CASPER, Wyo. — A grassroots organization in Casper staged a protest Wednesday outside the Casper Business Center, the current home of city hall, and demanded an end to the occupation of Palestine. Activist Catie Raey, representing the group Freedom Gets the Final Say, stated the purpose of the demonstration: “To call on our local officials to make a public statement for an immediate permanent ceasefire and end to the occupation,” Raey said. Raey highlighted a shared frustration: “It’s frustrating to ourselves and others realizing our tax dollars are funding a genocide when we can barely get g ..read more

by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile It’s the beginning of the end of the federal funds that bailed Wyoming out of its last financial bust, according to Gov. Mark Gordon, who submitted his written budget recommendations to the Legislature on Friday and warned lawmakers of tough decisions that lie ahead in the 2024 legislative session.  “The Legislature has thoughtfully used some of the unprecedented congressionally mandated funding of the past few years to backfill many of the cuts we were compelled to make to balance our budget,” Gordon wrote in his budget letter.  Now, “as the fede ..read more

by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile A measure to create “education savings accounts” using state funds for parents to pay for costs associated with their children’s preschool education or non-public-school expenses is headed to the legislative session, despite concerns it may not be constitutional.  The Legislature’s Joint Education Committee advanced the bill on Wednesday. Under the measure, Wyoming parents whose household income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level — for a family of four, that equates to $75,000 annually — would be eligible for up to $5,00 ..read more

by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile One of the two Wyoming clinics offering elective abortions will close in December. State lawmakers have been trying to restrict abortions here for years, but financial strain — including the rising costs of labor, supplies and rent — finally forced the closure, instead, according to a letter sent to patients. Wyoming’s two abortion ban laws have been stymied in court so far, but the lost clinic will limit access to women in need of abortion care in the region nonetheless.  “It’s just so sad,” said Dr. Giovannina Anthony, one of the healthcare providers worki ..read more

by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile When Gov. Mark Gordon took to the dais at the dawn of the 2023 legislative session, he made few, if any, surprising remarks in his State of the State address. He called for all people to have access to affordable, quality health care. He thanked veterans and deployed Wyoming National Guard members and acknowledged the state’s severely stressed watersheds. He also didn’t miss the opportunity to take aim at the Biden administration, particularly for its energy policies.  The address is the one time during session that lawmakers from both the Senate and the Ho ..read more

by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile The Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee narrowly rejected legislation on Monday that would have implemented an acquisition value-based property tax system in Wyoming to counter soaring home values.  It was the committee’s final meeting ahead of the 2024 budget session and a conclusion to an off-season mostly defined by the debate over how to address rising property taxes. Since homes in Wyoming are taxed according to value, surging home values have prompted higher property taxes for many residents. That’s been especially hard for residents on a fixed inco ..read more

When Wyoming lawmakers passed a bill this spring banning transgender girls from competing in middle and high school girls’ sports, Gov. Mark Gordon criticized the move as both draconian and discriminatory. That characterization made it all the more interesting last week when Gordon joined eight other Republican governors in forcefully arguing against transgender women competing in women’s sports at the collegiate level.  The move prompted criticism from civil rights advocates, but the governor’s office maintains Gordon’s position on the issue hasn’t changed.  In the letter, Gor ..read more

by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile A bill to ban hemp substances with synthetic or “psychoactive” components is headed to the Wyoming Legislature, though many lawmakers agreed it’ll need more work when it gets there.  “I don’t have any doubt that this is a work in progress,” said Sen. Bill Landen (R-Casper), who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee. “But I like the fact that this would at least be a step in what I think is a necessary direction.” The legislation narrowly passed the committee in a 6-8 vote, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. “As much as I want ..read more

by Tennessee Watson, WyoFile t’s been five years since former Albany County sheriff’s deputy Derek Colling shot and killed Laramie-resident Robbie Ramirez. Yet, because of ambiguities in state law, the agency that certifies police officers in Wyoming still hasn’t been able to access Colling’s personnel records or complete its investigation of his fitness to serve. The Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee endorsed a bill Tuesday that would authorize the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to access the personnel records it says are needed to thoroughly review police miscond ..read more

CASPER, Wyo. — Megan Degenfelder, the elected state superintendent of public instruction for Wyoming, testified before Congress Oct. 19, highlighting the need to shield children from explicit content in school libraries. The testimony was given at a House Committee on Education & the Workforce meeting titled “Protecting Kids: Combatting Graphic, Explicit Content in School Libraries.” “We must safeguard our children from graphic and sexually explicit content in school libraries,” she declared, expressing her bewilderment that the act of protecting children has become controversial. “When d ..read more