Joan Barron
Latest from Joan Barron
Joan Barron: A Rare Pro-Union Veto By Gordon?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Gov. Mark Gordon never seemed to be a union guy. But he acted like one when he vetoed an anti-union bill this session. His denial of the bill raised eyebrows, particularly from hard-right Republicans who never fully trusted him."
Joan BarronApril 04, 2026
Joan Barron: "Toyota Never Came" Or Wyoming Business Council Has Troubled Past
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The Business Council, which is the state’s economic engine, had its beginning decades ago. Gov. Stan Hathaway pushed for the 'Wyoming Ambassadors.' It was not very successful. 'Toyota never came,' the skeptics said."
Joan BarronMarch 28, 2026
Joan Barron: Why Is It So Hard To Say 'I’m Sorry?'
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Why is it so hard for today’s politicians to admit the wrongness of a situation? Even though they were not at fault personally, the ball was in the court of the Freedom Caucus members as it were, since they were the recipients of the checks."
Joan BarronMarch 21, 2026
Joan Barron: Get-Tough Subpoena Bill Dies In Senate
Columnist Joan Barron writes, 'One of the last bills would have made it a felony to ignore a legislative subpoena. The felony level in the bill was a step too high. It was a bad bill and probably would have been vetoed by the governor if it had passed."
Joan BarronMarch 07, 2026
Joan Barron: Call The Midwife - If You Can Find One
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “Only 26 certified professional midwives are currently licensed in Wyoming. And only six are held by Wyoming residents.”
Joan BarronFebruary 28, 2026
Joan Barron: This Will Be 'The Check-Gate Session'
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The check passing wasn’t just an amazing error of judgment. It was a monumental breach of protocol and the ethics of the Legislature."
Joan BarronFebruary 21, 2026
Joan Barron: Budget Session Starts With A Stunner
Columnist Joan Barron writes, ''The defeat of the election reform bills and others supported by the hard-right-wing Freedom Cause was a surprise.”
Joan BarronFebruary 14, 2026
Joan Barron: Can Our Lawmakers Focus On The Budget?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, ''This should be a compelling, possibly volatile legislative session, with a bag of issues to wrangle over under the watchful control of the Freedom Caucus."
Joan BarronFebruary 07, 2026
Joan Barron: Freedom Caucus Takes Aim At Supreme Court
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The Wyoming Freedom Caucus has the state’s high court in its sights, as the result of its recent ruling striking down anti-abortion laws as unconstitutional.”
Joan BarronJanuary 31, 2026
Joan Barron: Confused About Property Taxes? Join The Club!
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "People hate the property tax, yet it is the most reliable source of money for local governments."
Joan BarronJanuary 24, 2026
Joan Barron: Wyoming Business Council Down, Maybe Not Out
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The Wyoming Business Council has been de-funded before, but survived. The likeliest scenario is that the big tussle to restore some of the cuts will come in the Senate."
Joan BarronJanuary 17, 2026
Joan Barron: We've Got A Bumper Crop Of Election Bills
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Is there such a thing as too many election bills? In my opinion the answer is yes. I’ll bet the state could survive for many years without the need for any of these bills."
Joan BarronJanuary 10, 2026