Sen. Brian Boner
Earl DeGroot, head of Wyoming Sportsmen for Federal Lands, speaks at a 2017 rally for Public Lands Day in Laramie.

Session recap: How the death of “Wyoming Public Lands Day” illustrates mining’s grip on the Legislature

What should have been an uncontroversial win for public lands advocates became a way for mineral industry-connected lawmakers to demonstrate their supremacy.

Book review: The currents young Wyomingites swim against

In an essay for High Country News, BW director Nate Martin looks at two books that explain why Wyoming can't keep its young talent.
Neither pipelines nor oil spills nor climate change nor protests are going away. There's no reason to think bills like SF-74 will, either.

Session recap: Wyoming hasn't seen the last of pipeline protest bills like SF-74

The bill vetoed by Gov. Matt Mead that would have punished protesters like those at Standing Rock with imprisonment and absurd fines was a small part of a much larger fight. It's likely to be back in some form soon.
Gov. Matt Mead says "Get that imprecisely crafted bill out of my face." The House obliged.

House upholds Mead’s veto of pipeline protest bill, killing it for good (until next year)

The Legislature needed a two-thirds vote from each chamber to override Mead's veto. The Senate mustered the votes, but the House did not.
Sen. Leland Christensen is the sponsor of SF-74, which passed the Senate unchanged but has been heavily amended by the House.

House amendments might scuttle a consensus vote on pipeline protest bill

The Senate left the bill much as ALEC wrote it. But amendments in the House to address free speech and landowner concerns imight make it difficult to reconcile the two versions before the 2018 session closes.
Rep. Charles Pelkey (D-Laramie) pointed out that the East India Tea Company would have loved using SF-74 to arrest the patriots who carried out the Boston Tea Party protest of 1773.

Debate continues over controversial pipeline protest bill

The saga of Senate File 74 is not over yet. The controversial…
Charles Curley

Wyoming GOP committeeman Charles Curley under fire for allegedly assaulting female colleague

The alleged assault took place after the Laramie County Republican's Lincoln Day Dinner nearly two weeks ago. Despite being widely witnessed and discussed, the GOP has kept quiet about the incident and Curley has refused to resign.
Oil and gas lobbyists like Robert Jensen (L) pressured Rep. Bill Henderson (R) into changing his vote on a bill to severely punish pipeline protesters.

Oil lobbyists force House committee to re-vote on pipeline protest bill

Even in a state where it's common for lawmakers to roll over and beg for the oil and gas industry, this demonstration of submissiveness by Wyoming's "leaders" was deeply disturbing.
Dr. Rene Hinkle of the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center speaks against Boner's Bill at a meeting of the Senate Labor and Health Committee.

Public outcry and dissent from the medical community help kill Boner’s Bill

Boner's Bill to give "nonviable birth certificates" to women who miscarry pregnancies died in the Senate on Tuesday. Lawmakers lost heart after hearing from so many outraged citizens.
Proponents of expanding Medicaid in Cheyenne.

Medicaid expansion dies a quiet, shameful death for the fifth year

The Legislature yet again refused to accept hundreds of millions of federal dollars because they would go toward helping poor people get healthcare.
Left to right: Sens. Baldwin, Boner, Scott, and Peterson (Bouchard was late)

Five-man Senate committee unanimously passes “Boner’s Bill”

4100 Comments
/
Women who had miscarried pregnancies came out in droves to speak against a bill that would force Wyoming doctors to offer "nonviable birth certificates." But Chairman Charlie Scott shut down discussion so the committeemen could determine what's best.