Capitol Dispatches

A disagreement over whether a man must be convicted of rape—rather than a woman merely presenting “clear and convincing evidence”—in order to lose his parental rights might scuttle efforts once again to ensure rapists don’t get to be daddies in Wyoming.

Critics of the bill argue that the tax break won’t increase oil production, which is driven by global oil prices. But it would benefit the lawmaker who brought it, Eli Bebout, who owns an oil company.

Concerns about disenfranchising the elderly, tribal people, and overseas military personnel contributed to the bill’s defeat.

The proposals were both sold as bills that have nothing to do with the abortion debate. This line of argument worked well for one bill, and not so well for the other.

Since it died as the result of a procedural deadline, the proposal to protect LGBTQ workers in Wyoming received neither a hearing nor a vote in the House.

Both proposals were watered-down versions of previous years’ bills. But lawmakers stood firm in allowing no policies that would improve the lives of Wyoming’s working poor.

Senate File 128 is what’s called a “fetal personhood” bill—a cookie-cutter proposal from the anti-abortion camp that increases the legal rights of fetuses—while attorneys say the bill removes protections from pregnant women.

The proposal is narrowly tailored to only prevent job-related discrimination. This is an effort to bypass opposition that has killed similar—but more wide-ranging—bills each of the past five years.