Government & Politics
News
Wyoming’s Golden Age Of Mule Deer Is Gone, With Fewer Than Half Of Peak Numbers
Wyoming has fewer than half of the 500,000 mule deer it did during the heyday of the 1960s to 1980s, and it will likely never see mule deer herds like that again, a Game and Fish official told legislators Friday.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025
82 Amendments Piled On To Landmark Lummis-Backed Crypto Bill
The GENIUS Act, a landmark cryptocurrency bill backed by U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, has attracted 82 amendments including a few on unrelated, hot-button issues like credit card fees and tariffs. The proposal would be the first cryptocurrency bill of any kind to ever pass the Senate.
Sean BarryJune 06, 2025
Lawmakers Ponder What, If Anything, Can Be Done To Regulate Extreme-Range Hunting
Wyoming legislators on Friday discussed what can be done, if anything, to regulate extreme-range hunting. In one much talked-about instance, a hunter in Fremont County shot an antelope from 2,000 yards away.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025
Wyoming Legislators Warn One Big Beautiful Bill Could Let AI Run Wild
Wyoming legislators are concerned that the Trump-sponsored One Big Beautiful Bill could let artificial intelligence run wild and impede states’ abilities to govern against AI-related threats on their own.
Clair McFarlandJune 06, 2025
Will Senate Republicans Add Sale Of Federal Land Into Big Beautiful Bill?
Hundreds of BLM parcels across Wyoming could be available to buy if Republican senators add the sale of public lands to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. "The federal government doesn't need to perpetually own every piece of land,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis says.
David MadisonJune 06, 2025
Casper Gravel Pit Killed By State Land Board
The State Board of Land Commissioners on Thursday denied the renewal of six leases for a controversial gravel mining operation on state-owned land at the base of Casper Mountain. The vote is a victory for locals who waged a 14-month fight against the pit.
Zakary SonntagJune 06, 2025
New York Judge Keeps Wind River Job Corps Open
After being ordered to close their doors by the Trump administration, a federal judge in New York issued a restraining order that will keep the Wind River Job Corps in Riverton, and others across the nation, open.
Jackie DorothyJune 05, 2025
Proposal To Scrub Property Taxes From Constitution Went Too Far, Lawmakers Say
A proposal to remove the Constitution’s structure for property taxes advanced Tuesday in a state legislative committee. Looking back two days later, the committee's chairmen say eliminating all property tax clauses would be a step too far, and they plan to narrow that draft.
Clair McFarlandJune 05, 2025
Sublette County Holds Back $2.7M For New Hospital In Feud With Hospital District
Sublette County and the local hospital district are feuding over the county holding back $2.7 million for a new hospital and long-term care facility. The county says the block is temporary, but the hospital district worries the delay will be costly.
Clair McFarlandJune 05, 2025
Riverton Job Corps Students, Staff Protest Putting Program On ‘Pause’
More than 100 students and staff protested outside the Riverton Job Corps offices Wednesday with the program on “pause” after cut from . The program will end by June 30 unless Congress intervenes.
Jackie DorothyJune 04, 2025
Billionaire Idaho Rancher Who Has Clashed With Forest Service Could Oversee Agency
Michael Boren, an Idaho rancher and tech billionaire who has a history of clashing with the U.S. Forest Service, has been nominated to oversee the agency. If confirmed he would be in charge of nearly 200 million acres in western states, including more than 9 million in Wyoming.
Sean BarryJune 04, 2025
$1.7 Million Lighting And Concrete Repairs First Steps To Reopen Green River Tunnel
Transportation work replacing $1.78 million in lighting and concrete pavement are underway as part of the initial work needed to reopen the Green River tunnel since a fiery, fatal, multi-truck accident closed it down four months ago.
Andrew RossiJune 04, 2025
Lummis Says Schumer And Other Dems Should Issue Stronger Rebuke To Boulder Attack
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis on Tuesday said Democratic leaders need to respond much more strongly to a rash of antisemitic violence including the attack in Boulder. “We need to make sure that antisemitism does not grow in the United States," she said.
Jackson WalkerJune 04, 2025
Wyoming Democrats Are Going Broke And Don’t Want The Press To Report It
The Wyoming Democratic Party State Central Committee said during its Sunday meeting in Rock Springs that it's running at about a $5,000 per-month loss. The party also told the press not to report it.
Clair McFarlandJune 03, 2025
Department Of Education Investigates UW For Trans Sorority Induction
The U.S. Department of Education on Monday announced it’s investigating the University of Wyoming because it “allowed a man to join a campus sorority." But UW was not the entity that inducted a transgender member into the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Clair McFarlandJune 02, 2025
National Weather Service Hiring Meteorologists, Cheyenne Uncertain If They'll Get Any
Three weeks after the 24-hour Cheyenne National Weather Service office was forced to shut down overnight operations due to federal staffing cuts, a small number of eliminated positions may be returning – but no one knows if positions will come back to Cheyenne.
Andrew RossiJune 02, 2025
Biden Immigration Policy Enabled Boulder Terror Attack, Wyoming Delegation Says
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso, Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman on Monday expressed outrage over an illegal Egyptian national who attacked people in Boulder with a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails. They say Biden’s immigration policy is to blame.
Greg JohnsonJune 02, 2025
Wyoming Dems Say Nothing Is Wrong With Platform But Will Target Rural Areas
Despite having just eight seats in the 93-member legislature and being on the heels of a rough national election, Wyoming Democrats overwhelmingly told Cowboy State Daily they aren't changing their platform. Their strategy, rather, is to volunteer in rural areas.
Clair McFarlandJune 02, 2025
Wyoming Democrats Elect New State Party Chairman To Replace Barbuto
Wyoming Democrats on Sunday elected Lucas Fralik of Laramie as its new state party chairman. Fralik characterized the party as tolerant toward immigration, diverse library content, same-sex marriage, and the working man.
Clair McFarlandJune 01, 2025
Insurance Company Says Natives Lured Out Of Wyoming With False Promises
Insurance companies believe Native Americans struggling with addiction are being lured from Wyoming to illegitimate treatment centers in California and other states in an insurance-billing scam. The facilities are often “rundown apartment complexes with no appropriate treatment."
Clair McFarlandMay 31, 2025
Fresh Off Las Vegas Bitcoin Conference, Lummis Plans Another Crypto Bill
Wyoming Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis will roll out another cryptocurrency bill soon, her office says. In the current Congress, it will be the third crypto bill either led or co-led by Lummis, who spoke this week at a Las Vegas bitcoin conference.
Sean BarryMay 31, 2025
Wyoming Leaders Hail Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Environmental Reviews
Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman was among those celebrating a Supreme Court ruling Thursday that limits the scope of environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects. “Environmentalists for years destroyed development in the U.S.,” she said.
David MadisonMay 29, 2025
English-Speaking Trucker Enforcement Intensifies As Hageman Brings Bill
The push for tougher enforcement of English-language requirements for commercial truck drivers intensified Thursday when Harriet Hageman introduced a bill to make it a federal law. Wyoming trucking companies largely support the requirements.
Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2025
Out Of One Lawsuit, Into Another, As State GOP Argues For Private Group’s Right
Just as Wyoming Republican Party leaders dropped the party's lawsuit against the Laramie County Clerk, they launched a counter-argument in another case, where the party is being sued on claims it cheated its own election processes.
Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2025
Wyoming Delegation Cheers Poll Showing 50% Of Americans Think US Is On Right Track
Wyoming’s congressional delegation cheered a new poll that showed more Americans than ever say the country is on the right track. It’s the most optimism ever recorded by the weekly poll, which was started nearly 20 years ago.
Sean BarryMay 28, 2025
$20M WYDOT Computer Upgrade Is First Major Overhaul In 40 Years
The last time the Wyoming Department of Transportation made a significant upgrade to its Driver Services computer system, “Top Gun” was the No. 1 movie and Wyoming voters elected a Democrat for governor, Mike Sullivan. It’s the most significant overhaul of the system since 1986.
Andrew RossiMay 27, 2025
Gordon Goes On Offensive To Counter Chuck Gray’s 'Social Media Lies'
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon launched an aggressive counterattack Friday in an ongoing feud with Secretary of State Chuck Gray. He said he feels compelled to counter Gray’s “social media lies.”
Clair McFarlandMay 24, 2025
After Postal Service Said ‘No,’ Congress On Track To Give Mills Its Own ZIP Code
Mills, Wyoming, has an identity crisis having to share a ZIP code with parts of Casper, frustrating people trying to get home deliveries from FedEx and UPS. The Postal Service turned the city down for its own ZIP, so Congress may make it happen.
Dale KillingbeckMay 23, 2025
Gordon Rejects Call To Remove Weston County Clerk Over Election Mistakes
Though her actions and those of her office skewed three unopposed races in the 2024 general election, the clerk of Weston County didn’t act with misconduct, malfeasance or willful negligence, Wyoming Gov Mark Gordon concluded in a Friday decision letter.
Clair McFarlandMay 23, 2025
Wyoming Shooters Closer To Being Able To Buy Suppressors Over-The-Counter
Wyomingites might soon be able to buy firearms suppressors over-the-counter. A bill lifting restrictions on them passed the U.S. House on Wednesday.
Mark HeinzMay 22, 2025
Hageman’s Budget Vote Critical As House Passes One Big Beautiful Act 215-214
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman on Thursday lauded the passage of the One Big Beautiful Act, which passed by one vote, 215-214. Among other things, it preserves income tax cuts, scraps green energy tax incentives and promotes the oil, coal and timber industries.
Sean BarryMay 22, 2025
Barrasso Cheers Vote To Kill California Mandate To ‘Force-Feed’ EVs On Everyone
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso cheered Thursday’s vote to kill California regulations that would end using gas-powered vehicles in favor of EVs. He said Republicans rejected efforts by Democrats "to force-feed electric vehicles to every single American.”
Sean BarryMay 22, 2025
Walmart Asks Wyoming Lawmakers For Help With Organized Theft
Walmart asked Wyoming’s lawmakers to strengthen laws to curb organized retail theft - which is generally an orchestrated scheme in which co-conspirators conduct targeted, repeating thefts as a business. Company officials said they are seeing a rise in sophisticated and organized theft rings.
Clair McFarlandMay 22, 2025
At Lusk Town Meeting, Locals Say Wind Projects Have Ended Friendships
At a town hall meeting in Lusk hosted by Secretary of State Chuck Gray on Wednesday, locals said wind projects on 180,000 acres of land in eastern Wyoming has stirred up anger and resentment.
Greg JohnsonMay 22, 2025
Joe Barbuto, Chairman Of Wyoming Democratic Party, Steps Down After Eight Years
Joe Barbuto, the longtime chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down after eight years to join a national organization that supports state Democratic parties. No replacement has been made.
Clair McFarlandMay 21, 2025
Trump Admin Green Lights Pulling Non-English-Speaking Truckers From Roads
President Trump gave transportation chief Sean Duffy 60 days to rescind 2016 guidance that kept non-English speaking truck drivers from being removed from the roads. Duffy rescinded that order Tuesday, 38 days ahead of schedule. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman was a frontrunner on the issue.
Clair McFarlandMay 21, 2025