Gail Symons
Latest from Gail Symons
Gail Symons: Heart Mountain -- What Wyoming Should Remember
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Heart Mountain was one of ten incarceration camps where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were held during World War II. They were forced to leave their homes and sent here under Executive Order 9066."
Gail SymonsNovember 02, 2025
Gail Symons: Lawmakers Forced A Small Town Into Their Political Theater
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "The curtain rose on the Wyoming Legislature's fall drama production last Tuesday, and what a show it was. The Management Audit Committee returned to center stage, performing a farce where everyone agrees the ship is sinking but spends the afternoon debating how to rearrange the deck chairs."
Gail SymonsOctober 26, 2025
Gail Symons: Teachers' Salaries In Wyoming And The Creative Math Behind Them
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Here's the reality. Actual average teacher salaries in Wyoming exceed the model's averages because districts have been covering pay by hiring fewer teachers. The paycheck looks healthier because the staff is thinner."
Gail SymonsOctober 19, 2025
Gail Symons: Wyoming Lives In A Bunch Of Women Hunting Antelope
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "The Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt isn't just about teaching women to hunt. It's about teaching confidence, self-sufficiency, and collaboration. Skills Wyoming has always valued."
Gail SymonsOctober 12, 2025
Gail Symons: What The Heck Did Pete Hegseth Just Say?
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Hegseth's speech cast doubt on every female officer, minority commander, and leader who earned their position through grit and competence. That includes me. And I won’t stay silent while someone tries to turn my service, and the service of so many others, into a political stunt."
Gail SymonsOctober 05, 2025
Gail Symons: Try Listening For A Change Instead Of Calling The Other Side Evil
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Rep. Lloyd Larsen did not sugarcoat our habits. 'We label those who disagree with us as evil and seek to shut out uncomfortable ideas.' His point landed because it was honest. A neighbor cannot be an enemy if we plan to move the fence together."
Gail SymonsSeptember 28, 2025
Gail Symons: The Constitution Calls For Some Government Spending
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "The next time someone complains about "big government" spending on schools, health services, or emergency response, they're not making a conservative argument. They're rejecting the Constitution."
Gail SymonsSeptember 21, 2025
Gail Symons: Wyoming Needs To Keep Funding The Suicide Hotline
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "'I reached over to remove the gun from my son’s mouth.' My friend spoke those words to explain why she was participating in the annual Walk Out of Darkness event."
Gail SymonsSeptember 14, 2025
Gail Symons: Don't Feed The Trolls
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "A commenter who likes to come up with nicknames he incorrectly believes are clever, referred to a 'satanic lobbyist.' It wasn’t disagreement. It was performance: distortion meant to get a reaction."
Gail SymonsSeptember 07, 2025
Gail Symons: There's A Four-Part Test For Good Politicking. Hold 'Em To It
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "Good policy makers should ask: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?"
Gail SymonsAugust 31, 2025
Gail Symons: They’re Making Laws About You. Show Up
Columnist Gail Symons writes: “Civic education is not about memorizing the Federalist Papers. It is about knowing whom to call, what meeting to attend, and how to make your voice count when decisions affect you.”
Gail SymonsAugust 24, 2025
Gail Symons: Wyomingites Are Smart Enough To Look Past Flippant Insults
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "One legislator accused another of not being a 'conservative leader.' But I’ve watched both lawmakers in action. The one being criticized leads with skill and substance. It got me thinking."
Gail SymonsAugust 17, 2025
Gail Symons: Wyoming Teens Leave No Excuse For Civics Ignorance
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "The standard Wyoming sets for its youth is high. It’s time the rest of us matched it; not only in knowledge, but in the courage to show up, speak up, and take part. Oh, and these students know that our Republic is a representative democracy."
Gail SymonsAugust 10, 2025
Gail Symons: Wyoming's Libraries Are Vital
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "Wyoming's libraries, all 92 of them across our 23 counties, build strong communities every day. These institutions deserve our support and advocacy."
Gail SymonsAugust 03, 2025
Gail Symons: Don't Die Of This, But Democracy Brought Wyoming Into Existence
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "The founders used 'democracy' and 'republic' interchangeably in many contexts because they understood what our modern ghost writers apparently don't: that a republic IS a form of democracy."
Gail SymonsJuly 27, 2025
Gail Symons: Well At Least The Wyoming Legislature Has A Flair For Drama
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "It’s no secret the Secretary of State has turned his feud with the Governor into a personal mission. His former colleagues in the Freedom Caucus, now well-entrenched on legislative committees, have carried that torch into policymaking."
Gail SymonsJuly 20, 2025
Gail Symons: Rodeo Is Wyoming's Soul Laid Bare
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "Nearly every small town hosts its own grassroots version of the big rodeos, from Friday nights in Dubois or Kaycee to Fourth of July celebrations in Ten Sleep. These local rodeos have full parking lots, kids in the stands, and neighbors shaking hands across the fence."
Gail SymonsJuly 13, 2025
Gail Symons: In Wyoming, Patriotism Is A Verb
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "The power of patriotism lies in its ability to remind us of the common values that unite us. In Wyoming, this means more than just pride, it means responsibility."
Gail SymonsJuly 06, 2025
Gail Symons: That Federal Lands Measure Would Have Betrayed Wyoming
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "Supporters of this plan spoke of affordable housing and local control. Let’s call that what it is: a smokescreen. This bill wouldn’t have solved Wyoming’s housing crisis. It would create playgrounds for the wealthy."
Gail SymonsJune 29, 2025
Gail Symons: The Big Gun Bill Vs. Grassroots Governance
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Don’t miss the irony. By repealing local discretion, the gun-zones bill doesn’t expand freedom. It concentrates decision-making into the hands of a few state legislators rather than the communities directly affected."
Gail SymonsJune 22, 2025
Gail Symons: Lean Into That Wyoming-Forged Artwork
Columnist Gail Symons writes, "From the murals in Lander to kinetic sculptures in Cheyenne to bronze tributes in Sheridan, public art has become part of our landscape."
Gail SymonsJune 15, 2025