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Wyo. House Education Committee kills school censorship bill
Sen. Ogden Driskill, the bill’s sponsor, argued that his proposed law would ensure historical events like the Holocaust receive more balanced treatment. Its opponents said it would amount to drawing a target on teachers’ backs.
Wyoming edges toward banning abortion
A bill moving through the Wyoming Legislature would completely ban abortion in the state—even in cases of rape and incest—in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Another would immediately outlaw “abortion pills,” which can be more readily accessible for Wyoming women unable to travel great distances to end a pregnancy.
The progress of these bills demonstrates a radical shift over the past five years in the Legislature’s position on reproductive rights.
Wyoming Senate scraps “redistricting” plan in a reckless power play
County clerks, legislators, local officials, and members of the public worked for months to reach consensus on a new statewide election district map. On Tuesday, the Wyoming Senate voted to throw that plan in the trash and start from scratch with just seven days remaining in the 2022 legislative session.
The Senate’s move is a last-ditch attempt to give outsized influence to rural areas that have lost residents over the past decade, while under-representing more urban areas like Cheyenne that have experienced population growth.
Procedural hurdles and political calculations help trip up Wyoming Medicaid expansion
Rules governing the legislature’s “budget session” and lawmakers wary of right-wing primaries helped thwart efforts to pass Medicaid expansion this year. Meanwhile, grassroots advocates vow to mobilize around the 2022 elections.
Senate advances election restriction bill through Agriculture Committee and after-hours vote
Wyoming Senate leaders pressured members to re-assign a bill that would restrict voting in primary elections to a more favorable committee. After clearing the Agriculture Committee with a 5 – 0 vote, Senators debated the bill late Wednesday night after almost everyone had left the Capitol.
These tactics resemble past years’ efforts to ram through unpopular legislation backed by influential politicians.
Bill advances to limit voting in Wyoming primary elections
A bill that would require Wyoming voters to register with a political party months in advance of a primary election passed an introduction vote in the Senate last week. Currently, thousands of Wyoming voters register on the same day or shortly in advance of elections. The new law would bar voters from participating in the 2022 primary unless they register before May 12.
Pass or Fail: Wyoming teachers union launches legislative scorecard
Sure, teachers and principals impact your kids’ education. But so do state legislators and the laws they pass. The Wyoming Education Association’s new scorecard grades state lawmakers according to their votes and informs the public about which bills shape K-12 education in the state.
Southside sabotage!
Text these Laramie County Representatives TODAY! (video)
Read this post and/or watch the video and take action for fair representation in Southside Cheyenne. Legislators’ contact info is […]
Grassroots pushback prompts Wyo. lawmakers to think twice about splitting Southside Cheyenne’s vote
An amendment to the “redistricting” bill in the Wyoming House on Wednesday would have been a major setback for voting rights advocates for Southside Cheyenne. But Laramie County lawmakers responding to their constituents vowed to bring a fix on Thursday.
We, The Government, are Wasteful, Fraudulent, and Abusive: Therefore we must GROW government and increase Waste, Fraud, and Abuse!
In a guest editorial, Wyoming’s premiere legislators lay out their rationale behind Senate File 50, which would create a new branch of government to help inform on people accused of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Proposed election map would force 16 Wyo. legislators into runoffs
Sitting legislators often fight to ensure “redistricting” does not pit them against their colleagues in upcoming elections. But the current election district map that looks headed for the 2022 session will force 16 lawmakers to run against each other if they want to stay in the Legislature. We’ll see who comes forth to ask for squiggly lines to be drawn around their homes to protect their seats.
Medicaid expansion has momentum as the Wyo Legislature’s 2022 session approaches
Advocates for healthcare access have built a grassroots movement to convince lawmakers to finally expand the state’s program. But procedural hurdles during the “budget session” remain.
New proposed Wyoming voting map gerrymanders Albany and Laramie Counties
As “redistricting” proceeds, Wyoming lawmakers have adopted a new draft map that gives outsized influence to rural lawmakers, decreases the number of viable Democratic seats in Albany County, and zig-zags around the homes of some Laramie County legislators in an embarrassing display of gerrymandering.
Gordon’s proposed budget will keep Wyoming shackled to the fossil fuel industries
State tax revenue has recovered from last year’s bust, and Wyoming is receiving substantial federal pandemic funds. But instead of investing in education, infrastructure, and healthcare—things Wyoming residents need right now and that could help develop our economy in the long term—Gov. Gordon wants to pad the state’s savings account and prop up coal.
Cheyenne is a gerrymandered mess
Lawmakers have drawn voting district lines in Laramie County so that a large bloc of Democrat-leaning neighborhoods are split between five House districts, resulting in an all-GOP Cheyenne delegation. There is also racial gerrymandering splitting the Latino vote.