Government & Politics | Cowboy State Daily

VIC, right, is the Wyoming's first AI candidate and creation of Cheyenne resident Victor Miller, right, who says if VIC is elected mayor, the AI persona will make all the decisions of the office, not Miller.

Meet VIC, Wyoming’s First AI Candidate Running For Cheyenne Mayor

Meet VIC, an artificial intelligence-powered candidate for Cheyenne Mayor that is Wyoming’s first AI-powered political hopeful. The man behind VIC, Victor Miller, says if elected VIC will make all decisions related to the office.

Leo WolfsonJune 10, 2024

View from a drone of the collapse of a secton of Teton Pass along Wyoming Highway 22.

Temporary Detour Around ‘Catastrophic’ Teton Pass Failure Will Take Weeks

A temporary detour around the “catastrophic” failure of Highway 22 over Teton Pass is in the works, but will take weeks. In the meantime, the quickest route to get between Jackson and Idaho will take drivers three to four times longer.

Jake NicholsJune 10, 2024

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, left, and President Joe Biden.

Chuck Gray Joins Supreme Court Fight Over Biden’s Voter Registration Order

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has joined a U.S. Supreme Court filing fighting President Biden’s get-out-the-vote executive order. He said turning "federal agencies into get-out-the-vote operations is not only unconstitutional; it is outrageously wrong.”

Leo WolfsonJune 10, 2024

Jessica Sell Chamber's tenants have been putting signs in their cars to let Jackson, Wyoming, police know they live in the homes they're parked in front of and are not just tourists camping out.

Jackson Town Councilwoman Gets Ticket For Parking In Front Of Her Own House

Jackson Town Councilwoman Jessica Sell Chambers learned she didn’t understand Jackson’s complicated parking rules when she got a ticket for parking in front of her own home. The rules prohibit parking the same vehicle within a single block area for more than 72 hours

Renée JeanJune 08, 2024

One argument PETA makes in its lawsuit over an ad denied by Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is that the airport displays hunting trophies in its terminal and shows an alleged bias against PETA's views on animal cruelty.

Rock Springs Airport Says It Didn’t Violate PETA’s Rights By Not Running Giant Cow Ad

The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport’s board on Friday said refusing to let PETA place a giant cow ad in its airport didn't violate the animal rights group’s free speech rights.

Clair McFarlandJune 08, 2024

Thomas Lear and state Rep. Clarence Styvar, R-Cheyenne

Former Cheyenne Democrat Takes On Three-Time Incumbent In Republican Primary

Cheyenne resident Thomas Lear was a registered Democrat in Wyoming as recently as February, but now he’s a Republican running against three-time incumbent Clarence Styvar for House District 12.

Leo WolfsonJune 07, 2024

Reid Razner, left, and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming.

Reid Rasner Tells Hageman To Cease And Desist Her Demand That He Cease And Desist

Long shot U.S. Senate candidate Reid Rasner has responded to Harriet Hageman’s demand he cease and desist using her image on social media by telling her to cease and desist her demands. The Hageman campaign said he's not a serious candidate.

Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024

Wind River Family and Community Health Care serves the Northern Arapaho and Easter Shoshone tribes on the Wind River Reservation and used to be administered by Indian Health Services before become self-sufficient. The Northern Arapaho Tribe won a U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday that the federal government has been short-changing its health care funding.

Wyoming Tribe Could Get $1.5 Million Because Feds Short-Changed Indian Health Clinics

A legal fight by the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming over short-changing Indian health clinics ended Thursday with the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the tribes and saying the law supports the tribe’s claim it’s owed $1.5 million.

Clair McFarlandJune 06, 2024

A number of candidates and incumbents who've lived in Wyoming five years or less are running for office this year, including, from left: Top: Mark Jones, Laurie Bratten and Tom Olmstead. Bottom: Cayd Batchelor, Pamela Mertens, Joe Giustozzi and Marc Torriani.

Move To Wyoming And Then Instantly Run For Legislature Is A Real Trend

Pamela Mertens moved to Wyoming in August 2023 from Florida and now she's running for House District 56. Tom Olmstead is running for Senate District 20 after moving from Colorado three years ago. They aren't anomalies. It's a trend.

Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024

Chuck Gray Tells County Clerks They Can’t Offer Ballot Drop Boxes, Clerks Disagree

Wyoming county clerks on Wednesday said they don't have to follow Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s directive to quit using ballot boxes, despite Gray saying they're illegal.

Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024

A proposed rule in the Campbell County School District would be the strictest in the state by required a one-year sit-out for varsity sports participation when transfering schools.

Campbell County Schools Propose 1-Year Sports Sit-Out For Transfer Students

The Campbell County School District is considering a proposal that would give it the toughest public school transfer policy in the state — a 1-year ban on varsity sports participation for transfer students.

Leo WolfsonJune 05, 2024

House District 8 Republican candidates, from left, Steve Johnson, Rep. Dave Zwonitzer and Cayd Batchelor.

Cheyenne House Race A Tale Of Three Very Different Wyoming Republicans

The Wyoming House District 8 race features three very different Republicans: Incumbent Dave Zwonitzer, a Freedom Caucus supporter who calls Zwonitzer a “RINO” and a 22-year-old newcomer to Wyoming who has been here for 18 months.

Leo WolfsonJune 05, 2024

The lot where Mega Mogul proposed building a massive 360,000-square-foot hotel has landed in limbo after the Jackson Town Council approved a 120-day moratorium on large developments.

Jackson Council Halts Massive 360,000-Square-Foot Mega Hotel For 120 Days

Mogul Capital’s proposed 360,000-square-foot mega hotel at the north end of Jackson has landed in limbo for at least 120 days after the town council put a moratorium on large development projects.

Renée JeanJune 05, 2024

Wyoming Delegation Says Biden’s Border Order A Desperate ‘Election Year Stunt’

President Joe Biden’s aggressive executive order Tuesday clamping down on the southern U.S. border has angered congress across the board — Democrats and Republicans. Wyoming’s delegation says Biden “panicked” by making an “election year stunt.”

Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024

Gene Clemetson was escorted out of East High School in Laramie County School District No. 1 while substitute teaching in March. The substitute teacher says he’s been barred from a Cheyenne-based school district after refusing to use preferred transgender names of students.

Cheyenne Substitute Teacher Says He Was Kicked Out For Not Using Trans Names

A Wyoming substitute teacher says he was barred from working in Laramie County School District No. 1 after refusing to use preferred transgender names of students.

Clair McFarlandJune 04, 2024

Wyoming legislators are considering closing a loophole in state law that could potentially allow state military members to be prosecuted for using deadly force to protect military assets.

New Law Would Allow Deadly Force By Wyoming National Guard In Some Cases

Wyoming legislators were asked during a Tuesday committee meeting to consider closing a legal loophole that allows some Wyoming National Guard members to be prosecuted for using deadly force while protecting certain military assets.

Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024

Wyoming Property Tax Refund Hits Record But Still Not Enough Relief, Some Say

An expanded property tax refund program where eligible homeowners could receive back as much as 75% of their previous year’s tax bill led to record participation, but many legislators say it’s not enough relief.

Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024

The aftermath of a more than 30-hour standoff between police and a man suspected of killing a Sheridan police officer.

Sheridan OKs $250K For House Destroyed In Standoff With Suspected Cop-Killer

A local woman whose home was destroyed during a 32-hour standoff with a suspected cop-killer in February will get another $250,000 from the city of Sheridan to help rebuild after the city council approved the settlement Monday.

Clair McFarlandJune 04, 2024

A Tesla juices up at a Level 3 fast-charging station at the Frontier Mall in Cheyenne.

Legislature Still Wants EVs To Pay Their Way, Resurrects Charging Tax

Saying electric and hybrid vehicles need to pay their own way for the wear and tear they put on Wyoming roads, legislators are resurrecting a bill to tax fast-charging stations.

Leo WolfsonJune 03, 2024

State Rep. Tamara Trujillo, left, and former state Rep. John Romero-Martinez are cousins and political rivals facing off for a second time for the Wyoming House.

Cheyenne’s Battling Republican Cousins Meet In Round 2 For Wyoming House Seat

One of the most intriguing Wyoming Legislature races this summer will be for House District 44 in Cheyenne, where two cousins run against each other again, along with another former state legislator.

Leo WolfsonJune 03, 2024

The Wyoming Democratic Party meets for its 2024 convention at the Lyric Theater in Casper on Saturday.

Wyoming Democrats Nervous About ‘Threat’ From ‘Dangerous’ Freedom Caucus

At its state convention Saturday, the Wyoming Democratic Party called the Freedom Caucus a “threat” to Wyoming and a “dangerous” far right group that needs to be reined in.

Leo WolfsonJune 01, 2024

Wyoming’s Primary Election Is Set: 167 Candidates In 72 Contested Races

With the 5 p.m. Friday deadline for filing to run in the August primary election in. Wyoming past, the field is set: 167 candidates in 72 contested races.

Leo WolfsonJune 01, 2024

Dr. Rene Hinkel testifies in 2023 to a legislative committee about the Life is a Human Right Act.

Removal Of Casper Doc From Medical Board Stokes Freedom Caucus Outrage

News of a Casper doctor being forced from the Wyoming Board of Medicine because of his views on transgender treatments for minors has outraged the Freedom Caucus. But a former board member says the group’s anger is hypocritical.

Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024

Marshall Burt speaks during the 2022 session of the Wyoming Legislature.

Former Libertarian Runs As Republican To Win Back Wyoming House Seat

Marshall Burt, a Libertarian who was the first third-party candidate to be elected to the Wyoming Legislature in more than a century before being ousted from the House in 2022 is now running as a Republican to win back the seat.

Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024

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