Government & Politics
News

Gordon Allows "Frivolous" And "Superfluous" Parental Rights Bills To Go Into Law Without Signature
Saying the bills undermine local control and don't add much to parental rights already enshrined in law, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon allowed two parental rights bills regarding education to go into law without his signature.
Clair McFarlandMarch 23, 2024

This Week's Election & Re-election Announcements in Wyoming
A number of current state legislators have confirmed to Cowboy State Daily this past week that they’re running for reelection. Some have dropped out. Many already have challengers. Here's a quick look.
Leo WolfsonMarch 23, 2024

Legislators Say University Of Wyoming 'Flipping The Bird' At People Of Wyoming
Rep. Jeanette Ward said the University of Wyoming is "flipping the bird" at the people of Wyoming by deciding to keep some diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the school despite the legislature pulling funding for them.
Clair McFarlandMarch 22, 2024

Wyoming Joins Supreme Court Lawsuit On Trump Immunity
Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill has joined an amicus brief with two other state attorneys general asking the U.S. Supreme Court to establish a legal test for the limits of presidential immunity.
Leo WolfsonMarch 22, 2024

Gordon Signs Wyoming Ban On Gender Changes For Kids, But Calls It Intrusive
Although he feels it’s intrusive into the “personal affairs of families,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Friday signed a bill that bans gender-change treatments for children.
Clair McFarlandMarch 22, 2024

Hageman's Bill To Ban Trans Women In Olympics Clears Committee
Despite emotional attacks from detractors, a bill carried by Harriet Hageman to ban transgender women from competing in Olympics and other amateur spots cleared the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Clair McFarlandMarch 22, 2024

Gordon Signs Bill To Give Money For Private Schools, But Cuts Income Threshold
Gov. Mark Gordon made a significant cut to a bill giving state money to parents who want to send their kids to private schools or to homeschool in Wyoming, but still signed it Thursday.
Leo WolfsonMarch 22, 2024

Gordon Vetoes Property Tax Relief Bill, Calls It ‘Socialistic’ and ‘Bidenomic’
Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a property tax relief bill Thursday that would have exempted 25% of assessed home value off Wyoming homes worth $2 million or less, calling it “a socialistic type of wealth transfer.” He signed three other property tax bills.
Leo WolfsonMarch 22, 2024

Chuck Gray OK’d Casper Gravel Pit Last Year, But Now Tells Locals He Opposes It
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray told a crowd of Casper Mountain area residents Thursday he stands with them in their opposition to a gravel pit plan, but wouldn’t answer questions about why he voted to approve it last year.
Dale KillingbeckMarch 22, 2024
University of Wyoming Won’t Cut Diversity Program Despite Legislature Defunding It
Despite the Wyoming Legislature stripping funding for the University of Wyoming’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program, the university won’t cut it, President Ed Seidel told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. He said the university could use its own money or private money to keep it going.
Leo WolfsonMarch 22, 2024

Riverton Cuts Ties With Chamber Of Commerce Over Bungled Money
The Riverton City Council voted Tuesday to strip the Riverton Chamber of Commerce of its duty to distribute lodging tax money after the chamber reportedly overdrew its bank account by thousands of dollars.
Clair McFarlandMarch 21, 2024

Barrasso And Lummis Slam New Biden Administration EV Mandate
Sens. Barrasso and Lummis blasted a new Biden EV rule announced Wednesday that says gas-powered cars can make up no more than 30% of U.S. auto sales by 2032. They both vowed to overturn the mandate to protect consumer choice.
Leo WolfsonMarch 21, 2024

Affie Ellis, Wyoming's First Native Woman Legislator, Won't Run For Reelection
Affie Ellis, a Cheyenne Republican and first Native American woman elected to the Wyoming Legislature, has announced she won't run for reelection in the fall.
Leo WolfsonMarch 21, 2024

It’s Not A Conspiracy to Hide Wrecks, Those WYDOT Webcams Really Are Broken
Conspiracy theorists will be disappointed to learn that the Wyoming Department of Transportation doesn’t routinely shut off highway webcams when there’s a wreck. Dozens of them really are broken.
Leo WolfsonMarch 20, 2024

Natrona County Sympathetic With Locals Opposed To Casper Mountain Gravel Pit
Locals opposed to a proposed gravel pit at the base of Casper Mountain again packed the Natrona County Commission’s meeting room Tuesday as officials said they’re sympathetic to their concerns.
Dale KillingbeckMarch 20, 2024

Natrona County OKs Funds To Bury Years Of Unclaimed Cremated Remains
The Natrona County Coroner’s office on Tuesday okayed $15,000 to bury the cremated remains of 22 unclaimed people. The remains had been sitting on a shelf in the coroner's office for years.
Dale KillingbeckMarch 20, 2024

Wyoming House Majority Whip Cyrus Western Won’t Run For Reelection
House Majority Whip state Rep. Cyrus Western, a Republican from Big Horn, confirmed to Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that he won’t be running for reelection this fall.
Leo WolfsonMarch 20, 2024

Wyoming Delegation Applaud Ruling Allowing Texas To Arrest, Deport Illegals
Wyoming’s congressional delegation applauded a Tuesday U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow Texas broad discretion to arrest and deport migrants illegally crossing the border.
Leo WolfsonMarch 19, 2024

Hundreds Protest, Testify Against So-Called ‘Assault Weapons Ban’ In Colorado
With the so-called “assault weapons ban” bill before the Colorado Legislature, hundreds of gun rights supporters protested at state Capitol in Denver on Tuesday. One of the organizers was Dudley Brown, a Gillette native and president of the National Association for Gun Rights.
Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2024

US Supreme Court To Consider Wyoming Election Buffer Zone Challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to hear a Wyoming First Amendment challenge to the state’s buffer zones restricting campaigning around polling places. If the high court hears the case, it could impact elections nationwide.
Leo WolfsonMarch 19, 2024

RFK Team In Wyoming, Needs 3,500 More Signatures To Get Him On The Ballot
Independent third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is crossing Wyoming this week, gathering signatures to get him on the state’s presidential ballot.
Clair McFarlandMarch 19, 2024

Wyoming Clerk Says Gray's Office Doing Little To Promote Crossover Voting Change
For the first time this year, Wyoming primary voters can’t crossover vote. They have to decide party affiliation months earlier, by May 15. But a county clerk says Chuck Gray’s office is doing little to let people know about the change.
Leo WolfsonMarch 19, 2024

Gordon Vetoes Bill To Deregulate Mining Over Casper Gravel Pit Amendments
Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill Monday that would have deregulated some mining operations on state lands. He said the bill was hijacked by amendments aimed at solving a Casper gravel pit proposal.
Leo WolfsonMarch 19, 2024

Legislative Watchdog Gary Brown To Challenge Cheyenne Incumbent Bill Henderson
Cheyenne resident Gary Brown says his state representative, Bill Henderson, snubbed him and doesn’t vote with the Republican Party line enough, so he’s running for Henderson’s House District 41 seat.
Leo WolfsonMarch 18, 2024
