Joan Barron
Latest from Joan Barron
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
Joan Barron: Don't Get All 'Cheugy' About New Words
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “With the new year we have new words to ponder, like 'sportocrat,' and 'fleek.' The German word 'Backpfeitfengesicht' means 'a face that deserves to be slapped or punched.'”
Joan BarronJanuary 03, 2026
Joan Barron: Chances Dimming For A Woman Governor
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The office of governor always has been regarded as the best political job in Wyoming. I always thought Lummis would be the one to become the first woman elected governor on her own merits. Even after her announcement, supporters are urging her to run."
Joan BarronDecember 27, 2025
Joan Barron: Freedom Caucus Subpoenas Burn Bridges
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The Freedom Caucus members were reckless and overly aggressive in their decision to issue subpoenas to local officials over some questionable audit findings.”
Joan BarronDecember 21, 2025
Joan Barron: Hands Off Wyoming's Exclusive Miners' Fund
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Miners are in a special class when it comes to budgets. They have their very own program, with a healthy pot of money. But, like all healthcare programs, it is faced with increasing costs. Today it totals $99,275,233."
Joan BarronDecember 13, 2025
Joan Barron: No Fix Yet For Wyoming's Bumpy Highways
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The need to do something about a $600 million deficit in the highway funding budget of the Wyoming Department of Transportation” may have to “wait until after the next election.”
Joan BarronDecember 07, 2025
Joan Barron: Cheyenne's New Children's Museum Is A Gem
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "While Cheyenne residents continue to debate whether the influx of gambling outlets is good or evil, no one is questioning the positive nature of another new project. It is a special gem — the Children’s Museum of the Capital City."
Joan BarronNovember 29, 2025
Joan Barron: UW Tax Exemptions Have Laramie Steamed
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “The amount of property tax income lost to the City of Laramie and to Albany County from the University of Wyoming exemption totals about $4 million to more than $5 million a year. And the citizens would prefer the payments be in cash."
Joan BarronNovember 22, 2025
Joan Barron: Will We Let Wyoming's Small Towns Die?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Could we, in good conscience, let Lost Springs die? Or Manderson? Or Hyattville? I think as long as Wyoming has money in the bank, they will get state help. Whether that is wise or not is debatable."
Joan BarronNovember 15, 2025
Joan Barron: The Dick Cheney I Remember
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "During the spring of 1978 he was the cute guy who entered the press room of the Capitol Building in Cheyenne. Dick Cheney had a wicked sense of humor, could talk freely and at length on policy issues, yet was far from being a social chatterbox."
Joan BarronNovember 08, 2025