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Wyoming legislators make no movement toward commonsense cannabis reform—2019 Legislative recap
Three proposals, dealing with medical cannabis and sentencing reform, lived short lives this session before dying at the hands of short-sighted lawmakers.
Lawmakers fail to figure out new revenues for Wyoming public school funding, but avoid further cuts—2019 Legislative recap
After three consecutive years of deep cuts to the Wyoming public education budget, the Legislature relented this session. But without stable sources of revenue, more school cuts are likely on the way.
The Wyoming Legislature defeated an LGBTQ workplace nondiscrimination bill. But the issue is as alive as ever. — 2019 Legislative recap
A proposal to ban workplace discrimination died at the same time a Senator’s anti-LGBTQ remarks brought national attention to Wyoming. Meanwhile, homophobic incidents continue to demonstrate the need for nondiscrimination policy.
Wyoming Legislature shoots down “big box” corporate income tax and all other revenue-generating bills — 2019 Legislative recap
You got a tax bill? The Legislature has a bullet. Along with the “big box” tax, lawmakers killed proposals to “modernize” Wyoming’s sales tax structure, tax tourism to promote the tourism industry, increase cigarette taxes, and every other tax-related bill this year.
Wyoming Legislature does nothing to address the “State of Insecurity” low-income folks face — 2019 Legislative recap
Efforts to raise Wyoming’s minimum wage, provide tax relief to very poor elderly and disabled people, and help fund food pantries all died this session.
Foster Friess’ Magic School Bill rides into the law books — 2019 Legislative recap
Gov. Mark Gordon allowed the bill to become law today without signing it. The debate over what Gordon called “flawed” legislation pitted “school choice” advocates against defenders of local control.
Wyoming’s new abortion reporting law will help anti-choice activists harass doctors and women — 2019 Legislative recap
It was the third law passed in three years in Wyoming to attack women’s reproductive rights. Prior to 2017, an anti-abortion law had not passed here in nearly 30 years. Three other anti-choice bills proposed in 2019 were defeated.
Young conservatives led the most successful push in Wyoming’s history to end capital punishment — 2019 Legislative recap
Capital punishment is expensive, violates the sanctity of life, gives government too much power, and has grave consequences when it’s misapplied. For these and other reasons—put forth mainly by young conservatives—the Wyoming Legislature came very close to ending the death penalty this year.
Wyoming Legislature rejects all Medicaid-related bills, good, bad, and otherwise — 2019 Legislative recap
Proposals to expand Medicaid, to study Medicaid expansion, and to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients all died this session.
A new Wyoming law terminating parental rights of rapists is flawed to the point of being nearly pointless – 2019 Legislative recap
Rape is common. Convictions for rape are exceedingly rare. But under Wyoming’s new law, a rapist must have been formally convicted of sexual assault before a civil court can take away his legal right to be daddy.
Citizen lobbyists push for commonsense cannabis reform at the Wyoming Legislature
A dozen or so people braved the elements one snowy day during the 2019 session to support a hemp bill and educate legislators about the benefits of medical cannabis.
Bebout’s tax break for oil companies dies an 11th-hour quiet death
On an absurdly late final night of the 2019 session, Bebout went home before the House and Senate could hash out disagreements over his proposed oil tax break. In Bebout’s absence, the bill sputtered and died.
Farmers, pain patients, and Wyoming’s economy will benefit from our new hemp law
A bill to legalize hemp survived a last-ditch attack from law enforcement lobbyists and a temporary threat to its funding before it passed its final hurdles in the Legislature this week.
Wyoming House rejects Medicaid work requirements
Opponents of the bill agreed that encouraging people to work is a good thing. But threatening to take away their healthcare isn’t the right way to do it.
A message to Wyoming State Senator Lynn Hutchings from PFLAG (VIDEO)
The things we say to children can have deep, lasting, and sometimes harmful impacts. PFLAG – Laramie President Lorinda Lindley calls on Wyoming State Senator Lynn Hutchings to realize this, and to issue an apology to the students she dehumanized.