The 2026 Wyoming Legislature, Part 2. Pre Legislative Committee Edition.

 

November 15, 2025

Wyoming ‘Tim Tebow’ Rule Heads To Lawmaking Session

I'm frankly not keen on this at all.  Playing sports and being in activities are vital parts of school.  They help socialization.  Parents who seek to avoid socialization are harming their children and there are nwo a lot of private school options that would be better choices for those seeking to evade the perceived dangers, often fictional, of public schools

A long time legislator has passed away.

John Eklund, Longtime Wyoming Lawmaker And Rancher, Dies At 74

Wyoming Rep. John Eklund dies: Legislators say they will remember Eklund for his mentorship, kind spirit and thoughtful approach to lawmaking.

November 18, 2025

Governor Gordon Proposes $11.13 Billion Two-Year Budget

November 19, 2025

Gray 'Alarmed' Gordon Doesn't Back His Request For Extra Money

Curt Meier, however, praised it.

The Secretary of State received $200,000 less than it asked for.

Here’s what Gov. Mark Gordon is proposing for Wyoming’s next budget: The governor's $11.1 billion request would boost state worker pay, bolster wildfire-fighting capacity and renovate the veterans home in Buffalo, among other things.

Wyoming Lawmakers Advance Five Bills To Rein In Slot-Machine-Like Gaming

Wyoming Horse Racing Is Thriving, But Legislators Want More Regulation

November 22, 2025

This is flat out irresponsible and insane:

Wyoming Legislators Advance Plan To Kill All Residential Property Taxes

December 16, 2025

Five takeaways from the Wyoming Legislature’s budget hearings: The Joint Appropriations Committee wrapped up its first round of hearings Friday.

December 19, 2025

 A Q&A with Pine Bluffs’ Justin Fornstrom, Wyoming’s newest state lawmaker: Laramie County commissioners selected Fornstrom to represent a House seat vacated by the late John Eklund.

January 8, 2026

We had this news posted here yesterday:

Abortion in Wyoming and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

 This is what happens when a dumb, paranoid,  amendment to the Constitution is made.

The amendment that brought down the state's abortion laws was passed due to right wing paranoia that the AHCA would create "death panels". That fear was frankly stupid, but it was adopted by far right Republicans who really believed it.  The prime architect of the amendment has gone on record that he'd feel awful if the amendment caused the abortion laws to fail, and in fact he should feel awful.

I'll confess that when I first posted this, I was harsher on the paranoia of the Wyoming Republican Party that gave us the dumbass head in the sand amendment to the Wyoming Constitution based on fear of the ACHA.  I'm obviously being less kind here.

Anyhow, the Tribune notes:

Wyoming Republicans seek to amend constitution

The flaming dipshits that passed the amendment that caused this to occur in the first place ought to just repeal that amendment.  Indeed, they ought to cal lit "B______ B_________was a dumbass paranoid moron amendment repeal".

They won't, as the best thing to do when somebody does something rampagingly stupid is to double down on the stupidity, apparently. After all, look at the ongoing Republican support for Donald Dipshit Trump.

Anyhow, they're going to address their failure with a proposed amendment to the Constitution. That amendment will fail to get support from the electorate, which they'll find basically likes the idea of killing babies as it means they can complain about gays and the transgendered while being sexually immoral themselves.

January 9, 2026

Rep. Elissa Campbell files resolution for Wyoming abortion amendment

That was fast.

Wyoming Democrats, I'd note, are making the classic blunder.  They should simply say nothing at all, and not go out to own a result that they don't really own.  The Wyoming Supreme Court's ruling came about as the far right of the Wyoming GOP went out and shot itself in the foot.  Now it's going to go to the voters.  A smart Democratic policy would be just to sit back and do nothing at all.  But, they  just can't help themselves:

Laramie lawmakers celebrate abortion ruling

The state supreme court ruled abortion is a fundamental constitutional right. Provenza, Chestek and Rothfuss say it’s a win for individual liberty and they’ll resist calls to change the constitution.

Chances are high that not enough Wyoming voters are going to vote for the proposed constitutional amendment for it to pass, and if there are, the Democrats are going to effect that anyhow.  Indeed, by making it an issue and embracing abortion, it'll drive GOP voters who likely would vote against the amendment or sit the election out, into voting as they'll want to vote against the Democrats.  Given the immorality of abortion, it's truly an example of errare humanum est perseverare diabolicum.

January 10, 2026

Lawmaker Unveils Bill To Prevent DUI Charges For Drunk Horseback Riding

January 13, 2026

Wyoming Freedom Caucus aims at state spending, voting machines and the judicial branch in 2026 priorities: The group of conservative Republicans has promised cuts since last spring, but won’t say where and how deep.

Lawmakers question Wyoming Public Media’s funding

The public radio station is headquartered on the UW campus and receives some state funding via UW’s block grant. WPM weathered a 10% cut when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was axed.

January 14, 2026

The freakishly dumb caucus votes to keep everyone else as dumb as possible.

Lawmakers vote to axe UW’s block grant, defund Wyoming Public Media: Wyoming Freedom Caucus members on a key budget committee take aim at the state’s lone four-year public university.

Wyoming Lawmakers Propose Cutting Governor's Budget To UW By $61 Million

My opinion, of course, is harsh, but frankly many of the Dukes of Hazzard crowd in the Freely Dumb Caucus don't trust education.  People who are educated don't believe the same dumb stuff they do, so they don't like it.

And they're going after the Wyoming Business Council.

Legislators Vote To Defund And Dismantle Wyoming Business Council

This one at its core is a completely unthinking objection to socialism.  We don't like socialism, because it's socialism.  Not much more thought behind it than that.

I'll often hear that the WBC picks "winners and losers" which might be right, but the state's economy otherwise is pretty much making all Wyomingites losers.

January 16, 2026

Gov's Office: "This Is Nuts" As Bill To Kill Wyo Biz Council Heads To Legislature

January 17, 2016

Sigh . . . 

Rep. John Bear Calls Sen. Ogden Driskill A ‘Doofus’ In Clash Over Budget

January 24, 2026

Going Feral: Lawmaker Unveils Bill To Sell Between 30,000 And 2...: Another moronic idea by a Wyoming Republican, a party which seems to draw from the endless well of bad ideas. Wasserburger is going right on...

Jacob Wasserburger came up with this bad idea, but it sounds a lot like he's been sitting around with Mike Lee, the Senator from Deseret.  He's signed on to the no prescription for Ivermectin act as well, these two things indicating that he's hanging out with, in not in, the Freedom Caucus.

January 27, 2026

Nuclear waste, state land use top Wyoming Legislature’s energy agenda: Recent controversies over sprawling energy development have triggered a slate of bills to empower voters and communities in state-level energy ambitions.

The assault on education in the legislature continues on:

After pushback, legislative committee scales back proposed cuts to public education: Lawmakers tweaked provisions that would have increased class size and omitted positions like school counselors from the funding model. This came after hours of testimony, much in opposition.

Noble act from the football coach.

Wyoming Football Coach Jay Sawvel Cuts Salary $125K To Boost Player Funding

When things are so bad that even UW football is cutting back, you know the "we don't need no education" crowd is way out of control.

The following should be a hard "no". 

Rep. Bill Allemand asks judge to rescind court-ordered alcohol testing during upcoming legislative session: The Midwest lawmaker is contesting his DUI charge following his arrest last month in Johnson County.

Tracking Shot Bears With Dogs Would Be Legal Under Hunting Bill

January 28, 2026

Wyoming Lawmakers Reverse Course, Will Not Deny $58 Million In Medicaid

Bill Would Force Wyoming Counties To Pay Self-Defense Legal Fees

January 29, 2026

Judge Orders Wyoming Rep. Allemand To Submit To Alcohol Testing During Session

Last edition:

The 2026 Wyoming Legislature, Part 1. The way too early edition.

Labels: 2020s, 2025, 2026, 2026 Wyoming Legislature, Agriculture, Court, Democratic Party, Gomers, Municipal Organizations, Municipalities, Nuclear power, police, Taxes, Wyoming Freedom Caucus

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is playing games with the budget

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is playing games with the budget: The proposed cuts are a form of negotiation by hostage taking, with the caucus using UW and the business council as leverage in future negotiations, writes Rep. Ken Chestek.

Interesting article.

Chestek is a law professor.  I've frankly thought for some time the legislature would come after the law school, but so far it hasn't.

Wednesday, January 27, 1926. The Paul Whitman Orchestra at UW.

Today In Wyoming's History: January 27: 1926  The  Paul Whitman Orchestra played at the University of Wyoming.

Last edition:

Saturday, January 23, 2026. Saturday Art. Tramps and J. C. Leyendecker.

Labels: 1920s, 1926, Art, Hobos, J. C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, The homeless

Monday, January 3, 1876. First classes at BYU.

The first classes were held at Brigham Young University. The school had 79 students.

Last edition:

Saturday, January 1, 1876. Deadline expires.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, Great Sioux War, Native Americans

Wednesday, December 30, 1925. Ben-Hur.

The first variant of Ben-Hur was released.

I tried listening to the book as an audio book once, but gave it up.  I should either try that again, or read it.

The Association of College Honor Societies was formed by representatives of six organizations, Alpha Omega Alpha; the Order of the Coif; Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Sigma Xi; Tau Beta Pi.  While nothing compared to the post World War Two boom in college attendance, the 1920s did see an increase in it, including an increase in female attendance.

Adding an item that would have properly been posted yesterday, but we were unaware of it, on December 28, 1925, this patent was granted:

We do not wish to be crude, but we do seek to track various developments on this blog.  Indeed, that's one of its main purposes.  This is a real development. This is a sanitary belt for menstruation, a very common, indeed the normal, method of addressing sanitary concerns until the tampon became common which wasn't really until the 1970s.

Anyhow, women in their current societal roles necessitated inventions such as this.  Kotex, the primary brand, was not introduced until 1920.

Related threads:

Clothing: It was because of World War One.

Labels: 1910s, Clothing, It was because of World War One, It was because of World War Two, Men, Standards, The roles of men and women, Women, World War One, World War Two, Yeoman's Fourth Law of History

Women and Trousers. No big historical deal, or the triumph of the harpies in trousers?

Labels: Christianity, Clothing, Islam, religion, Standards, The roles of men and women, trends, Women, World War One, Yeoman's Fourth Law of History

Last edition:

Sunday, December 27, 1925. Between time.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Cartoons, Christianity, Coal, Coptic, Disaster, Mexico, Mining, Oriental Orthodox

Sunday, December 6, 1925: Red Grange Saves the NFL

 

December 6, 1925: Red Grange Saves the NFL

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Today -100: December 6, 1925: I do and I don’t: Texas Attorney Gen. Dan Moody, who is not a fan of the governors Ferguson, seems to kill the idea of a special session to impeach Gov. Miri...

From Reddit's 100 Years Ago today:

Interesting to see this question being asked as early as 1925.

Last edition:

Saturday, December 5, 1925.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Art, Equine Transportation, Norman Rockwell, The relationship between men and women, Women

Subsidiarity Economics 2025. The Times more or less locally, Part 11. The blistering ignorance edition.

 Guest Column: Fear Is No Energy Policy

Radiant scraps Wyoming nuclear microreactor manufacturing facility: California-based Radiant Industries cited the state's ban on spent nuclear fuel waste and said it will build a manufacturing plant in Tennessee.

Letter To The Editor: Why We Chose Tennessee Over Wyoming For Our Nuclear Generators

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus people, heavily made up in the legislature of carpetbaggers, and their street level MAGA adherents, which believe that global warming is a fib and that coal and petroleum will last forever, have likely chased Radiant Energy's nuclear generator factory out of the state, and out of Natrona County.

To hear many of the opposition to these proposals tell it, this is what was going to happen if Radiant Energy was allowed to come into the state

This is because they fear nuclear waste in spite of the repeated efforts of everyone who has looked into it that,to explain that in this case, there was nothing to fear.

The ironies of this are so thick it isn't funny.  In a state in which rampaging gang land rape is thought of as a virtue, opponents of this project sometimes came across sounding like they were members of Greenpeace.  

Well, you can't really have the a "save the planet" and "drill baby drill" point of view simultaneously, unless you are ignorant.  And this has been the triumph of ignorance.  

Indeed, a person sustains more exposure to radiation from ceiling fans (truly) than they would have for this proposal, of from background radon gas, or simply from living in the state.

Trump, who ironically supports nuclear, won't be around forever and the end of carbon based fuels is not only on the horizon, it's out on the front lawn.  Nuclear energy is  the future.

The entity would have directly employed 250 people.

But this is common for Wyoming.  I've seen feedlots basically run off twice, and by long standing assertion, Natrona County fail to support an effort by Coors to grow barley here.

I suppose if there is a bright spot, it would be that, given economic realities, this points us back to a very early type of economy in the state in a way. That won't make those employed in the oil and gas industry who think it's going to last forever happy, and it won't make any truck driving public servants happy either, but that's going to occur.  Of course, retirees who made their lives elsewhere and who don't give a rats ass about the state's economy now that they've left their job somewhere else won't care much.

In other news, visitors to Grand Teton Grand Teton spent $808M in 2024.

October 14, 2025.

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NOLS helps power Wyoming’s outdoor rec economy, study says

I guess somebody has to say it. . .right after people manage to chase Radiant away from Bar Nunn. . .

BREAKING: Bar Nunn Elementary, Woods Learning Center could close next school year

October 15, 2025

Cont:

Legislators Pointing Fingers Over Radiant Nuclear Killing Wyoming Project

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Wyoming Sheep Jams Reveal Mounting Pressures On Local Ranches And Farms

The fallout on Radiant pulling out is really proving to be the nuclear sh** that hit the fan and having all sort of interesting implications, one of which is that voters in some districts are getting a good look at their recently elected legislators for the first time.

One of whom is now in the spotlight is Natrona County Freedom Caucus member Bill Allemand, who hails from Midwest, a town that's completely dependant upon petroleum production. The town sits right in the center of the old Salt Creek Oil Field.  Allemand himself is a truck driver.  According to his website, he graduated from high school in 1977, which would mean that he's about 66 years old or so.  He's from a ranching family in that area.  It's really unclear, but he seems to have left and lived in Kansas for years.  When he came back, he went to work as a truck driver in Wyoming, which perhaps he was in Kansas.  His website conspicuously fails to mention a spouse, which would likely suggest there isn't one.

Right from the onset, Allemand ran as a member of the very far right.  He displaced long serving legislator Pat Sweeney in a race that saw the district boundaries redrawn.  Sweeney, a genteel older gentleman with a long history in politics was a tavern owner but had probably simply stayed around in politics too long, although he's still in it, now serving as a City of Casper Councilman.  Allemand was shockingly rude during his campaign against Sweeney and would have lost for that reason alone in earlier times.

Allemand in the legislature hasn't been hugely notable.  He's in the camp that has sided against public lands in various ways and is one of the legislatures which Wyoming outdoor recreationist should not support.  Now he's self branded as "Mr. No Nukes", a tag he proudly boasted about, right up until now when it's suddenly clear that a lot of Republicans are not very impressed.  Allemand is already running for reelection for 2026 and may have a battle on his hands.

While Allemand is a Wyomingite, unlike a lot of Freedom Caucus members, he fits into that class of individuals who apparently made their lives elsewhere and returned to the state late in life.  Brent Bien is another one.  These people weren't all here when the state loved its uranium industry and are seemingly wedded to coal and oil at the existential level.

As an aside, Allemand in photographs appears to have a wad of chewing tobacco under his front lip 90% of the time.  Perhaps I'm in error, but it's a pretty distinct look.  He ought to ditch that.

Anyhow, now that Allemand prevailed and Radiant isn't coming, he's suddenly wanting to "bury the hatchet" with those whom he tangled with. They do not appear to be ready to do that, nor should they.  Allemand didn't live in Bar Nunn but he went so far as to opine they should not have a police force, a totally local issues.  During this controversy he drew attention to himself, and now he will have to live with the implications of it.

In a related matter:

Tom Lubnau: What Can We Learn From The Failed Federal Coal Sale

Lubnau starts off:

Last week, the coal friendly Trump Administration offered 162,000 tons of mineable coal for sale near the Spring Creek Mine in Montana for sale. The only bid for the coal was by Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) for $186,000. 

The bid for the coal was less than a penny per recoverable ton of coal. The last successful sale for coal was $1.10 per ton, or a bid more than 100 times greater than the bid NTEC made. 

Given the disappointingly low bid, the BLM canceled the sale.

This makes plain in the present era something industry insiders, which I was to a slight degree back in the 90s, have known for decades. Coal is dead.  People who boost it are either delusional, which much of the Freedom Caucus, maybe all of it, really are, or are telling people what they want to hear in order to advance themselves.

Which gets back to the Freedom Caucus. Why did they oppose nuclear projects?  It's really unclear.  To a large degree, however, it seems that a lot of them are just blisteringly ignorant on the state's history.  They seem to be a  carpetbagging Rexall Cowboys to a large extent.

I'm fairly firmly convinced that some don't' fit that category, and are just cynical.  I'd place Chuck Gray in that category  He's from the extreme far right but has gone full greenie in Natrona County, including opposing Radiant.  Why?  Probably simple political expediency.  Indeed, I'm fairly convinced that if Donald Trump, in his declining mental state, announced that he intended to dump Melania and pursue Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a love interest, Gray would be AOC's biggest fan.

Little noticed in Natrona County, the same drama is going on in Campbell County.

Town hall on nuclear development reveals tensions over waste, state control in Gillette

October 16, 2025

Cont:

Governor Gordon Voices Disappointment in Radiant Nuclear Announcement

CHEYENNE, Wyo, October 14, 2025 - Governor Gordon (R-WY) made the following statement today regarding the announcement by Radiant Nuclear. 

“It is a sad day when Wyoming loses out to Tennessee in providing energy leadership. Members of the Freedom Caucus inspired ‘Club No’ convinced Radiant that Wyoming isn’t about leadership and problem solving. Tennessee stood ready to accept that opportunity; maybe they understand how to build an economy.

‘Club No’ has ushered in a new culture of no matter who began or who commenced it, we’re against it.  That is not the way Wyoming became the great state it is. We aren’t even following President Trump's lead.

Let me say it plainly: Wyoming should not be held back by fear. We should be pioneers. We should be the first state companies turn to when they want regulatory clarity, bold infrastructure, and a partner for innovation. The Trump Administration’s energy agenda gave us the opening; this microreactor project fits that agenda. Given a chance, if we had been willing to work together, no problem is unsolvable for Wyoming. 

I applaud the citizens, county leaders, and those legislators who believed in opportunity over obstruction and Wyoming’s legendary reputation for finding solutions. Let’s work together to ensure Wyoming remains open for business. We will not let the ‘Club No’ crowd define our future.”

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An item from the Leopards Won't Eat My Face group:

Wyoming Ranchers Join National Outcry Against Trump’s Argentina Beef Plan

Seriously, how stupid can you be.  Why did ranchers (and I am one) think Trump would be good for them?  Republicans never are, and he's a rather dim urbanite.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

October 24, 2025

cont:

Oh yeah. . .that's clearly the reaction a totally stable secure genius would have . . . 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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Inflation is up as prices jumped 3% last month.

October 25, 2025

cont:

When I was a kid, a particularly vicious insult was to call somebody a "diaper baby".  It was such an insult, that it called for an immediate retraction or fisticuss.  A person who would swallow such an insult accepted that they were, in fact, a diaper baby.

It expressed an extreme sort of narcissistic childish immmaturity.

Trump has hiked tariffs on Canada as he couldn't hack Ontario's well done Reagan advertisement. That's because, quite frankly, Donald Trump is a diaper baby.

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The Senate voted to end King Donny's bogus emergency tariffs on Brazil and will be voting to remove his emergency tariff authority entirely later this week.

As Smarmy Mike sent the House home, and won't recall them, nothing can happen right now. The Trump UniBrain GOP in the House earlier voted not to take up the illegal tariffs for the rest of the year anyhow.

What this frankly is, is a sign that an economic train wreck is coming and the Senate doesn't want the blame, or rather a few GOP Senators that aren't part of the UniBrain see it coming and don't want the blame.

October 29, 2025.

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In exchange for promises from China, which I'm sure are all so good, that will crack down on fentanyl, the United States will shave 10% off the tariffs it charges on Chinese goods.

2025 年 10 月 30 日'

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Trump's decision to stop the production of pennies is causing a crisis in retail in parts of the country as exact change can no longer be made as the supply of pennies dries up.

October 31, 2025

¢¢¢

Gordon declares public welfare emergency in light of SNAP lapse, OK’s $10 million in aid: The executive order allows Wyoming’s governor to send emergency funds to charitable organizations, churches.

November 1, 2025

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Eight Senate Democrats Defect And Vote For Shutdown Deal

This has the effect of being a cave in to Republican budget cuts.

This must now go back to the House, which of course is in recess.  

November 10, 2025

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And tariffs are coming off of all sorts of food items, now that Taco realizes they heard the economy and people are angry.

November 11, 2025

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And with this entry, we'll close out this edition.

Last edition:

Subsidiarity Economics 2025. The Times more or less locally, Part 10. The killing the messenger edition.

Labels: 2020s, 2025, 2026 Wyoming Legislature, Coal, Economics, Government, Newspapers, restaurants and bars, Solar Energy, The Second Trump Administration, Work, Wyoming, Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming's boom and bust economy