out" checks on the floor of the state legislature. The accusation prompted outrage and a formal protest. Bextel countered, "I have not written any campaign checks this year so far."
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2026

Wyoming Bill Advances That Would Allow Voters To Recall Local Officials
Wyoming lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a bill to let voters recall mayors and other local officials as there is no mechanism in place now. Supporters cite accountability, while critics worry about and politicized recalls.
David MadisonFebruary 11, 2026

Wyoming House Kills Bill To Make Counties Pay Costs For Self-Defense Acquittals
The Wyoming House killed a bill Tuesday that would have made counties reimburse “all reasonable costs” for people found not guilty for using force in self-defense.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2026

Elon Musk Shares Post Calling Out Democrats For All Voting Against Wyoming Grooming Bill
A vote on a bill aimed at establishing criminal penalties in Wyoming for the grooming of minors caught the eye of Elon Musk. He shared a post calling out Democrats for voting against the bill. However, 13 Republicans also voted against it.
Jen KocherFebruary 11, 2026

House Advances Bill Requiring Informed Consent, Civil Liability For Abortions
Barely a month after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down the state's abortion bans, legislators fired back Tuesday with a bill that takes a different angle. House Bill 117 requires informed consent for abortions and will allow people to sue over them.
David MadisonFebruary 11, 2026

Gordon: It's Refreshing To See So Many Bills Die Because It's A Budget Session, After All
At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Mark Gordon said it was refreshing to see so many bills die. He said he sees that as a sign that lawmakers are respecting their higher priority of passing a two-year state budget - and doing so within about 20 days.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2026

‘Now I See What The Big Deal Is’: Lummis Gets A Look At Unredacted Epstein Files
Wyoming Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis was one of the members of Congress who got a look at the unredacted Epstein files on Monday. “Now I see what the big deal is,” she said, adding that “it was worth investigating.”
Greg JohnsonFebruary 11, 2026

Wyoming Lawmakers Vote Down Nuclear Waste Referendum And Nuclear Cop Bill
A proposed constitutional amendment requiring public vote on nuclear waste storage decisions in Wyoming failed on Tuesday, one day after a bill was killed to give armed security guards at nuclear facilities legal authority to defend against threats.
David MadisonFebruary 10, 2026

Bill Letting All Wyoming Law Officers Cite Non-English-Speaking Truckers Advances
A bill giving all Wyoming law enforcement officers the authority to cite non-English-proficient commercial truck drivers advanced Tuesday by a unanimous vote. Violators would be banned from driving until they could demonstrate English language proficiency.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2026

Undocumented Immigrant Trucker Claims Unlawful Detention After Arrest In Green River
An undocumented trucker arrested in Green River says he’s being held illegally after reporting a broken mirror. His lawyers argue a new DHS policy is illegally keeping him in ICE custody. The sheriff's office says he didn’t provide necessary documentation.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2026

Committee Advances Two Election Reform Bills Born From Weston County Controversy
Two election reform bills inspired by the troubled 2024 general election in Weston County cleared the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee on Tuesday, sending both to the full Legislature for consideration during the budget session.
David MadisonFebruary 10, 2026

Six Of Seven Election Reform Bills Killed On Monday, Freedom Caucus Not Happy
Six of seven Wyoming election integrity bills considered Monday failed to clear the House on the first day of the 2026 legislative session. It’s a blow to a top issue for the Freedom Caucus, which controls the chamber but faced bipartisan opposition.
David MadisonFebruary 10, 2026

Wyoming Senate Saves Business Council From Dismantling By 2-1 Vote
The Wyoming Business Council on Monday survived being dismantled, as the state Senate voted down a bill that would have purged it from state law, 21-10. But the agency is still facing a viable budget amendment that would defund it.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2026

Wyoming House Kills Bill To Change How Schools Get Money, Senate Could Save It
A narrow one-third minority of Wyoming state House representatives voted Monday to block the state’s new proposed method of funding public K-12 schools. But the state Senate has its own version, which could still rescue the proposal.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 09, 2026

Gordon Clashes With Freedom Caucus As Wyoming Budget Fight Intensifies
Gov. Mark Gordon urged Wyoming lawmakers to restore his budget priorities, protect state workers’ raises and keep investing in education and development. He also pushed for an abortion-limiting constitutional amendment and took a veiled shot at the Freedom Caucus.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 09, 2026

Wyoming Freedom Caucus Unveils 2026 Agenda Outside Wyoming Capitol
From banning abortion to raising concerns about “East Coast professors” at UW, the Freedom Caucus spelled out its priorities for the 2026 legislative session Monday. “The Freedom Caucus exists for the people of Wyoming," chair Rodriguez-Williams said.
David MadisonFebruary 09, 2026

Wyoming Chief Justice Urges Legislature Not To Revamp Courts Over Abortion Ruling
The chief justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court urged the Legislature Monday not to revamp the state’s courts based on the high court’s opinion declaring abortion a fundamental health care right. Early in her speech, the Freedom Caucus chair walked out.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 09, 2026

2026 State of the State & State of the Judiciary
Governor Mark Gordon delivers his State of the State address to the 68th Wyoming Legislature, followed by Chief Justice Lynne Boomgaarden's State of the Judiciary address.
February 09, 2026

Proposed Bill Would Legalize Corner-Crossing On Wyoming Public Lands
Rep. Karlee Provenza, an outspoken advocate for public land access has introduced a bill legalizing corner-crossing in Wyoming. But Jim Magagna, of the Stock Growers Assoc. says it's too vague. “It almost isn’t a serious piece of legislation,” he said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 07, 2026

Parents Demand Apology From Sweetwater County School District
Investigators found special‑education violations tied to student privacy and parental rights at Sweetwater County School District No. 1. Now a Rock Springs mother is calling for the censure of the school board chair — months after he publicly censured her husband.
Zakary SonntagFebruary 07, 2026

'No-Nuclear’ State Rep. Bill Allemand Has Challenger For House Seat
One of Wyoming state Rep. Bill Allemand’s biggest critics, Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer, is running for Allemand's seat in the Legislature. Allemand has made headlines as an opponent of nuclear storage facilities, including one near Casper.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2026

Wyoming Bill Could Let 18-Year-Olds Carry Concealed Guns On UW Campus
Wyoming Legislature voted last year to allow concealed firearms on the University of Wyoming campus. Bills this year would allow 18-year-old students to carry, while those 21 and older could do so without permits.
Mark HeinzFebruary 07, 2026

Wyoming Business Council Launches 'Myth-Busting' Campaign In Effort To Save Itself
Wyoming Business Council CEO Josh Dorrell told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that it's launched a myth-busting campaign to save the agency from potential destruction. "I was hoping to give a little bit of a reality check," he said.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2026
