Joan Barron
Latest from Joan Barron
Joan Barron: Smile When You Subpoena Me, Pardner!
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The use of its subpoena power by a minor committee may ultimately damage the Legislature’s relationship with local government officials."
Joan BarronNovember 01, 2025
Joan Barron: Kathy Karpan – A Lifetime In Wyoming Politics
Columnist Joan Barron writes, ''Kathy Karpan, who died Friday in Cheyenne at the age of 83, was a competitor in the arena of Wyoming politics for most of her adult life.''
Joan BarronOctober 27, 2025
Joan Barron: Will Members Of The Wyoming Freedom Caucus Please Stand Up?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “There is not a complete list of Freedom Caucus members available to the public. The group’s online site lists a number of them, but says others do not want to be identified.”
Joan BarronOctober 25, 2025
Joan Barron: Lessons Learned Covering Politics, Wyoming Style
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “I was content to be the reporter who transmitted to voters news of their government and what it was doing, and in some cases, not doing at all, and why.”
Joan BarronOctober 18, 2025
Joan Barron: Chuck Gray vs. Mark Gordon – Wyoming's Cage Match
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The most recent squabble was a recurrence of the chronic rub between elected officials on the State Building Commission. It involved a rematch between Gov. Mark Gordon and Secretary of State Chuck Gray with some input from State Treasurer Curt Meier."
Joan BarronOctober 11, 2025
Joan Barron: Laramie County Community College Is A Fine College, Whatever The Name
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “I really don’t care what name the Cheyenne two-year college picks for its new moniker. My opinion of Laramie County Community College as a type-A college will persist.”
Joan BarronOctober 04, 2025
Joan Barron: Another Rec Center Vote In Cheyenne?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “With the Cheyenne YMCA set to close next week, it could be the right time for a new recreation center. Voters rejected three ballots calling for taxpayer-funded rec centers in 2008, 2012 and 2017.”
Joan BarronSeptember 20, 2025
Joan Barron: The Freedom Caucus Is In A Big Hurry
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “It is obvious that the Freedom Caucus members of the Legislature are eager to show off their new muscles, their power. Whether this is good for the Legislature and the state as a whole is debatable."
Joan BarronSeptember 13, 2025
Joan Barron: Solution For Cheyenne Eyesore “Big Hole”
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Cheyenne residents got good news recently about plans for a what is known as the Big Hole. Well, maybe. We residents of the capital city have been down this road before — many times."
Joan BarronAugust 16, 2025
Joan Barron: Highway Tolling Bill On Tap Again
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The real target for interstate highway tolls is out-of-state truck drivers.. Sen. Charles Scott said the big trucks are the ones tearing up I-80, and they are not paying their way.”
Joan BarronAugust 09, 2025
Joan Barron: Cheyenne’s Historic Storm 40 Years Ago
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “On August 1, 1985, a dozen people died in a flash flood and 70 people were injured. It also resulted in more than $60 million in property damage.”
Joan BarronAugust 02, 2025
Joan Barron: Are Efficiency Studies Worth the Price?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “If the Legislature does decide to take on this task, I hope they will not try to match the reckless blitzkrieg that marks the D.C. leaders’ method to achieve government efficiency."
Joan BarronJuly 19, 2025
Joan Barron: Can We Get Rid Of Prison Gerrymandering?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Although the inmates are convicted felons and cannot vote, they are counted as part of the overall population. They have been called 'Wyoming’s ghost constituents.'"
Joan BarronJuly 12, 2025
Joan Barron: Another Party For Republicans?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, ''I doubt the idea of another party for Republicans would fly in Wyoming, where the GOP and the state legislature have been taken over by the hard GOP Christian right.''
Joan BarronJuly 05, 2025
Joan Barron: The Night The Shah Of Iran Was Toppled
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “'The shah is dead,' the young guys yelled as they ran in the hallways of the dorm. They were Iranians. And they were joyous — jumping up and down joyous.”
Joan BarronJune 28, 2025
Joan Barron: The Dark Side Of Pro Rodeo Life
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Since this is the outdoor rodeo season in Wyoming and the West, it was timely to watch an old gem last week on TCM. It was a 1952 black-and-white movie from RKO titled 'The Lusty Men.'"
Joan BarronJune 21, 2025
Joan Barron: The Gambler Problem Needs A Legislative Redo
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The first meeting of the Select Committee on Gaming revealed a bundle of problems with current state law. The major ones dealt with local control over the establishment of new gambling spots."
Joan BarronJune 14, 2025
Joan Barron: Is It Time For Wyoming To Drastically Change Its Property Tax System?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Clearly, the bundle of property tax cuts and changes made in recent years has produced a chaotic system that muddles the mind to figure out exactly what is happening."
Joan BarronJune 07, 2025
Joan Barron: The Belvoir Ranch Project Moves Ahead But Slowly
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "One of the attributes needed to work in government is patience. The wheels grind very slowly sometimes in achieving a goal. For Cheyenne City Councilman Scott Roybal his pet project — the Belvoir Ranch master plan — took 15 years of effort."
Joan BarronJune 01, 2025
Joan Barron: What Is Happening To Wyoming’s Sacred Cow — Local Control?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "What was a shocker was the sudden attack on the tax money local governments spend to get representations from the such organizations as the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association."
Joan BarronMay 24, 2025
Joan Barron: Although Flawed, Wyoming Has Best System For Independent Judiciary
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "It is heartening to see so many people standing up for Wyoming’s method of selecting an independent judiciary. Although flawed, this is the best system there is for maintaining an independent judiciary."
Joan BarronMay 17, 2025