Special session goes to lawmakers for a vote
WyoFile
by Maggie Mullen
7h ago
The one thing now standing between the Wyoming Legislature and its third special session in four years is a simple majority vote. The prospect of lawmakers returning to Cheyenne has hung in balance since Saturday, when Gov. Mark Gordon submitted his last vetoes of 2024 legislation. Incensed by several of the governor’s rejections, the hard-line Freedom Caucus called for a special session to override vetoes.  Now, lawmakers have until 5 p.m. Sunday to cast their votes. Final results are expected Monday morning.  Legislative leaders Speaker of the House Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) a ..read more
Visit website
Lander-based outdoor school NOLS sheds jobs, announces closures
WyoFile
by Katie Klingsporn
19h ago
Just four years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended operations at the National Outdoor Leadership School, the nonprofit wilderness school and staple of Wyoming’s outdoor landscape has announced plans to shed jobs and close satellite facilities.  NOLS, a global operation and major Fremont County employer with headquarters in Lander, will eliminate 60 jobs as well as suspend operations at three of its campuses come fall. The bulk of the layoffs, 42, will directly impact staff; the remaining 18 positions are currently vacant, according to the school.  The restructuring stems from a h ..read more
Visit website
Among first states to ban red flag laws, Wyoming tests its prohibition’s constitutionality
WyoFile
by Madelyn Beck
19h ago
Wyoming became one of the first states in the nation to ban red flag gun laws when Gov. Mark Gordon signed new legislation into law last week.  Senate File 109 – Prohibit Red Flag Gun Seizure Act says no local government, agency or police department can implement or enforce any rule that keeps a Wyoming resident from firearms or ammunition unless that gun owner meets certain criteria.  It also bans using funds from Wyoming or the federal government to implement red-flag gun seizures.  “What we’re doing is we’re prohibiting law-abiding citizens from having their guns taken awa ..read more
Visit website
Before legislating, political newcomers should try something else: listening
WyoFile
by Susan Stubson
19h ago
In 1907, my grandfather Harry S. Harnsberger, a baby-faced blond with translucent skin, stepped off the train in Lander. It was only the second train to arrive at this remote outpost — the end of the line. For Harry, having finally convinced his parents to release him to the West, it was the culmination of long-harbored visions of becoming a “riding, roping, hootin’-tootin’ carefree cowboy.” To him, it was paradise. Opinion The cowboy thing didn’t work out. Nor did his job as a camp cook in the Tar Spring patch near present-day Fort Washakie. As the reality of making a living sunk in, snuff ..read more
Visit website
Hageman’s Rock Springs bill undermines public input, federal official says
WyoFile
by Angus M. Thuermer Jr.
2d ago
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman’s bill to block plans to manage 3.7 million federal acres in southwest Wyoming undermines the public’s right to participate, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management official said last week. BLM Principal Deputy Director Nada Wolff Culver made those comments to the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, where she testified on Hageman’s H.R. 6085, which would prohibit implementation of the Rock Springs resource plan revision. The BLM proposed a conservation alternative for the high steppe country between the Wind River Range and Rock Springs. Wyoming communities dependent on ..read more
Visit website
Bad border rumors highlight need for good information
WyoFile
by Amy Edmonds
2d ago
Gov. Mark Gordon posted a rather amazing statement on his social media accounts earlier this month. “It has come to my attention that unsubstantiated rumors are circulating that migrants are being housed or transported to Wyoming communities with my approval and support,” the statement began. “These rumors are completely false.” Opinion The governor went on to explain how he had not authorized any housing of immigrants here in Wyoming, as the rumors apparently alleged, and that he would not do so in the future. As well, he again voiced his support for fighting the federal government should ..read more
Visit website
Special session looms as leadership reconsiders despite reservations
WyoFile
by Maggie Mullen
2d ago
A special session may be in the works after all.  After initially rejecting a call for a special session Monday morning, Wyoming’s legislative leadership announced later that evening there’s reason to think twice.  “We believe it is likely still worthwhile to consider a special legislative session to enact meaningful property tax relief this year,” Speaker of the House Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) and Senate President Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) wrote, adding that new information from the Department of Revenue had shifted their thinking.  No decision has been made either w ..read more
Visit website
An aging Wyoming presents big housing challenges
WyoFile
by Madelyn Beck
3d ago
Wyoming faces an array of future affordable housing challenges, but one big hurdle is an aging population.  “The state is projected to experience moderate population growth in the coming years,” a new Wyoming Community Development Authority housing needs assessment found. “However, the aging of the population has deep implications for future housing needs, as older adults living longer independently accelerate housing demand.” To illustrate that trend, the report estimates that people 65 and older made up 12% of the population in 2010, growing to 17% in 2021. By 2030, the report projec ..read more
Visit website
Will abortion, gun bill vetoes change Wyoming’s political landscape?
WyoFile
by Kerry Drake
3d ago
Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed two radical bills last Friday that earlier in his political career he probably would have signed or let become law without his signature.  Opinion But in his sixth year as the state’s chief executive, with term limits preventing him from running for governor again in 2026, the Wyoming Republican surprisingly vetoed an anti-abortion bill and another to eliminate most gun-free zones.  I don’t claim to know the motivation for two of the best actions he’s taken as governor. Does Gordon no longer care about shoring up his conservative credentials? Did he view th ..read more
Visit website
I planned to become a Wyoming OB-GYN. The Legislature changed my mind.
WyoFile
by Natalie Eggleston
3d ago
Wyoming lawmakers are pondering how to address the state’s dire shortage of OB-GYNs. According to a recent report, 11 of 23 Wyoming counties do not have an OB-GYN at all, so many women must travel great distances to receive essential health care.  Opinion When it comes to health care in general, the lack of providers and the distance required to receive care are some of the biggest issues Wyomingites face. And for women specifically, the problem is more severe. Idaho faces a similar issue: Only half of the state’s counties have an OB-GYN, and nearly a quarter of the state’s OB-GYNs hav ..read more
Visit website

Follow WyoFile on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR