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Session recap: WTF is going on with abortion in Wyoming?
The Legislature ditched the “trigger ban” it passed in 2022 in favor of two new bans—all of which are or will be tied up in court. Abortion remains legal until a ruling comes down from the Wyoming Supreme Court about whether abortion is “healthcare” protected by the state constitution. Meanwhile, the governor and others increasingly believe the issue will be decided eventually at the ballot.
Session recap: You gotta fight for your right … to marry children
Religious fundamentalists in the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and the Wyoming State GOP fought tooth and nail for the “freedom” to continue marrying children. Fortunately, this was one of many fights that they lost in 2023, as the Legislature passed its first law prohibiting marriage for children under 16.
The winding road to Wyoming’s biggest healthcare access win in a decade
A bill to extend Medicaid coverage for uninsured new Wyoming moms faced opposition from the so-called “Freedom Caucus,” legislative leaders, and the Wyoming State GOP. But a coalition of healthcare access advocates and pro-life lawmakers pushed “Medicaid for Moms” all the way to the governor’s desk.
“Florida Bills” (mostly) fail at the Wyoming Legislature
Wyoming and Florida are worlds apart by most standards. But a raft of bills inspired by laws in the Sunshine State have come forth during the 2023 session, as so-called “Freedom Caucus” members seek to fight Critical Race Theory, transgender athletes, and other non-issues in Wyoming.
Lawmakers defeat bills targeting Wyo. public schools and libraries
Proposals brought by the so-called “Freedom Caucus” to divert public money to private and religious schools and to criminalize librarians for “obscene” books have all failed this session.
All the Wyo. Legislature’s unconstitutional abortion bans
Two bills poised to pass the Wyoming Legislature in 2023 double down on last year’s “trigger ban” by adding further restrictions, including removing exceptions for incest and rape and banning pharmaceutical abortion. But both new laws will certainly be challenged in court and they likely will not stand.
Wyo Legislature once again looks to restrict primary voting
A Wyoming Senate Committee that has already killed one “crossover voting” ban during the 2023 legislative session is set to hear another—the last one standing. But party purists in years past have gone to great (and shady) lengths to restrict primary voting, so it’s anyone’s guess what will happen.
Freedom Caucus bill would prosecute Wyoming librarians as child pornographers
The bill would remove protections for librarians against overzealous government censorship, opening them up to prosecution for child pornography and obscenity. Fortunately, some in Wyoming are fighting back against banning books and demonizing librarians.
Will the Wyo. “Freedom Caucus” kill health coverage for new moms?
A bill to stop the rollback of Wyoming Medicaid coverage for uninsured new moms has broad support. Advocates for HB-4 say it will ensure the health and well-being of both mothers and their babies. But Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Neiman, who as House Majority Floor Leader can unilaterally kill any bill he wants, might not let it see the light of day.
Wyo. lawmakers propose first batch of post-Roe abortion laws
Two bills would follow last year’s “trigger ban” to further restrict reproductive rights, while a third would return Wyoming to its pre-2022 status quo.
Wyoming students perform among the best in the nation. Will radical lawmakers ruin that?
National standardized tests show Wyoming fourth graders rank #1 nationwide in math, and our students perform far above average across subjects and grade levels. But the Wyoming Legislature, taken over by the far-right Freedom Caucus, is intent on cutting public teacher pay and promoting private religious schools. Will they wreck our K-12 system?
Want to slow Wyo’s boom-and-bust cycle? Tax Jackson.
Diversifying Wyoming’s economy will require diversifying its tax base. While raising taxes on average residents is a political non-starter, a new report shows Wyoming can significantly broaden its tax base by focusing on luxury real estate and the ultra-rich.
What will Wyo lawmakers do with an extra $3 billion this year?
Last year, facing a supposed “budget crisis,” the Legislature and Gov. Gordon cut hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding, eliminated hundreds of jobs, and refused cost-of-living raises for teachers during record inflation. Now that the oil and gas industry is booming and tax revenues have soared, the state has a $3 billion surplus. What will they do with it during the 2023 session that starts next week?
A brief history of failed “Wyoming solutions” to our state’s healthcare problems
For more than a decade, Wyoming lawmakers have insisted that, instead of expanding Medicaid, we should find a state-based approach to fixing our broken healthcare system. And for a decade, they have failed to come up with any such thing, just like every other state before them that eventually adopted the program.
Does Governor Gordon really care about mental health?
The governor convened a recent conference about Wyoming’s mental health crisis. But, at the same time, he says he opposes Medicaid expansion, which rural states across the U.S.—including every single one of our neighbors—have used to bring about actual solutions to their mental health challenges. If he really cares about Wyoming’s mental health crisis, why does he oppose a proven solution?