Sunday, October 2, 1774. Passing a resolution.

Congress passed a resolution requesting the preparation of an address to the Crown for the redress of grievances.

And it wasn't even Festivus.

Last edition:

Tuesday, September 27, 1774. Economic rebellion.

Labels: 1770s, 1774, American Revolution, Colonial North America, Economics, First Continental Congress, Massachetts

Umm. . .

Alina Habba@AlinaHabba

NOTHING CAN EVER STOP THIS MAN FROM FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY

Except maybe bone spurs. 

Somewhere, Francis Scott Key and Jimi Hendrix are crying. Ingrid Andress performs National Anthem at All-Star Game HR derby 2024.

A modest funding proposal.

Representative Mike Johnson wants to cut funds to the IRS to balance out an appropriation to Israel.  It's a bit disturbing in a number of ways, in the case of Johnson in particular. We'll go into that someplace else.

But as to cutting the IRS, well, that makes no sense to any semi sentient person who is awake and not on medication . . .unless you are part of the group of people who feels that the IRS is theft itself or that the Federal Government needs to be starved.

Well, here's a better idea for the populist dream. Cut Federal Funds to states.

Now, Louisiana is one of the states that's most dependent upon those funds. But so be it.  Cutting funds lets Louisiana be Louisiana, hurricanes and all. After all, there's no reason that people in New Jersey should have to pay for Louisiana's being in a hurricane belt. They didn't put it there, now, did they?  And back in the good ole' days, before all the Federal interference, Louisiana had to get by on its own. Sure, it was desperately poor (and frankly, it still has a lot of that), but people didn't have to see that due to the lack of highways.

Wyoming is also in the top ten on Federal largess, by the way. But hopefully the hard right can end that, and we'll be able to do away with highways also.

My gosh, why would somebody think there needed to be another Denver?

LAND OPPORTUNITY: 4 ACRES WITH SCENIC MOUNTAIN VISTAS – NEW DENVER, BC

The Canned GOP Response

Mr. Senator, news is just out that Donald J. Trump has been indicted for complicity in a North Korean mass murder, and was actually filmed manning a North Korean machine gun mowing down political dissidents and later stomping on kittens. Given that, do you feel he should remain your party's candidate?

Thanks for that question, reporter.  Not in 200 years has such a political witch hunt been engaged in by Joe Biden and his Ukrainian stooges.  And by the way, this is all part of the radical Biden climate agenda.

How?

It just is.

Um, okay. Do you feel Trump should debate?

Thank you for that question. The Biden radical climate agenda is specifically designed to drive Wyomingites out of business and make them stooges of the People's Republic of China. . 

Um, the debate. . 

There's no debate about that.  Quit making me discuss the facts.

Are you endorsing Trump for 2024?

Thank you for that question.  First, let me note that even though it's so freaking hot outside that every resident of Alaska has had to check into the OR for third degree burns this week, what we really need to be endorsing is an end to Biden's radical climate agenda.  Why just today I went to the oval office and the thermostat was set for an indoor climate of 72. Can you imagine?

I think we can all get behind that.

And Trump?

Trump too.

Are you endorsing him?

Don't make me bring up Hunter Biden. . . I'm not afraid, too. . . 

So you are endorsing him?

I'm endorsing the endorsed that Wyomingites would and have endorsed when the endorsing is concluded, and I can safely claim to have always endorsed that person, whomever that is.

Let the season of bad political interviews begin. . .

Ah, I just saw my first one for a local office.

You'd think that interviews with reporters would be penetrating.  If somebody is running, let's say, against John Barrasso, you think you'd explore real issues, including ones of national and international importance.  Where do you stand on Ukraine?  Given that the nation is undoubtedly moving away from fossil fuels, what do you see the future of Wyoming's economy being (and no weaseling out on the answer).  What is your real vision for the American economy.

Nope.

Instead, almost all interviews are just like this.

Why are you running, Bob?

Well this great state has been great to me and my great family in a really great way, and I think it would be great if I could give back in a really great way.

But our current Senator has been in office since 1865 and is almost old enough to assume leadership when they find out that Mitch McConnell died in 1957. Wouldn't that be a loss for Wyoming?

Mr. Reporter, I feel my talents are talented, and I'd be a talented member of a talented body.

Um?

I was one of the cats in my high school's production of Cats!

As Senator, what would you emphasize as your legislative priority?

Lunch.

Do you feel that you could work with the Democrats?

Well, Mr. Reporter, I pride myself on being able to get along with anyone, while also hating the Democrats with the red-hot passion of a thousand burning suns.  My plan would be to work towards compromise by not really paying attention to what's going on, and then coming home and claiming that Democrats are Marxist stooges of a Joe Biden plot to introduce hot Ukrainian babes as high school teachers.

Great, thank you for your insights. . . 

Blog Mirror: How to dress like you ‘wanted to join the military, but…’

 

How to dress like you ‘wanted to join the military, but…’

2023 State of the Union Address

President Biden delivered his State of the Union speech last night.

I didn't see it, as I was working at the time.  Therefore, my first view it is in this, the written form.

Mr. Speaker. Madam Vice President. Our First Lady and Second Gentleman.

Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Leaders of our military.

Mr. Chief Justice, Associate Justices, and retired Justices of the Supreme Court.

And you, my fellow Americans.

I start tonight by congratulating the members of the 118th Congress and the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working together.

I also want to congratulate the new leader of the House Democrats and the first Black House Minority Leader in history, Hakeem Jeffries.

Congratulations to the longest serving Senate Leader in history, Mitch McConnell.

And congratulations to Chuck Schumer for another term as Senate Majority Leader, this time with an even bigger majority.

And I want to give special recognition to someone who I think will be considered the greatest Speaker in the history of this country, Nancy Pelosi.

The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up.

A story that is unique among all nations.

We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it.

That is what we are doing again.

Two years ago, our economy was reeling.

As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs, more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years.

Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much.

Today, COVID no longer controls our lives.

And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War.

Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.

As we gather here tonight, we are writing the next chapter in the great American story, a story of progress and resilience. When world leaders ask me to define America, I define our country in one word: Possibilities.

You know, we’re often told that Democrats and Republicans can’t work together.

But over these past two years, we proved the cynics and the naysayers wrong.

Yes, we disagreed plenty. And yes, there were times when Democrats had to go it alone.

But time and again, Democrats and Republicans came together.

Came together to defend a stronger and safer Europe.

Came together to pass a once-in-a-generation infrastructure law, building bridges to connect our nation and people.

Came together to pass one of the most significant laws ever, helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

In fact, I signed over 300 bipartisan laws since becoming President. From reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, to the Electoral Count Reform Act, to the Respect for Marriage Act that protects the right to marry the person you love.

To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.

The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.

And that’s always been my vision for our country.

To restore the soul of the nation.

To rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class.

To unite the country.

We’ve been sent here to finish the job.

For decades, the middle class was hollowed out.

Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories at home closed down.

Once-thriving cities and towns became shadows of what they used to be.

And along the way, something else was lost.

Pride. That sense of self-worth.

I ran for President to fundamentally change things, to make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel pride in what we do.

To build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down. Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. We all do well.

As my Dad used to say, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, “Honey –it’s going to be OK,” and mean it.

So, let’s look at the results. Unemployment rate at 3.4%, a 50-year low. Near record low unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers.

We’ve already created 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.

Where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing again?

For too many decades, we imported products and exported jobs.

Now, thanks to all we’ve done, we’re exporting American products and creating American jobs.

Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin’s war that disrupted energy and food supplies.

But we’re better positioned than any country on Earth.

We have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down.

Here at home, gas prices are down $1.50 a gallon since their peak.

Food inflation is coming down.

Inflation has fallen every month for the last six months while take home pay has gone up.

Additionally, over the last two years, a record 10 million Americans applied to start a new small business.

Every time somebody starts a small business, it’s an act of hope.

And the Vice President will continue her work to ensure more small businesses can access capital and the historic laws we enacted.

Standing here last year, I shared with you a story of American genius and possibility.

Semiconductors, the small computer chips the size of your fingertip that power everything from cellphones to automobiles, and so much more. These chips were invented right here in America.

America used to make nearly 40% of the world’s chips.

But in the last few decades, we lost our edge and we’re down to producing only 10%. We all saw what happened during the pandemic when chip factories overseas shut down.

Today’s automobiles need up to 3,000 chips each, but American automakers couldn’t make enough cars because there weren’t enough chips.

Car prices went up. So did everything from refrigerators to cellphones.

We can never let that happen again.

That’s why we came together to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

We’re making sure the supply chain for America begins in America.

We’ve already created 800,000 manufacturing jobs even without this law.

With this new law, we will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country.

That’s going to come from companies that have announced more than $300 billion in investments in American manufacturing in the last two years.

Outside of Columbus, Ohio, Intel is building semiconductor factories on a thousand acres – a literal field of dreams.

That’ll create 10,000 jobs. 7,000 construction jobs. 3,000 jobs once the factories are finished.

Jobs paying $130,000 a year, and many don’t require a college degree.

Jobs where people don’t have to leave home in search of opportunity.

And it’s just getting started.

Think about the new homes, new small businesses, and so much more that will come to life.

Talk to mayors and Governors, Democrats and Republicans, and they’ll tell you what this means to their communities.

We’re seeing these fields of dreams transform the heartland.

But to maintain the strongest economy in the world, we also need the best infrastructure in the world.

We used to be #1 in the world in infrastructure, then we fell to #13th.

Now we’re coming back because we came together to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System.

Already, we’ve funded over 20,000 projects, including at major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland.

These projects will put hundreds of thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, bridges, railroads, tunnels, ports and airports, clean water, and high-speed internet across America.

Urban. Suburban. Rural. Tribal.

And we’re just getting started. I sincerely thank my Republican friends who voted for the law.

And to my Republican friends who voted against it but still ask to fund projects in their districts, don’t worry.

I promised to be the president for all Americans.

We’ll fund your projects. And I’ll see you at the ground-breaking.

This law will help further unite all of America.

Major projects like the Brent Spence bridge between Kentucky and Ohio over the Ohio River. Built 60 years ago. Badly in need of repairs.

One of the nation’s most congested freight routes carrying $2 billion worth of freight every day. Folks have been talking about fixing it for decades, but we’re finally going to get it done.

I went there last month with Democrats and Republicans from both states to deliver $1.6 billion for this project.

While I was there, I met an ironworker named Sara, who is here tonight.

For 30 years, she’s been a proud member of Ironworkers Local 44, known as the “cowboys of the sky” who built the Cincinnati skyline.

Sara said she can’t wait to be ten stories above the Ohio River building that new bridge. That’s pride.

That’s what we’re also building – Pride.

We’re also replacing poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 million homes and 400,000 schools and childcare centers, so every child in America can drink clean water.

We’re making sure that every community has access to affordable, high-speed internet.

No parent should have to drive to a McDonald’s parking lot so their kid can do their homework online.

And when we do these projects, we’re going to Buy American.

Buy American has been the law of the land since 1933. But for too long, past administrations have found ways to get around it.

Not anymore.

Tonight, I’m also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.

American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables.

And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.

My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible.

Maybe that’s you, watching at home.

You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away.

I get it.

That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind.

Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.

For example, too many of you lay in bed at night staring at the ceiling, wondering what will happen if your spouse gets cancer, your child gets sick, or if something happens to you.

Will you have the money to pay your medical bills? Will you have to sell the house?

I get it. With the Inflation Reduction Act that I signed into law, we’re taking on powerful interests to bring your health care costs down so you can sleep better at night.

You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any major country on Earth.

For example, one in ten Americans has diabetes.

Every day, millions need insulin to control their diabetes so they can stay alive. Insulin has been around for 100 years. It costs drug companies just $10 a vial to make.

But, Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars – and making record profits.

Not anymore.

We capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare.

But there are millions of other Americans who are not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type I diabetes who need insulin to save their lives.

Let’s finish the job this time.

Let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it.

This law also caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum $2,000 per year when there are in fact many drugs, like expensive cancer drugs, that can cost up to $10,000, $12,000, and $14,000 a year.

If drug prices rise faster than inflation, drug companies will have to pay Medicare back the difference.

And we’re finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. Bringing down prescription drug costs doesn’t just save seniors money.

It will cut the federal deficit, saving tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars on the prescription drugs the government buys for Medicare.

Why wouldn’t we want to do that?

Now, some members here are threatening to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.

Make no mistake, if you try to do anything to raise the cost of prescription drugs, I will veto it.

I’m pleased to say that more Americans have health insurance now than ever in history.

A record 16 million people are enrolled under the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks to the law I signed last year, millions are saving $800 a year on their premiums.

But the way that law was written, that benefit expires after 2025.

Let’s finish the job, make those savings permanent, and expand coverage to those left off Medicaid.

Look, the Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant investment ever to tackle the climate crisis.

Lowering utility bills, creating American jobs, and leading the world to a clean energy future.

I’ve visited the devastating aftermaths of record floods and droughts, storms and wildfires.

In addition to emergency recovery from Puerto Rico to Florida to Idaho, we are rebuilding for the long term.

New electric grids able to weather the next major storm.

Roads and water systems to withstand the next big flood.

Clean energy to cut pollution and create jobs in communities too often left behind.

We’re building 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations installed across the country by tens of thousands of IBEW workers.

And helping families save more than $1,000 a year with tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances.

Historic conservation efforts to be responsible stewards of our lands.

Let’s face reality.

The climate crisis doesn’t care if your state is red or blue. It is an existential threat.

We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to confront it. I’m proud of how America is at last stepping up to the challenge.

But there’s so much more to do.

We will finish the job.

And we pay for these investments in our future by finally making the wealthiest and the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share.

I’m a capitalist. But just pay your fair share.

And I think a lot of you at home agree with me that our present tax system is simply unfair.

The idea that in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion in profits and paid zero in federal income taxes?

That’s simply not fair.

But now, because of the law I signed, billion-dollar companies have to pay a minimum of 15%.

Just 15%.

That’s less than a nurse pays. Let me be clear.

Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in taxes.

Nobody. Not one penny.

But there’s more to do.

Let’s finish the job. Reward work, not just wealth. Pass my proposal for a billionaire minimum tax.

Because no billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter.

You may have noticed that Big Oil just reported record profits.

Last year, they made $200 billion in the midst of a global energy crisis.

It’s outrageous.

They invested too little of that profit to increase domestic production and keep gas prices down.

Instead, they used those record profits to buy back their own stock, rewarding their CEOs and shareholders.

Corporations ought to do the right thing.

That’s why I propose that we quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks to encourage long term investments instead.

They will still make a considerable profit.

Let’s finish the job and close the loopholes that allow the very wealthy to avoid paying their taxes.

Instead of cutting the number of audits of wealthy tax payers, I signed a law that will reduce the deficit by $114 billion by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats.

That’s being fiscally responsible.

In the last two years, my administration cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion – the largest deficit reduction in American history.

Under the previous administration, America’s deficit went up four years in a row.

Because of those record deficits, no president added more to the national debt in any four years than my predecessor.

Nearly 25% of the entire national debt, a debt that took 200 years to accumulate, was added by that administration alone.

How did Congress respond to all that debt?

They lifted the debt ceiling three times without preconditions or crisis.

They paid America’s bills to prevent economic disaster for our country.

Tonight, I’m asking this Congress to follow suit.

Let us commit here tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States of America will never, ever be questioned.

Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should know what their plans are.

Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years.

That means if Congress doesn’t vote to keep them, those programs will go away.

Other Republicans say if we don’t cut Social Security and Medicare, they’ll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history.

I won’t let that happen.

Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors.

Americans have been paying into them with every single paycheck since they started working.

So tonight, let’s all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.

Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned them.

If anyone tries to cut Social Security, I will stop them. And if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them.

I will not allow them to be taken away.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Next month when I offer my fiscal plan, I ask my Republican friends to offer their plan.

We can sit down together and discuss both plans together.

My plan will lower the deficit by $2 trillion.

I won’t cut a single Social Security or Medicare benefit.

In fact, I will extend the Medicare Trust Fund by at least two decades.

I will not raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000 a year. And I will pay for the ideas I’ve talked about tonight by making the wealthy and big corporations begin to pay their fair share.

Look, here’s the deal. Big corporations aren’t just taking advantage of the tax code. They’re taking advantage of you, the American consumer.

Here’s my message to all of you out there: I have your back. We’re already preventing insurance companies from sending surprise medical bills, stopping 1 million surprise bills a month.

We’re protecting seniors’ lives and life savings by cracking down on nursing homes that commit fraud, endanger patient safety, or prescribe drugs they don’t need.

Millions of Americans can now save thousands of dollars because they can finally get hearing aids over-the-counter without a prescription.

Capitalism without competition is not capitalism. It is exploitation.

Last year I cracked down on foreign shipping companies that were making you pay higher prices for everyday goods coming into our country.

I signed a bipartisan bill that cut shipping costs by 90%, helping American farmers, businesses, and consumers.

Let’s finish the job.

Pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.

My administration is also taking on “junk” fees, those hidden surcharges too many businesses use to make you pay more.

For example, we’re making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is cancelled or delayed.

We’ve reduced exorbitant bank overdraft fees, saving consumers more than $1 billion a year.

We’re cutting credit card late fees by 75%, from $30 to $8.

Junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most folks in homes like the one I grew up in. They add up to hundreds of dollars a month.

They make it harder for you to pay the bills or afford that family trip.

I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets away with it.

Not anymore.

We’ve written a bill to stop all that. It’s called the Junk Fee Prevention Act.

We’ll ban surprise “resort fees” that hotels tack on to your bill. These fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that aren’t even resorts.

We’ll make cable internet and cellphone companies stop charging you up to $200 or more when you decide to switch to another provider.

We’ll cap service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all fees upfront.

And we’ll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together.

Baggage fees are bad enough – they can’t just treat your child like a piece of luggage.

Americans are tired of being played for suckers.

Pass the Junk Fee Prevention Act so companies stop ripping us off.

For too long, workers have been getting stiffed.

Not anymore.

We’re beginning to restore the dignity of work.

For example, 30 million workers had to sign non-compete agreements when they took a job. So a cashier at a burger place can’t cross the street to take the same job at another burger place to make a couple bucks more.

Not anymore.

We’re banning those agreements so companies have to compete for workers and pay them what they’re worth.

I’m so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing.

Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right to form a union. And let’s guarantee all workers a living wage.

Let’s also make sure working parents can afford to raise a family with sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care that will enable millions more people to go to work.

Let’s also restore the full Child Tax Credit, which gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half, to the lowest level in history.

And by the way, when we do all of these things, we increase productivity. We increase economic growth.

Let’s also finish the job and get more families access to affordable and quality housing.

Let’s get seniors who want to stay in their homes the care they need to do so. And give a little more breathing room to millions of family caregivers looking after their loved ones.

Pass my plan so we get seniors and people with disabilities the home care services they need and support the workers who are doing God’s work.

These plans are fully paid for and we can afford to do them.

Restoring the dignity of work also means making education an affordable ticket to the middle class.

When we made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best-educated, best-prepared nation in the world.

But the world has caught up.

Jill, who teaches full-time, has an expression: “Any nation that out-educates us will out-compete us.”

Folks, you all know 12 years is not enough to win the economic competition for the 21st Century.

If you want America to have the best-educated workforce, let’s finish the job by providing access to pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds.

Studies show that children who go to pre-school are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a 2- or 4-year degree, no matter their background.

Let’s give public school teachers a raise.

And we’re making progress by reducing student debt and increasing Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families.

Let’s finish the job, connect students to career opportunities starting in high school and provide two years of community college, some of the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree.

Let’s offer every American the path to a good career whether they go to college or not.

And folks, in the midst of the COVID crisis when schools were closed, let’s also recognize how far we’ve come in the fight against the pandemic itself.

While the virus is not gone, thanks to the resilience of the American people, we have broken COVID’s grip on us.

COVID deaths are down nearly 90%.

We’ve saved millions of lives and opened our country back up.

And soon we’ll end the public health emergency.

But we will remember the toll and pain that will never go away for so many. More than 1 million Americans have lost their lives to COVID.

Families grieving. Children orphaned. Empty chairs at the dining room table.

We remember them, and we remain vigilant.

We still need to monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments.

So Congress needs to fund these efforts and keep America safe.

And as we emerge from this crisis stronger, I’m also doubling down on prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers and small businesses afloat during the pandemic.

Before I came to office many inspector generals who protect taxpayer dollars were sidelined. Fraud was rampant.

Last year, I told you the watchdogs are back. Since then, we’ve recovered billions of taxpayer dollars.

Now, let’s triple our anti-fraud strike forces going after these criminals, double the statute of limitations on these crimes, and crack down on identity fraud by criminal syndicates stealing billions of dollars from the American people.

For every dollar we put into fighting fraud, taxpayers get back at least ten times as much.

COVID left other scars, like the spike in violent crime in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.

We have an obligation to make sure all our people are safe.

Public safety depends on public trust. But too often that trust is violated.

Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols, who had to bury him just last week. There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a child.

But imagine what it’s like to lose a child at the hands of the law.

Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter will come home from walking down the street or playing in the park or just driving their car.

I’ve never had to have the talk with my children – Beau, Hunter, and Ashley – that so many Black and Brown families have had with their children.

If a police officer pulls you over, turn on your interior lights. Don’t reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.

Imagine having to worry like that every day in America.

Here’s what Tyre’s mom shared with me when I asked her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out.

With faith in God, she said her son “was a beautiful soul and something good will come from this.”

Imagine how much courage and character that takes.

It’s up to us. It’s up to all of us.

We all want the same thing.

Neighborhoods free of violence.

Law enforcement who earn the community’s trust.

Our children to come home safely.

Equal protection under the law; that’s the covenant we have with each other in America.

And we know police officers put their lives on the line every day, and we ask them to do too much.

To be counselors, social workers, psychologists; responding to drug overdoses, mental health crises, and more.

We ask too much of them.

I know most cops are good, decent people. They risk their lives every time they put on that shield.

But what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often.

We have to do better.

Give law enforcement the training they need, hold them to higher standards, and help them succeed in keeping everyone safe.

We also need more first responders and other professionals to address growing mental health and substance abuse challenges.

More resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime; more community intervention programs; more investments in housing, education, and job training.

All this can help prevent violence in the first place.

And when police officers or departments violate the public’s trust, we must hold them accountable.

With the support of families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act.

Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre’s mother come true, something good must come from this.

All of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment.

We can’t turn away.

Let’s do what we know in our hearts we need to do.

Let’s come together and finish the job on police reform.

Do something.

That was the same plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde: Do something on gun violence.

Thank God we did, passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades.

That includes things that the majority of responsible gun owners support, like enhanced background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds and red flag laws keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others.

But we know our work is not done.

Joining us tonight is Brandon Tsay, a 26-year-old hero.

Brandon put off his college dreams to stay by his mom’s side as she was dying from cancer. He now works at a dance studio started by his grandparents.

Two weeks ago, during Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the studio’s front door close and saw a man pointing a gun at him.

He thought he was going to die, but then he thought about the people inside.

In that instant, he found the courage to act and wrestled the semi-automatic pistol away from a gunman who had already killed 11 people at another dance studio.

He saved lives. It’s time we do the same as well.

Ban assault weapons once and for all.

We did it before. I led the fight to ban them in 1994.

In the 10 years the ban was law, mass shootings went down. After Republicans let it expire, mass shootings tripled.

Let’s finish the job and ban assault weapons again.

And let’s also come together on immigration and make it a bipartisan issue like it was before.

We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.

Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%.

But America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts.

If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.

Here in the people’s House, it’s our duty to protect all the people’s rights and freedoms.

Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose.

The Vice President and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy. But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans.

Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it.

Let’s also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.

Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example. Let’s remember the world is watching.

I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine.

A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II.

Putin’s invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world.

Would we stand for the most basic of principles?

Would we stand for sovereignty?

Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny?

Would we stand for the defense of democracy?

For such a defense matters to us because it keeps the peace and prevents open season for would-be aggressors to threaten our security and prosperity. One year later, we know the answer.

Yes, we would.

And yes, we did.

Together, we did what America always does at our best.

We led.

We united NATO and built a global coalition.

We stood against Putin’s aggression.

We stood with the Ukrainian people.

Tonight, we are once again joined by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States. She represents not just her nation, but the courage of her people.

Ambassador, America is united in our support for your country. We will stand with you as long as it takes.

Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, and more peace, not just in Europe, but everywhere.

Before I came to office, the story was about how the People’s Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in the world.

Not anymore.

I’ve made clear with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict.

I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong. Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China’s government is intent on dominating.

Investing in our alliances and working with our allies to protect our advanced technologies so they’re not used against us.

Modernizing our military to safeguard stability and deter aggression.

Today, we’re in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world.

I am committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world.

But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China’s threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did.

And let’s be clear: winning the competition with China should unite all of us. We face serious challenges across the world.

But in the past two years, democracies have become stronger, not weaker.

Autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger.

America is rallying the world again to meet those challenges, from climate and global health, to food insecurity, to terrorism and territorial aggression.

Allies are stepping up, spending more and doing more.

And bridges are forming between partners in the Pacific and those in the Atlantic. And those who bet against America are learning just how wrong they are.

It’s never a good bet to bet against America.

When I came to office, most everyone assumed bipartisanship was impossible. But I never believed it.

That’s why a year ago, I offered a Unity Agenda for the nation.

We’ve made real progress.

Together, we passed a law making it easier for doctors to prescribe effective treatments for opioid addiction.

Passed a gun safety law making historic investments in mental health.

Launched ARPA-H to drive breakthroughs in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and so much more.

We passed the Heath Robinson PACT Act, named for the late Iraq war veteran whose story about exposure to toxic burn pits I shared here last year.

But there is so much more to do. And we can do it together.

Joining us tonight is a father named Doug from Newton, New Hampshire.

He wrote Jill and me a letter about his daughter Courtney. Contagious laugh. Her sister’s best friend.

He shared a story all too familiar to millions of Americans.

Courtney discovered pills in high school. It spiraled into addiction and eventually her death from a fentanyl overdose.

She was 20 years old.

Describing the last eight years without her, Doug said, “There is no worse pain.” Yet their family has turned pain into purpose, working to end stigma and change laws. He told us he wants to “start the journey towards America’s recovery.”

Doug, we’re with you.

Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year.

Let’s launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production, sale, and trafficking, with more drug detection machines to inspect cargo and stop pills and powder at the border.

Working with couriers like Fed Ex to inspect more packages for drugs. Strong penalties to crack down on fentanyl trafficking.

Second, let’s do more on mental health, especially for our children. When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at school.

We must finally hold social media companies accountable for the experiment they are running on our children for profit.

And it’s time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.

Third, let’s do more to keep our nation’s one truly sacred obligation: to equip those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home.

Job training and job placement for veterans and their spouses as they return to civilian life.

Helping veterans afford their rent because no one should be homeless in this country, especially not those who served it.

And we cannot go on losing 17 veterans a day to the silent scourge of suicide.

The VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screenings and a proven program that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they’re going through and get the help they need.

And fourth, last year Jill and I re-ignited the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead in our Administration.

Our goal is to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years. Turn more cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases. And provide more support for patients and families.

It’s personal for so many of us.

Joining us are Maurice and Kandice, an Irishman and a daughter of immigrants from Panama.

They met and fell in love in New York City and got married in the same chapel as Jill and I did.

Kindred spirits.

He wrote us a letter about their little daughter Ava.

She was just a year old when she was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer.

26 blood transfusions. 11 rounds of radiation. 8 rounds of chemo. 1 kidney removed.

A 5% survival rate.

He wrote how in the darkest moments he thought, “if she goes, I can’t stay.”

Jill and I understand, like so many of you.

They read how Jill described our family’s cancer journey and how we tried to steal moments of joy where you can.

For them, that glimmer of joy was a half-smile from their baby girl. It meant everything.

They never gave up hope.

Ava never gave up hope. She turns four next month.

They just found out that Ava beat the odds and is on her way to being cancer free, and she’s watching from the White House tonight.

For the lives we can save and for the lives we have lost, let this be a truly American moment that rallies the country and the world together and proves that we can do big things.

Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and countless advocates and champions, we undertook a bipartisan effort through PEPFAR to transform the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It’s been a huge success.

I believe we can do the same with cancer.

Let’s end cancer as we know it and cure some cancers once and for all.

There’s one reason why we’re able to do all of these things: our democracy itself.

It’s the most fundamental thing of all.

With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is.

For the last few years our democracy has been threatened, attacked, and put at risk.

Put to the test here, in this very room, on January 6th.

And then, just a few months ago, unhinged by the Big Lie, an assailant unleashed political violence in the home of the then-Speaker of this House of Representatives. Using the very same language that insurrectionists who stalked these halls chanted on January 6th.

Here tonight in this chamber is the man who bears the scars of that brutal attack, but is as tough and strong and as resilient as they get.

My friend, Paul Pelosi.

But such a heinous act never should have happened.

We must all speak out. There is no place for political violence in America. In America, we must protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. We honor the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. We must uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy.

And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbor.

Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It must be an American issue.

Every generation of Americans has faced a moment where they have been called on to protect our democracy, to defend it, to stand up for it.

And this is our moment.

My fellow Americans, we meet tonight at an inflection point. One of those moments that only a few generations ever face, where the decisions we make now will decide the course of this nation and of the world for decades to come.

We are not bystanders to history. We are not powerless before the forces that confront us. It is within our power, of We the People. We are facing the test of our time and the time for choosing is at hand.

We must be the nation we have always been at our best. Optimistic. Hopeful. Forward-looking.

A nation that embraces, light over darkness, hope over fear, unity over division. Stability over chaos.

We must see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. We are a good people, the only nation in the world built on an idea.

That all of us, every one of us, is created equal in the image of God. A nation that stands as a beacon to the world. A nation in a new age of possibilities.

So I have come here to fulfil my constitutional duty to report on the state of the union. And here is my report.

Because the soul of this nation is strong, because the backbone of this nation is strong, because the people of this nation are strong, the State of the Union is strong.

As I stand here tonight, I have never been more optimistic about the future of America. We just have to remember who we are.

We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.

May God bless you all. May God protect our troops.

I'll be frank that State of the Union addresses universally disappoint.  It's a constitutional obligation on the part of the President but, if they ever really delivered an honest one, that was a long time ago.  The routine line "the state of the union is strong" really recalls the old Lake Wobegon line about "The latest news and views from the little town where 'all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average' ".  

Indeed, I'd frankly love to hear a President come in and state; "Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the union is crap and you bunch of freakin buffoons are part of the reason why, get your acts together or get out of town."

That's not going to happen.

By missing the actual broadcast, I missed the silliness that went with it.  Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is an embarrassment in more ways than one, carried a large balloon in front of her on her way to the speech.

As she is an elected person, I'm afraid this says something about Georgia's 14th District, northwest of Atlanta.  When Biden delivered his line about the GOP wanting to go after Medicare and Social Security, she apparently blurted out "liar".   Other Republicans reacted as well and there was an exchange, not reflected in the text, between them and the President. Generally, Biden did fairly well in that exchange.  On that actual point, while the GOP mainstream has said it won't touch the Social Security based programs, under the current populists have hinted that they would, so Biden was basically correct, if inflating it, in his point.

I got home right as the Republican retort came on, delivered by Sarah Huckaby Sanders, and I didn't watch but the very beginning of it.  Opposing party responses to the State of the Union Address are, in my view, pointless.  If a President showed slideshows of his grandkids and kittens, the opposing party would come on and call the President's family freeloaders and lecture society on the danger of felines.  The portion I saw of it, however, was real red meat right wing, but ironically emphasized her age, 40, and Biden's 80, which is a vicarious swing at Trump, 76.  You can't be the party of disgruntled youth if your party is led by a narcissistic geezer, so that was curious and may be an instance of putting Trump on an ice flow and pushing it gently to sea.

A lot of people on the left tend to poke fun and Sanders appearance, and shouldn't.  You don't have to be a beauty to be a serious person.  Having said  that, Krysten Sinema, one of the most interesting Senators in the group, and hte most photogenic female Senator of all time, made quite the fashion statement.

Of course, she's taking net flak for it. Well stuff it.  I like it.

I've linked in the video, and maybe I'll watch it later.

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Legislature Convenes (Vol 2).

January 10, 2023

The 2023 legislature convenes today.  This will be the most right wing legislature, by far, in Wyoming's history.  Indeed, some members are so far to the right that the GOP is in reality effectively two political parties.

January 11, 2023

A vast number of new bills were introduced on the first day of the 23 Legislature, and apparently numerous more are coming.   There'rs a real risk, quite frankly, of a log jam being the defining feature of this session as a result.

New Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray took a break from a busy day of filing UCC filings and analyzing corporate formations, presumably, to set out his priorities for a legislature he is no longer in.  These included:

• Banning cross over voting, which UW says isn't a problem, and probably definitely isn't as if it were he and wouldn't be in office and Cheney would be, assuming that he doesn't mean crossing over from another state and going right into politics. . . which I'm sure he doesn't; and
• Banning what he calls "Zuckerbucks", or the private financing of government election offices, thereby joining Harriet Hageman in the fantasy that opposition to her election was somehow tied to Mark Zuckerberg; and
• Clarifying voter ID, even though his bill requiring people to present ID at the polls already passed.  A bill allowing people to use their concealed carry permits is presently in the legislature.
• Banning voter harvesting.

M'eh.

Gray also let it be known that he opposes ranked choice voting, as no doubt he would, as he would have had opposition in the general election and the stupidity of a system being captive to two parties would have been reduced.

A bill to make expulsion from school standards uniform has been introduced.

Apparently, school disciplinary problems are way up across the state, which I had not been aware of.

January 12, 2023

Amendments to the provisions on public records which would have precluded paranoid people from viewing ballots post election by hand, failed. The bill, with the proposed amendment in red, stated as follows:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0271

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0006

Specified election records not subject to disclosure.

Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; clarifying that specified election records are not subject to disclosure under the Wyoming Public Records Act; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 22‑2‑113(d) is amended to read:

22‑2‑113.  Availability and form of registry lists; use of copies; election record; purging.

(d)  Unless otherwise specifically stated in this Election Code, all election records of the county clerk are public.  The availability and dissemination of such records shall be in accordance with the Wyoming Public Records Act. Election records containing social security numbers, portions of social security numbers, driver's license numbers, birth dates, telephone numbers, tribal identification card numbers, e‑mail addresses, cast ballots, cast ballot images, cast vote records of individual voters, other data derived from cast ballots of individual voters and other personally identifiable information other than names, gender, addresses and party affiliations are not public records and shall be kept confidential.  When necessary, members of the county or state canvassing boards may access confidential information for purposes of this code but shall maintain its confidentiality.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

So much for secret ballots in Wyoming.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray took time out of his busy clerical job with the state where he was presumably doing UCC filings and other roles of the office, he was elected to speak in opposition to the amendments.  Gray's already engaged in the absurd Arizona 2020 election flap, so it's not surprising.  Presumably he stayed late at the office to get the real work of his new clerical job done.

We'd note that when the inevitable intrusive ballot peakers make their request and call you to see if you really voted the way you did, there's nothing to preclude you from telling them to get off of Newsmax, get a real life, and nothing to prevent you from calling up Chuck and registering a complaint with the Secretary of State's office for supporting boofadorism.

More bills continue to get filed.

Another bill has been introduced to try to preclude switching of parties post primary.  It states:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0434

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0103

Political party affiliation declaration and changes.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Haroldson, Angelos, Jennings, Knapp, Locke, Pendergraft, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Slagle, Smith, Strock, Tarver, Ward and Winter and Senator(s) Biteman, Driskill and Laursen, D

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; revising provisions relating to political party affiliation changes and declarations by electors; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 22‑3‑115(a)(vi), 22‑5‑212 and 22‑5‑214 are amended to read:

22‑3‑115.  Grounds for cancellation of registration.

(a)  A registered elector's registration shall be cancelled for any one (1) of the following reasons:

(vi)  Upon written request of the elector at any time except for the period for which party changes are prohibited as specified in W.S. 22‑5‑214.

22‑5‑212.  When declaration of party affiliation required.

An elector requesting a major party ballot must shall declare his or change party affiliation, or sign an application for change of affiliation in accordance with W.S. 22‑5‑214 before he may receive receiving a party ballot. An elector may vote only the nonpartisan ballot and if so, is not required to declare his party affiliation. Requesting a partisan primary election ballot constitutes a declaration of party affiliation. A change in declaration of party affiliation shall be in accordance with the requirements of W.S. 22‑5‑214 and shall be entered on the poll list by the election judge.

22‑5‑214.  Declaration or change in party affiliation.

(a)  For a primary election, an elector may declare or change party affiliation by completing an application signed before a notarial officer or election official and filing it with the county clerk before the first day on which an application for nomination may be filed under W.S. 22‑5‑209.

(b)  For a general election, an elector may declare or change his party affiliation by completing an application signed before a notarial officer or election official, and filing it with the county clerk after the primary election and not less than fourteen (14) days before the primary general election or at the polls on the day of the primary or general election, or when requesting an absentee ballot for the general election.

Section 2.  This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

This is known not to be a problem in Wyoming, but the populist wing gets confused as to how everyone in the state isn't actually a populist, and then concludes that all three Democrats much have switched parties or something.

It's notable that Ward, who is an Illinoisan, switched from her true native allegiance to a Wyoming one pretty much just in time to run for election and yet is sponsoring the bill.  Presumably she'll admit she's not a Wyomingite in any real sense and pack up and move back to Illinois now.

HB104 has been introduced to allow hunting of predators at night with thermal imaging.

How about we just don't?  We don't seem to be able to restrain the use of technology, even though we need to. We don't really need to go there.

The hard right as also introduced HB107 to provide for an elected attorney general, another bad idea.  Frankly, we have several offices at the state level already, including Secretary of State and Treasurer, which make no sense as elective offices and shouldn't be.  The hard right likes this, however, as you can get hope to an elect an attorney general who, much like the current occupant of the Secretary of State's office, will be there for reasons other than the ones that the office is supposed to deal with.

HB110 would make Juneteenth a legal holiday.

HB113 would eliminate the requirement that a judge approve a DUI dismissal.

SF95 would recognize Moon Landing Day.

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0362

SENATE FILE NO. SF0095

Moon landing day.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Ellis and Representative(s) Clouston

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to legal time and holidays; designating Moon Landing Day as a state recognized commemorative day to be observed as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 8‑4‑116 is created to read:

8‑4‑116.  Moon Landing Day.

(a)  In recognition of American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin becoming the first humans to land and walk on the moon on July 20, 1969 and the men and women who aided the astronauts in landing on the moon and returning home safely, July 20 of each year is designated as "Moon Landing Day." The day shall be appropriately observed by state and local government and by organizations within the state.

(b)  The governor shall, in advance of July 20 of each year, issue a proclamation requesting proper observance of "Moon Landing Day."

(c)  This section shall not affect commercial paper, the making or execution of agreements or judicial proceedings, or authorize public schools, businesses or state and local government offices to close.  

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

It should be noted, before people complain, this wouldn't make it a day off.  It must makes it a recognized day. 

And here's a really interesting bill:

A Bill to Recognize the Service of Lester C. Hunt

A bill has been introduced in the legislature to recognize former Governor and Senator Lester Hunt.  Given Dr. Hunt's historic place in Wyoming, and national, history, it's worth visiting the topic here.

The bill states:

2023

State of Wyoming

23LSO-0301

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0002

Recognizing the service of Lester C. Hunt.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Case and Rothfuss and Representative(s) Stith and Yin

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION recognizing United States Senator and Wyoming Governor and Secretary of State Lester Calloway Hunt as a consummate model to public servants for his distinguished career, his commendable civility and courage and his service to Wyoming and the United States of America.

WHEREAS, after first coming to Wyoming as a recruit to play semi-professional baseball for a Lander team, Lester C. Hunt moved permanently to Wyoming to start his family and dental practice after working full-time on the railroad to fund his attendance at dental school; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served actively during World War I as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Dental Corps from 1917 to 1919 and as a Major in the Army Reserve from 1919 to 1954; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt started his distinguished career in public service by serving in the Wyoming House of Representatives, as a Representative from Fremont County, from 1933 to 1934; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served as Wyoming's Secretary of State from 1935 to 1943 where among his many accomplishments were obtaining a copyright to preserve the mark of the Bucking Horse and Rider and developing and implementing plans for the Bucking Horse and Rider license plate first issued in 1936; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt became the first person to serve for two consecutive terms as Governor of Wyoming, holding office during and after World War II. Among Governor Hunt's many accomplishments in addition to managing wartime concerns, he oversaw the creation of a pension system for teachers and advocated for a pension system for state employees as well as expanded systems of health benefits; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served as Wyoming's accomplished junior United States Senator from 1949 until his untimely death by suicide, June 19, 1954; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt supported a number of federal social programs and advocated for federal support of low-cost health and dental insurance policies. He also supported a variety of programs proposed by the Eisenhower administration following the Republican landslide in the 1952 elections, including the abolition of racial segregation in the District of Columbia and the expansion of Social Security; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served on Congressional committees including the Senate Armed Services Committee, a special Senate committee investigating war crimes and the Special Committee on Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce; and

WHEREAS, through Senate hearings, Lester C. Hunt was introduced to the bullying and false accusation tactics of Senator Eugene Joseph McCarthy and followers of the charismatic McCarthy, where many considered McCarthy a hero and the people who knew better stayed silent and attempted to stay on his good side; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt became a victim of this extremely polarized era in public thinking that hurt our nation and ruined the lives of many who found themselves on the other side of the boisterous "majority." During this time, Senator Hunt was a brave critic of the excesses of the McCarthyism era, even introducing legislation allowing private citizens to sue members of Congress who libeled them; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt endured threats and intimidation, to which his untimely death can be directly attributed, during this dark and harsh period of our nation's political journey characterized by incivility, irrational political dogma and unfounded beliefs; and

WHEREAS, while Lester C. Hunt was cruelly harmed by this movement, thousands of others also had their lives shattered when they were blacklisted by false accusations without credible evidence. Anyone who challenged the methods employed by the McCarthyists was labeled a communist sympathizer in a widespread chilling of free speech; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt was a victim of blackmail whereby his opponents used despicable means to obtain control of a deeply divided United States Senate; and

WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt remained true to Wyoming and to our nation but succumbed to the overwhelming pressure and took his own life, adding to the tragic legacy of Wyoming's suicide prominence; and

WHEREAS, in 1954, within a few months after Lester C. Hunt's suicide, the Senate voted to censure Joseph McCarthy and our nation began to heal; and

WHEREAS, former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson said decades later that what happened to Lester C. Hunt "passed all boundaries of decency and exposed an evil side of politics;" and

WHEREAS, Wyoming's Lester C. Hunt with decency and courage contributed to the survival and preservation of a principled system of participatory government that has carried this nation through the darkest of times.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to respect each member and support our democracy and the right of every citizen to be heard and respected. With this resolution, the Wyoming Legislature remembers and joins with the people of Wyoming and all our nation to rededicate ourselves to democracy, civility, decency and truth.

Section 2.  That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to work with those with whom we disagree and to strive for pragmatic problem-solving.

Section 3.  That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to be ever vigilant to do all they can to prevent suicide and to be diligent in battling against injustices, inequities, discriminative conditions and intolerant practices that can lead to suicide.

Section 4.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress and to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation.

For more on Hunt:

Baseball, Politics, Triumph and Tragedy: The Career of Lester Hunt

We have discussed Hunt here:

1942.  Lester Hunt, DDS, the sitting Wyoming Secretary of State and a Democrat narrowly defeated Governor Nels H. Smith.

Lester C. Hunt.

Hunt would serve as Governor for two terms before going on to becoming Wyoming's Senator.  He killed himself in 1954 after Washington, D. C. police picked up his son in 1953 for soliciting a male prostitute.  The scandal was kept quiet for a while, but political opponents threatened to use it against him as a threat to keep him from engaging in a 1954 bid for office.

In the Senate, Hunt had been an opponent of Joe McCarthy.

It's really interesting that this bill comes up now.

I didn't go into the story in depth, but as noted, Senator Hunt was an opponent of McCarthy and, obviously, tragically involved in a story that he couldn't overcome.

Hunt was a dentist by profession, and entered politics, first becoming, at a state level, the Wyoming Secretary of State.  He was the elected a Democratic Governor, back in the day when Wyoming had a functioning Democratic Party and the state wasn't a one party state.  He later became Wyoming's Senator.

In June 1953, his son, who was attending the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was the student body president, was picked up for solicitation of am ale prostitute.  Normally this was just passed off by the police if it was a first offense, but the arrest became known to Republican Senators, who threatened to break the information if Hunt didn't resign from office.  If that had happened, the Wyoming legislature would have appointed a Republican successor.  

Hunt refused, his son was sentenced and paid the fine, and the Washington Post picked up the story.

Hunt decided to run for reelection anyhow, and the news story received little attention.  Republicans again threatened to use it against him, although the Eisenhower Administration, seeing what was going on, tried to offer him a way out by offering him a position on the U.S. Tariff Commission.  On June 8, 1954, following a medical examination, he declared he was bowing out of elective offices entirely.  On June 19, he shot himself in his Senate office.

Following this, journalist Drew Pearson wrote about the drama and how the Republicans had threatened Hunt.  Pearson noted, however:

Two weeks ago he went to the hospital for a physical check and announced that he would not run again. It was no secret that he had been having kidney trouble for some time, but I am sure that on top of this, Lester Hunt, a much more sensitive soul than his colleagues realized, just could not bear the thought of having his son's misfortunes become the subject of whispers in his re-election campaign.

In private, however, Pearson indicated that Hunt, whom he had been in contact with, had no physical concerns at the time of his suicide.

What the resolution states is completely true.  If there's a black mark against Dr. Hunt in his public story, it would be that he was less than enthusiastic about the presence of Japanese American internees in the state during World War Two and his statements at the time would be hard not to view as racist, although they are not uniformly so.  In our modern era, we tend not to cut anyone any slack at all for transgressions of this type, but perhaps to some degree we should.  Overall, Hunt's service as Secretary of State, Governor, World War One serviceman, and Senator are praiseworthy and no matter what a person might think of McCarthy, his stand at the time was certainly praiseworthy.  The actions by the GOP in persecuting him were vile.

Which is why I suspect that this bill will go nowhere.  In Wyoming of 2023, there's almost no room in the state to praise a Democratic politician, and chances are that anyone supporting a bill condemning McCarthyism will receive pretty stout criticism as well.

It'll be really interesting to see where this goes.  Can a Wyoming Legislature in 2023 recognize a former Wyoming Governor, who was a World War One Army veteran, and our World War Two Governor, but who also; 1) had a son involved in a police scandal involving a homosexual solicitation; and 2) was an opponent of McCarthy's; and 3) was a Democrat.

For that matter, do the Jeanette Ward's of the legislature even know that there was a time when a politician like Hunt served as Secretary of State and then later as Governor, let alone Senator?

My guess is that this bill will die.  The legislature will prefer to stand with McCarthy and the 1954 D.C. police.

January 13, 2023

Ten new bills were introduced in the House yesterday.

They include a bill which would put supervision of elections under the State Canvassing Board.  HB115 is a version of a bill earlier proposed by Dale Zwonitzer, but which he did not introduce.  It's been introduced instead by a freshman legislator from Albany County who is also a UW law professor.  Predictably, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray took time from his busy clerical duties to text the Tribune in opposition to the bill, stating;“It’s more petty, liberal, unconstitutional behavior from individuals who are attempting to violate the will of the voters", by which he presumably meant the voters choosing him to be Secretary of State based on his advancement of theories to usurp the will of the voters.

A bill revising Wyoming's abortion restrictions, which are currently being litigated in the 9th Judicial District, was introduced, reading:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0044

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0117

Abortion amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Yin, Provenza and Sherwood and Senator(s) Gierau and Rothfuss

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to abortion; specifying that no abortion shall be performed after the fetus has reached viability; providing exceptions; clarifying the prohibition of the use of appropriated funds for abortion; repealing conflicting provisions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 35‑6‑102 by creating a new subsection (d) and 35‑6‑117 by creating a new subsection (c) are amended to read:

35‑6‑102.  Abortion restrictions; exception.

(d)  An abortion shall not be performed after the embryo or fetus has reached viability except when necessary to preserve the woman from an imminent peril that substantially endangers her life or health, according to appropriate medical judgment, or if the pregnancy is the result of incest as defined by W.S. 6‑4‑402 or sexual assault as defined by W.S. 6‑2‑301.

35‑6‑117.  Use of appropriated funds for abortion prohibited; exceptions.

(c)  No funds appropriated by the legislature of the state of Wyoming shall be used to pay for abortions except when the pregnancy is the result of incest as defined by W.S. 6‑4‑402 or sexual assault as defined by W.S. 6‑2‑301 if the assault is reported to a law enforcement agency within five (5) days after the assault or within five (5) days after the time the victim is capable of reporting the assault, or when the life of the mother would be endangered if the unborn child was carried to full term.

Section 2.  W.S. 35‑6‑102(b) and (c) and 35‑6‑117(b) are repealed.

Section 3.  This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

HB123 would propose to formally allow the game and fish to establish a shed antler season, stating:

Pursuant to this paragraph, the commission may establish by rule seasons for the collection of big game animal shed antlers and horns on public lands. Any season to collect big game animal antlers and horns shall begin for residents three (3) days before the start of the season for nonresidents;

A bill to ban some types of foreign property ownership in Wyoming has been introduced, stating:

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0514

 

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0116

Prohibiting foreign property ownership in Wyoming.

 

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Allemand, Banks, Haroldson, Jennings, Penn, Slagle, Smith, Strock, Styvar, Tarver, Ward and Winter and Senator(s) Biteman and Steinmetz

A BILL

 

for

 

AN ACT relating to property; restricting foreign ownership of land and other interests in Wyoming as specified; defining terms; requiring registration as specified; authorizing enforcement of ownership restrictions as specified; providing a civil penalty; requiring the inclusion of notices of foreign ownership in assessment schedules and tax statements; specifying applicability; requiring rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 34‑15‑104 is created to read:

34‑15‑104.  Restriction on foreign ownership of land; registration; penalty; enforcement.

(a)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Foreign business" means a corporation incorporated under the laws of a foreign government or a business entity, whether or not incorporated, in which a majority interest is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by foreign persons or by a foreign government. Legal entities including trusts, holding companies, multiple corporations or other entities with other business arrangements shall not affect the determination of ownership or control of a foreign business;

(ii)  "Foreign government" means a government of:

(A)  Russia;

(B)  China;

(C)  Any country that has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism under federal law.

(iii)  "Foreign person" means a person who is a citizen of:

(A)  Russia;

(B)  China;

(C)  A country that has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism under federal law. 

(iv)  "Land" means real property or real estate and any surface, subsurface, airspace or mineral interest in Wyoming.

(b)  No foreign government, foreign business or foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, shall purchase or otherwise acquire land in Wyoming except for use as a personal residence and not to exceed one (1) acre. A foreign government, foreign business or foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, that owns or holds land in Wyoming on July 1, 2023 shall divest of all right, title and interest in the land not later than two (2) years after July 1, 2023, unless the holding or ownership is for a personal residency and satisfies the requirements of this subsection.

(c)  A foreign business, foreign government or foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, that owns an interest in land in Wyoming in accordance with subsection (b) of this section on or after July 1, 2023 shall register the ownership of the land with the secretary of state. The registration shall be in a form and manner prescribed by the secretary of state and shall contain the name of the owner, the location of the land, the number of acres of the land by county and, if the owner is an agent, trustee or fiduciary of a foreign business, foreign government or foreign person, the name of any principal for whom that land was purchased or acquired. The registration shall be made not later than sixty (60) days after July 1, 2023 and shall be updated annually on or before March 31 of each year.

(d)  A foreign business, foreign government or a foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, who fails to register or timely register as required by subsection (c) of this section shall be liable for a civil penalty of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for each day that the foreign business, foreign government or a foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, is not in compliance with subsection (c) of this section.

(e)  Each county clerk shall report to the secretary of state if a foreign entity, foreign government or foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, purchases or acquires land in the county in violation of this section or if the clerk suspects that land was purchased or acquired in the county by a foreign entity, foreign government or foreign person.

(f)  The secretary of state shall report any violation of this section to the attorney general if the secretary of state finds that a foreign business, foreign government or foreign person, or any agent, trustee or fiduciary thereof, has acquired or holds title to or an interest in land in Wyoming in violation of this section or has failed to register as required by this section. The attorney general may take any action necessary to enforce the provisions of this section, including initiating an action in the district court of any county in which the land is located.

Section 2.  W.S. 39‑13‑103(b)(viii) and 39‑13‑107(b)(i)(C) are amended to read:

39‑13‑103.  Imposition.

(b)  Basis of tax.  The following shall apply:

(viii)  Every assessment schedule sent to a taxpayer shall contain the property's estimated fair market value for the current and previous year, or, productive value in the case of agricultural property. The schedule shall also contain the assessment ratio as provided by paragraph (b)(iii) of this section for the taxable property, the amount of taxes assessed on the taxable property from the previous year, and an estimate of the taxes which will be due and payable for the current year based on the previous year's mill levies. The schedule shall also contain information stating that foreign ownership of property in Wyoming is prohibited and describing the requirement to register foreign ownership of property with the secretary of state as provided by W.S. 34‑15‑104.  The schedule shall contain a statement of the process to contest assessments as prescribed by W.S. 39‑13‑109(b)(i);

39‑13‑107.  Compliance; collection procedures.

(b)  The following provisions shall apply to the payment of taxes, distraint of property and deferral:

(i)  The following shall apply to the payment of taxes due:

(C)  Annually, on or before October 10 the county treasurer shall send a written statement to each taxpayer by mail at his last known address or, if offered by the county and upon request of the taxpayer, by electronic transmission of the total tax due, itemized as to property description, assessed value and mill levies. The notice shall contain information, including contact information, of any property tax relief program authorized by state law. The notice shall contain information stating that foreign ownership of property in Wyoming is prohibited and describing the requirement to register foreign property with the secretary of state as provided by W.S. 34‑15‑104. Failure to send notice, or to demand payment of taxes, does not invalidate any taxes due;

Section 3.  Except as provided in W.S. 34‑15‑104(b), as created by section 1 of this act, nothing in this act shall be construed to divest, extinguish or sever any interest in or claim to real property, real estate, surface, subsurface, airspace and mineral interests in Wyoming.

Section 4.  The secretary of state shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

Section 5.  This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

This appears to be a Freedom Caucus bill.  My prediction is that the Wyoming Real Estate Association will kill this bill.

A proposed joint resolution regarding wild horses and burros has been introduced, reading:

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. HJ0003

Wild horses and burros-best management practices.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Winter, Banks, Davis, Neiman and Sommers and Senator(s) Driskill and Laursen, D

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION requesting the United States Congress to enact legislation and make other necessary policy changes to allow federal land management agencies and agency partners to implement best management practices for wild horses and burros by allowing for equine slaughter and processing for shipment to accommodating markets inside or outside the United States.

WHEREAS, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (the Act), as amended, protects wild horses and burros from harassment or death and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; and

WHEREAS, under the Act, wild horses and burros are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) in their respective jurisdictions and within the areas where these animals were found roaming in 1971; and

WHEREAS, the BLM manages public lands for multiple use and a sustained yield, as mandated by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA); and

WHEREAS, when considering the Act and the FLPMA together, the BLM is required to protect wild horses and burros in balance with other public resources and uses, including other wildlife and fish, recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed and natural scenic, scientific and historical values; and

WHEREAS, responsible management of wild horse and burro populations is critical to protect scarce and fragile resources in the arid West and ensure healthy wildlife and livestock; and

WHEREAS, without responsible management, the resources in the arid West cannot be managed for multiple use because wild horses unduly infringe upon other uses by damaging riverbeds and overgrazing on limited forage, while using and often damaging the infrastructure of other public land users; and

WHEREAS, with virtually no natural predators, wild horse and burro populations can double every four (4) to five (5) years if left unchecked; and

WHEREAS, due to their protected status, if a wild horse or burro strays onto privately owned lands, the private landowners have no recourse for the infringement of their private property rights other than to inform their local BLM or USFS field office to seek removal of the animal; and

WHEREAS, under the Act, the BLM and USFS must inventory wild horse and burro populations periodically to determine appropriate management levels (AMLs) to maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and preserve the multiple-use relationship on public lands; and

WHEREAS, under the Act, the BLM and USFS are authorized to remove wild horses and burros to achieve AMLs upon the respective agency's determination that an overpopulation exists; and

WHEREAS, upon that determination, the Act requires the agency first to order old, sick, or lame animals to be destroyed in the most humane manner possible, second to cause excess wild horses and burros to be humanely captured for private adoption and third, to cause excess animals to be destroyed in the most humane and cost-efficient manner possible; and

WHEREAS, the BLM and USFS are increasingly unable to adequately manage wild horse and burro populations due to exponential increases in the number of wild horses and burros on the range, difficulties in adopting or selling wild horses and burros, lack of effective fertility control measures, lawsuits prohibiting or stalling gathers and removals, insufficient availability of holding facilities and increasing management costs; and

WHEREAS, of the one hundred seventy-seven (177) herd management areas across ten (10) western states under the jurisdiction of the BLM, comprising almost twenty-seven million (27,000,000) acres, only approximately twenty percent (20%) fall within their attendant AML; and

WHEREAS, the BLM recognizes the need for decisive action to reverse the harm to western landscapes and the wild horses and burros occupying them, as demonstrated by the agency's "2020 Report to Congress: An Analysis of Achieving a Sustainable Wild Horse and Burro Program;" and

WHEREAS, off-range holding of gathered animals accomplishes neither free-ranging of the animals nor population control and amounts to great expense, as demonstrated by the BLM fiscal year 2021 off-range holding expenditures of seventy-seven million seven hundred thousand dollars ($77,700,000.00); and

WHEREAS, under the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906, United States Department of Agriculture inspection is mandatory to sell meat in interstate or foreign commerce; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has effectively banned horse slaughter in the United States for human consumption since 2007 by denying funding for the inspection of equine slaughter facilities throughout the food production process. Federal appropriations laws since 1988 have contained similar prohibitions; and

WHEREAS, the fiscal year 2022 Department of Interior appropriations law prohibited the use of funds for destruction of healthy animals or for sales of animals that result in processing into commercial products; and

WHEREAS, the Act, combined with the effect of the United States Congress' effective ban on equine slaughter facilities, has created an unsustainable issue where wild horse and burro populations continue to expand exponentially; and

WHEREAS, the United States has benefitted from the ability of neighboring countries to provide equine slaughter services.  The capacity of those neighboring countries to provide these services is limited, however, and has been degraded by the closure of facilities as well as the challenges associated with transporting animals long distances.  Effective and humane management of wild horses and burros can be best accomplished by facilitating the United States' own capacity to transport and process wild horses and burros; and

WHEREAS, the wild horse and burro population's continued exponential growth and the federal agencies' continued inability to adequately manage these populations to attain AMLs presents an urgent concern for management policy and practice; and

WHEREAS, a pragmatic shift in United States' wild horse and burro management policy is prudent and necessary to help address this crisis and achieve protection of wild horses and burros in manageable numbers; and

WHEREAS, policy tools must be implemented to authorize equine domestic slaughter, to allow horse and burro meat inspection and sale and to facilitate the humane transport of wild horses and burros both domestically and to other countries or sovereigns for slaughter.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That the Legislature of the State of Wyoming requests the United States Congress to enact legislation and make other necessary policy changes to allow federal land management agencies and agency partners to implement best management practices for wild horses and burros by allowing for equine slaughter and processing for shipment to accommodating markets within or outside the United States.

Section 2.  That the Legislature of the State of Wyoming requests the United States Congress to enact legislation and make other necessary policy changes to allow federal land management agencies and agency partners to work with states and Indian tribes with respect to the management, gathering and disposition of wild horses and burros.

Section 3.  That the Legislature of the State of Wyoming requests the United States Congress to enact legislation and make other necessary policy changes to remove impediments to the disposition of gathered wild horses and burros, including equine slaughter and processing.

Section 4.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to the Secretary of the Interior and to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation.

Eleven new Senate bills were introduced yesterday.

One bill, SF106, provided for some Game and Fish large budgetary items funding.

SF109 would ban chemical abortions.  It reads:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0109

Prohibiting chemical abortions.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Salazar, Biteman, Boner, Brennan, Dockstader, French, Furphy, Hutchings, Ide, Kolb, Laursen, D, McKeown, Schuler and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Allemand, Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Bear, Davis, Haroldson, Hornok, Jennings, Knapp, Locke, Neiman, O'Hearn, Olsen, Ottman, Pendergraft, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Singh, Slagle, Smith, Styvar, Trujillo, Ward and Washut

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to abortions; prohibiting chemical abortion drugs for abortions as specified; providing criminal penalties; providing definitions; specifying exceptions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 35‑6‑120 is created to read:

35‑6‑120.  Chemical abortion drugs prohibited; exceptions; penalty.

(a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense, sell, transfer or use any chemical abortion drug in the state for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion.

(b)  The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to:

(i)  The sale, use, prescription or administration of any contraceptive agent administered before conception or before pregnancy can be confirmed through conventional medical testing;

(ii)  The treatment of a natural miscarriage according to currently accepted medical guidelines;

(iii)  Treatment necessary to preserve the woman from an imminent peril that substantially endangers her life or health, according to appropriate medical judgment, or the pregnancy is the result of incest as defined by W.S. 6‑4‑402 or sexual assault as defined by W.S. 6‑2‑301. As used in this paragraph, "imminent peril" means only a physical condition and shall not include any psychological or emotional conditions. No medical treatment shall form the basis for an exception under this paragraph if it is based on a claim or diagnosis that the pregnant woman will engage in conduct which she intends to result in her death or other self‑harm.

(c)  Except as otherwise provided in this section, any physician or other person who violates subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine not to exceed nine thousand dollars ($9,000.00), or both.

(d)  A woman upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted in which a chemical abortion drug is used shall not be criminally prosecuted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

Section 2.  W.S. 35‑6‑101(a)(vi), by creating a new paragraph (xii) and by amending and renumbering (xii) as (xiii) is amended to read:

35‑6‑101.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in the act, unless the context otherwise requires:  

(vi)  "Pregnant" or "pregnancy" means that condition of a woman who has a human embryo or fetus within her as the result of conception;

(xii)  "Chemical abortion drug" means mifepristone, misoprostol, mifeprex, mifegyne or any substantially similar generic or non‑generic drug or chemical dispensed for purposes of causing an abortion;

(xii)(xiii)  "This act" means W.S. 35‑6‑101 through 35‑6‑119 35‑6‑120.

Section 3.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

The bill providing that sex change actions in regard to children would be illegal was finally introduced.  It reads:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0215

SENATE FILE NO. SF0111

Child abuse-change of sex.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Scott, Brennan, McKeown, Schuler and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Allemand, Banks, Chadwick, Heiner, Jennings, Lawley, Olsen, Ottman, Strock, Styvar and Walters

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; creating a new offense for child abuse; providing a penalty; providing exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 6‑2‑503 by creating new subsections (d) and (e) are amended to read:

6‑2‑503.  Child abuse; penalty.

(d)  A person is guilty of child abuse, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, if a person intentionally inflicts upon a child under the age of eighteen (18) years any procedure, drug, other agent or combination thereof that is administered to intentionally or knowingly change the sex of the child. Consent of the child, the child's parents, guardian or any other person responsible for the child's welfare shall not be a defense to the crime defined by this subsection.

(e)  The following do not constitute child abuse pursuant to subsection (d) of this section:

(i)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare to create the clear sexual identity of a child born with an ambiguous sexual identity, provided the ambiguity is diagnosed before the child reaches the age of four (4) years;

(ii)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare of a child born with the external genitalia of a female and a chromosomal structure of a male or medical treatment of a child born with the external genitalia of a male and a chromosomal structure of a female;

(iii)  Treatment of a child who develops, in whole or in part, one (1) or more characteristics of the opposite sex, provided the medical treatment and any associated aftercare is intended to ameliorate the characteristic and does not change the sex of the child;

(iv)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare necessary for traumatic injuries or life threatening physical diseases or conditions, not including any psychological or emotional conditions.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

A resolution stating the legislator's intent to phase out the sale of electric cars by 2035 has been introduced.  It states:

 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0004

Phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Anderson, Boner, Cooper and Dockstader and Representative(s) Burkhart and Henderson

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION expressing support for phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.

WHEREAS, oil and gas production has long been one of Wyoming's proud and valued industries; and

WHEREAS, the oil and gas industry in Wyoming has created countless jobs and has contributed revenues to the state of Wyoming throughout the state's history; and

WHEREAS, since its invention, the gas-powered vehicle has enabled the state's industries and businesses to engage in commerce and transport goods and resources more efficiently throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, Wyoming's vast stretches of highway, coupled with a lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, make the widespread use of electric vehicles impracticable for the state; and

WHEREAS, the batteries used in electric vehicles contain critical minerals whose domestic supply is limited and at risk for disruption; and

WHEREAS, the critical minerals used in electric batteries are not easily recyclable or disposable, meaning that municipal landfills in Wyoming and elsewhere will be required to develop practices to dispose of these minerals in a safe and responsible manner; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations in Wyoming and throughout the country necessary to support more electric vehicles will require massive amounts of new power generation in order to sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles; and

WHEREAS, the United States has consistently invested in the oil and gas industry to sustain gas-powered vehicles, and that investment has resulted in the continued employment of thousands of people in the oil and gas industry in Wyoming and throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, fossil fuels, including oil and petroleum products, will continue to be vital for transporting goods and people across Wyoming and the United States for years to come; and

WHEREAS, the proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will have deleterious impacts on Wyoming's communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming's economy and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce; and

WHEREAS, phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035 will ensure the stability of Wyoming's oil and gas industry and will help preserve the country's critical minerals for vital purposes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That the legislature encourages and expresses as a goal that the sale of new electric vehicles in the state of Wyoming be phased out by 2035.

Section 2.  That the legislature encourages Wyoming's industries and citizens to limit the sale and purchase of new electric vehicles in Wyoming with a goal of phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.

Section 3.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, each member of Wyoming's congressional delegation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the governor of Wyoming and the governor of California.

Charitably describing that resolution would be nearly impossible.  Nobody builds cars for Wyoming, so this is effectively a resolution to ban the sale of cars entirely in Wyoming.

A bill commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force has been introduced.  It reads:

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0005

Air Force 75th Anniversary.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Boner, Furphy, Nethercott and Pappas and Representative(s) Brown, Locke, Olsen and Styvar

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION to recognize and congratulate the United States Air Force on the 75th anniversary of its founding.

WHEREAS, the United States Air Force was founded in 1947 and has had a continuous and active presence in Wyoming since that time; and

WHEREAS, The United States Air Force's heritage in Wyoming pre-dates the Air Force founding as a separate military branch and includes the significant training mission of strategic bomber crews at Casper Army Airfield during World War II; and

WHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base is the oldest continuously active Air Force base in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base has played a vital role in the strategic defense of the United States and its allies by maintaining the first fully operational Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the Atlas D, in 1959; and

WHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing, one of three active missile wings currently operating the Minuteman III ICBM and the headquarters of 20th Air Force, which commands all three (3) missile wings; and

WHEREAS, the 90th Missile wing is the only military unit to operate the Peacekeeper ICBM, the most advanced ballistic missile fielded to date which was deployed exclusively in Wyoming; and

WHEREAS, the 90th Missile Wing will continue to play a vital role in the strategic defense of the United States now and into the future and be the first unit to deploy the new Sentinel ICBM; and

WHEREAS, the University of Wyoming has a strong history of supporting the United States Air Force by establishing Air Force ROTC Detachment 940 in 1952 and counting Samuel C. Phillips, the leader of the Air Force's Minuteman ICBM program, as an alumni; and

WHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard has continuously supported our state and nation since 1946; and

WHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard became part of the Air Force in 1947 and ever since has honorably, ably and faithfully been the "Sword and Shield" for our state and nation; and

WHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard, as the Sword, has played a vital role in guarding the United States and defending freedom in nearly every major conflict and contingency by repeatedly answering the nation's call in places such as Korea, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world; and

WHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard, as the Shield, has fought fires on the ground and in the air in Wyoming and throughout the West, mitigated flooding in Saratoga, Fremont county and elsewhere, and most recently provided desperately needed manpower for medical facilities throughout the state during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the State of Wyoming is dedicated to memorializing the story of the Air Force through the Wyoming Veterans Museum and Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility State Historic Site.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.

(a)  The State of Wyoming commends the United States Air Force on its 75th anniversary.

(b)  The state of Wyoming acknowledges the strong historic relationship between the United States Air Force and the State.

(c)  The State of Wyoming recognizes the significant service that the United States Air Force currently provides in protecting our vital state and national interests.

(d)  The state of Wyoming is determined to continue the strong partnership between the State and the United States Air Force.

Section 2.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Commander of the 90th Missile Wing, 20th Air Force and the Commander of the Air Force ROTC Detachment 940.

House Bill 17, which is not new, would allow ranchers to sublease state grazing leases.

House Bill 95 would protect the use of working animals. 

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0095

Working animal protection act.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Neiman and Penn and Senator(s) French and Laursen, D

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to counties, cities and towns; prohibiting counties, cities and towns from enacting and enforcing policies on the use of animals as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 15‑1‑133 and 18‑2‑117 are created to read:

15‑1‑133.  Working animal protections.

(a)  No city or town shall enact an ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)  This section supersedes any municipal ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)  Any municipal zoning ordinance enacted under this title;

(ii)  Any municipal ordinance or policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)  This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23‑3‑109.

(d)  As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

18‑2‑117.  Working animal protections.

(a)  No county shall enact any resolution, ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)  This section supersedes any resolution, ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)  Any county zoning resolution enacted under this title;

(ii)  Any policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)  This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23‑3‑109.

(d)  As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

January 13, cont:

Let the fisticuffs begin:

 HOUSE BILL NO. HB0126

Trespass-removal of trespasser.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Crago and Washut and Senator(s) Kinskey and Landen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing for the use of physical force against a trespasser as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 6‑3‑303 by creating new subsections (d) and (e) is amended to read:

6‑3‑303.  Criminal trespass; penalties; justification.

(d)  A person who is the owner or legal occupant of land or a premises upon which a criminal trespass is occurring, or their agent, is justified in using reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to terminate what the owner, occupant or agent reasonably believes to be the commission of a criminal trespass by the other person in or upon the land or premises.

(e)  Section (d) of this section does not supersede or add to the responsibilities applicable to the defense of self or another as provided by law.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Frankly, as this bill is based on what one “reasonably believes”, basically authorizes murder, or could, and probably will be, read that way.

January 14, 2023

A bill to extend postpartum Medicaid from 60 days to a year made it barely out of committee and on to the House floor.

The bill was backed by physicians, the Governor's office and the Catholic Church.  It was opposed by the Freedom Caucus.  One legislator attacked Governor Gordon's office based on his appointment of the current 9th Judicial District Judge who stayed the application of the trigger law, seemingly not grasping that this wouldn't have occurred but for the bad drafting of a silly constitutional amendment that resulted in that.  Jeanette Ward, the Illinoisan in the legislature, commended that being pro-life doesn't mean support for expanding entitlements, even though Medicaid isn't an entitlement.

HB130 would fund a grant for police departments to obtain fentanyl detecting dogs.

Senate Bill 60 failed, which read as follows:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0060

Nonresident hunting license application fees.

Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to game and fish; modifying the provisions of elk, deer and antelope hunting licenses issued to nonresident applicants; increasing nonresident license fees to hunt elk, deer and antelope; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 23‑2‑101(f)(i) through (iii) is amended to read:

23‑2‑101.  Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; nonresident licenses; verification of residency required; donation of refunded application fees.

(f)  Forty percent (40%) of available nonresident elk licenses, forty percent (40%) of available nonresident deer licenses and forty percent (40%) of available nonresident antelope licenses for any one (1) calendar year shall as established by the commission, be offered to nonresident applicants upon receipt of the fee prescribed by this subsection.  Seventy‑five (75) of the nonresident deer licenses set aside pursuant to this subsection shall be used for a national bow hunt for deer. The licenses authorized by this subsection shall be offered by drawing to nonresident applicants prior to the drawing for the remaining nonresident licenses issued. The licenses offered under this subsection shall be issued in a manner prescribed by rules and regulations promulgated by the commission. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit any unsuccessful applicant for a nonresident license pursuant to this subsection from submitting an application for any licenses remaining after the drawing during the calendar year in which the application under this subsection was submitted. The following fees shall be collected by the department and are in addition to the nonresident license fee for the appropriate big game species imposed under subsection (j) of this section and the application fee imposed under subsection (e) of this section:

(i)  Nonresident elk license ...... $576.00 $1,258.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xix) of this section;

(ii)  Nonresident deer license .... $288.00 $826.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xv) of this section;

(iii)  Nonresident antelope license ..... $288.00 $874.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xxxi) of this section.

Section 2.  This act is effective January 1, 2024.

As can be seen, it would have raised the price of out of state big game hunting licenses.

I would have been in favor of this because, as a subsistence hunter, I favor locals getting tags first and this would have sort of helped that, maybe.  I can also see the point of not pricing things to the rich playground level as well. 

January 17, 2023

More new bills introduced yesterday.

Indeed, a lot of bills were introduced yesterday, this is just a snippet.

Requiring high school students to take the equivalent of the U.S. citizenship test:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0356

SENATE FILE NO. SF0114

Constitutional instruction and examination requirements.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Laursen, D, Biteman, French, Ide, McKeown, Salazar and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Bear, Davis, Haroldson, Heiner, Rodriguez-Williams, Smith and Zwonitzer, Dn

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; modifying the state and federal constitutional instruction required in public schools; requiring passing an additional examination for high school graduation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑9‑102 is amended to read:

21‑9‑102.  Instruction in state and federal constitutions required; satisfactory examinations prerequisite to graduation.

All schools and colleges in this state that are supported in any manner by public funds shall give instruction in the essentials of the United States constitution, the bill of rights, amendments to the United States constitution and the constitution of the state of Wyoming, including the study of and devotion to American institution and ideals, and no student shall receive a high school diploma, associate degree or baccalaureate degree without satisfactorily passing an examination on the principles of the constitution of the United States and the state of Wyoming. For students graduating in the 2023‑2024 school year and each school year thereafter, no student shall receive a high school diploma from a Wyoming school district without also passing the civics test required to become a United States citizen by the United States citizenship and immigration services with a score of at least sixty percent (60%). The constitutional and other instruction required in this section shall be given for at least three (3) years each academic year in kindergarten through grade eight (8) twelve (12) and for one (1) year each in the secondary and college grades any higher education degree, certificate or program for which the coursework requires one (1) year or more of full‑time study.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Parental rights in education.  This is making headlines as its similar to Florida's law which acquired the "don't say gay" moniker, although it addresses a lot more topics than that.

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0156

SENATE FILE NO. SF0117

Parental rights in education.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Dockstader and Representative(s) Allred

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; specifying procedures and requirements for school districts to provide parents notice of information regarding students and the rights of parents to make decisions regarding their children; specifying that school districts cannot prohibit parental notification and involvement in critical decisions involving students; prohibiting classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity as specified; specifying training requirements for school districts; specifying procedures for resolving parent concerns and complaints; specifying duties for school district boards of trustees and the state board of education; providing for a cause of action; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑3‑134 is created to read:

21‑3‑134.  Parental notices related to health care and gender instruction; student welfare; procedures; school district prohibitions.

(a)  No school district shall permit classroom instruction by teachers or any other person on sexual orientation and gender identity:

(i)  For students in grades kindergarten through three (3); or

(ii)  In a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with standards established by the state board of education.

(b)  Each school district board of trustees shall:

(i)  Adopt procedures for notifying a student's parent or guardian if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional or physical health or well‑being and the school's ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student. Procedures adopted under this paragraph shall reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the care and control of their children by requiring school district personnel to encourage a student to discuss issues relating to his well‑being with his parent or guardian or to facilitate discussion with the parent. No procedures adopted under this paragraph shall prohibit parents or guardians from accessing any of their student's education and health records created, maintained or used by the school district;

(ii)  Not adopt any procedures that prohibit school district personnel from notifying a student's parent or guardian about the student's mental, emotional or physical health or well‑being, a change in related services or monitoring. No school district shall adopt procedures that encourage or have the effect of encouraging a student to withhold from a parent or guardian information about the student's mental, emotional or physical health or well‑being. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a school district from adopting procedures that authorize school district personnel to withhold from disclosing to a parent or guardian information about the student's mental, emotional or physical health or well‑being if a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse as defined by W.S. 14‑3‑202(a)(ii) or neglect as defined by W.S. 14‑3‑202(a)(vii).

(c)  The state board of education shall establish guidelines and standards for student support services in school districts in accordance with this section. Student support services training developed or provided by a school district to the school district's personnel shall adhere to any guidelines and standards promulgated by the state board of education in accordance with this section.

(d)  Effective school year 2023‑2024 and each school year thereafter, at the beginning of each school year each school district shall notify parents and guardians of each health care service offered or provided at the student's school and provide the option for the parent or guardian to withhold consent or decline any specific health care service. Parental or guardian consent to a health care service shall not waive the parent's or guardian's right to access his student's educational or health care records or to be notified in a change in his student's services or monitoring.

(e)  Before administering a student well‑being questionnaire or health screening to a student in grades kindergarten through three (3), each school district shall provide the questionnaire or information on the health screening to the parent or guardian and obtain the parent's or guardian's permission.

(f)  Each school district shall adopt procedures for a parent or guardian to file a complaint with the school district regarding a school district's non‑compliance with this section, in accordance with the following:

(i)  Notwithstanding W.S. 21‑2‑101, to the extent that any provision of this subsection conflicts with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act, this subsection and any rules promulgated thereunder shall control;

(ii)  A parent or guardian filing a complaint shall provide a copy of the complaint to the principal or the principal's designee;

(iii)  The procedures shall provide that any complaint submitted under this subsection shall be resolved within seven (7) days of the submission of the complaint;

(iv) If a complaint is not resolved by the school district within thirty (30) days after submission of the complaint, the school district shall resolve the complaint or provide to the parent or guardian a statement of reasons for why the school district has not yet resolved the complaint;

(v)  If a complaint is not resolved after a statement of reasons is provided as required by paragraph (iv) of this subsection, a parent or guardian may:

(A)  Request a hearing on the complaint before an independent hearing officer through the office of administrative hearings, who shall determine facts relating to the dispute over the school district's compliance with this section, consider information provided by the school district and render a recommended decision within thirty (30) days after receiving the request to the state board of education. The state board of education shall accept or reject the hearing officer's recommended decision at its next regularly scheduled meeting or within thirty (30) days after the date the recommended decision is submitted to the state board, whichever is earlier. The costs of the hearing and the hearing officer shall be borne by the school district;

(B)  Bring an action against the school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that the school district has violated this section and to seek injunctive relief. A court may award damages and shall award reasonable attorney fees to a parent or guardian who substantially prevails in an action brought under this subparagraph.

(vi)  Each school district shall adopt procedures to notify parents of the rights and procedures available to parents under this subsection;

(vii)  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to abridge any other rights or remedies under law available to parents. 

Section 2.  W.S. 21‑2‑304(a) by creating a new paragraph (xviii) and 21‑3‑110(a) by creating a new paragraph (xl) are amended to read:

21‑2‑304.  Duties of the state board of education.

(a)  The state board of education shall:

(xviii)  Adopt procedures, guidelines and standards and promulgate rules regarding student instruction and the provision of services associated with student health and well‑being and for the resolution of parent complaints in accordance with W.S. 21‑3‑134.

21‑3‑110.  Duties of boards of trustees.

(a)  The board of trustees in each school district shall:

(xl)  Adopt procedures, guidelines and standards regarding student instruction and the provision of services associated with student health and well‑being in accordance with W.S. 21‑3‑134 and any rules, guidelines or standards promulgated by the state board of education.

Section 3.

(a)  Not later than July 1, 2023:

(i)  The state board of education shall promulgate rules and establish or update all procedures, guidelines and standards necessary to comply with the requirements of this act;

(ii)  Each school district board of trustees shall establish procedures, guidelines and standards in accordance with this act and any rules or policies promulgated by the state board of education in accordance with this act.

Section 4.

a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023.

(b)  Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

 An illegal bill attempting to restrict the Federalization of the National Guard.

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0454

SENATE FILE NO. SF0119

Defend the guard act-2.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Ide and Rothfuss and Representative(s) Andrew and Olsen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming national guard; providing legislative findings; prohibiting the release of the Wyoming national guard into active duty combat as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  The Wyoming legislature finds that this act, creating the Defend the Guard Act, follows the principles embodied in the United States constitution and the writings of the founders.  Article I, section 8, of the United States constitution vests in the congress the exclusive power to declare war. By abdicating the war powers to the executive branch, the United States congress has failed to follow the United States constitution and the intent of the founders.

Section 2.  W.S. 19‑9‑104 is created to read:

19‑9‑104.  Defend the guard act.

(a)  This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Defend the Guard Act".

(b)  For the purposes of this section:

(i)  "Active duty combat" means performing the following services in the active federal military service of the United States:

(A)  Participation in an armed conflict;

(B)  Performance of a hazardous service relating to an armed conflict in a foreign state; or

(C)  Performance of a duty through an instrumentality of war.

(ii)  "Official declaration of war" means an official declaration of war made by the United States congress pursuant to article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States constitution.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Wyoming national guard and any member thereof shall not be released from the state into active duty combat unless the United States congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action pursuant to article I, section 8, clause 15 of the United States constitution to explicitly call forth the Wyoming national guard and any member thereof for the enumerated purposes of expressly executing the laws of the union, repelling invasion or suppressing an insurrection. The governor shall take all actions necessary to comply with the requirements of this section.

(d)  Nothing in this section limits or prohibits the governor from consenting to the deployment of any Wyoming national guard member under title 32 of the United States Code for the purpose of providing defense support for civil authority missions within the United States and United States territories.

Section 3.  W.S. 19‑9‑204(b) is amended to read:

19‑9‑204.  Command of military force called into service.

(b)  Subject to W.S. 19‑9‑104 the national guard of the state may be ordered into the service of the United States by the president of the United States for any purpose for which he is authorized to use militia of the states by the constitution of the United States.

As noted, this bill is illegal.

It's also anti historical.  The Wyoming National Guard was mobilized into Federal service in the Punitive Expedition, the build up to World War Two, the Korean War, the Iraq War, and Afghanistan Conflict, and even to a small extent during the Vietnam War..  It's probably the last two that are causing the Trumpite right to have a snit, but a bill like this, if it were legal, which it isn't, would have kept us from mobilizing prior to World War Two and would have really hindered us during the Cold War.  Only a person with a monumentally narrow view of potential conflicts or a hyper isolationist could take such a position seriously.

HB117, sponsored by the handful of Democrats in the House, seeks to repeal the abortion ban.  With the nearly nonexistent power the Democrats have in the legislature, why they'd waste time making themselves more unpopular isn't clear.

So many bill shave now been introduced that a thoughtful undertaking to address them by the legsilature will be impossible.

The bill to ban the sale of electric cars addressed above died in committee.

January 18, 2022

House Bill 72, reforming the sales and services taxes, failed.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray took time out of his busy work to do list of filing new business organizations, checking filing names, and other clerical duties incumbant upon his new job in order to write an op ed for the Tribune, in which he starts off complaining about how the "media", which he's using in this case, and "liberal elites", which in Wyoming would be about three people, have miscategorized his canpaign.  The editorial opposes ranked choice voting, which had it existed would mean that people like him would be less likely, probably, to get elected.

House Bill 55 on election ballot order failed.

A proposed amendment to the Wyoming Constitution providing for a right to privacy has been introduced.  It provides:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

SO-0172

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0009

Right of individual privacy-constitutional amendment.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Rothfuss, Barlow and Case and Representative(s) Andrew, Provenza, Western and Yin

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION proposing to amend the Wyoming Constitution to provide for a right of individual privacy.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING, two-thirds of all the members of the two houses, voting separately, concurring therein:

Section 1.  The following proposal to amend Wyoming Constitution, Article 1, by creating a new Section 40 is proposed for submission to the electors of the State of Wyoming at the next general election for approval or rejection to become valid as a part of the Constitution if ratified by a majority of the electors at the election:

Article 1, Section 40. Right of privacy.

The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed.

Section 2.  That the Secretary of State shall endorse the following statement on the proposed amendment:

The adoption of this amendment will provide that the right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed.

A "right to privacy" is sometimes a code word or spring board to abortion rights.  Interstingly, the Senate also has a new joint resolution that would repeal the constitutional provision providing constitutional protections for health care decisions which is the provision that has tied up the trigger law in court.

The terrible idea of having a Constitutional Convetion is back with a resolution providing:

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0011

Convention of states.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Laursen, D, Barlow, Biteman, Brennan, Case, Cooper, Driskill and Kolb and Representative(s) Banks, Berger, Clouston, Davis, Olsen, Singh, Strock and Zwonitzer, Dn

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION requesting Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to the United States Constitution as specified.

WHEREAS, the framers of the Constitution of the United States empowered state legislatures to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal government; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, many of which are unfunded mandates; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to operate under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect the liberty of the people, particularly for future generations, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States through a convention of the states under Article V of the United States Constitution for the purpose of restraining these and related abuses of power.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That the Legislature of the State of Wyoming hereby applies to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a convention of the several states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.

Section 2.

(a)  That the Legislature of the State of Wyoming adopts the application made under Section 1 of this joint resolution expressly subject to the following reservations, understandings and declarations:

(i)  An application to the Congress of the United States to call a convention of the several states pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution confers no power to Congress other than the power to call the convention. The power of Congress to exercise this ministerial duty consists solely of the authority to name a reasonable time and place for the initial meeting of a convention;

(ii)  Congress shall call an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt of applications for an amendment convention for the substantially same purpose as this application from two-thirds (2/3) of the legislatures of the several states;

(iii)  Congress does not have the power or authority to determine any rules for the governing of an amendment convention of the several states called pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution. Congress does not have the power to set the number of delegates to be sent by any state to a convention nor does it have the power to name delegates to a convention. The power to name delegates remains exclusively within the authority of the legislatures of the several states;

(iv)  By definition, a convention of the states to propose amendments to the United States Constitution means that states shall vote on the basis of one (1) state, one (1) vote;

(v)  A convention of the several states to propose amendments to the Constitution convened pursuant to this application shall be limited to consideration of the topics specified in this joint resolution and no other. This application is made with the express understanding that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify or repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights shall not be authorized for consideration in any manner;

(vi)  Pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, Congress may determine whether proposed amendments shall be ratified by the legislatures of the several states or by special state ratification conventions. The Legislature of the State of Wyoming recommends that Congress select ratification by the legislatures of the several states; and

(vii)  The Legislature of the State of Wyoming may provide further instructions to its delegates and may recall its delegates at any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided to the delegates.

Section 3.  That this application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at least two‑thirds (2/3) of the several states have made applications on the same subject.

Section 4.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation and to the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in the several states, requesting their cooperation.

In their imaginations, conservatives always imagine such a convention doing conservative things, when in reality there's no restraint on constitutional conventions and it would be just as likely to do things they'd hate, such as eliminate the 2nd Amendment or highly redefine it. 

The resolution which proposed to phase out electric cars in Wyoming, which was merely a resolution, not a bill proposing a law, has received national press attention which has accordingly made the state and its residents, or at least its legislature, look like idiots.

Thankfully, the Missouri revision of its legislative dress code for women is gaining national attention as well, and somewhat taking away the "you have to be kidding" sort of attention that such matters result in.  Having said that, presenting bills such as this which are supposed to serve the purpose basically of poking another governmental body in the eye, should be really well thought out before actually introduced, as when they backfire, as this one now has the results are embarrasing.

January 19, 2023

Rep. Ward has revealed she determined to the legislation prevening private businesses from requiring entrants to wear masks upon entering a community health care facility to obtain a sports physical for one of her daughters.  They immediately walked out. She commented that she couldn't believe that this happened in  Wyoming in 2022, which shows that she's ignorant of the state she moved into.

January 19, cont:

It was apparently Congress day in Cheyenne.  Senator Barasson addressed the Senate:

Senator Barasso quoted the "Cowboy Code" which was created by an Easterner, something that seems to be commonly missed.

Harriet Hageman appeared to address the House.

The early portion of Hageman's address deals with the new rules that the House is operating under, some of which are a restoration of old rules, as is noted.

The back portion is a call for extreme budget cuts.  Without saying as much, it would seem that you can take hints that this would include Social Security, but perhaps I'm just reading that into the speech and it isn't there.

It then goes into the legislative session.

I failed to post the earlier State of the State address.

Failure Chart:

House Bill 6.  Specified election records not subject to disclosure.

House Bill 48.  This bill would have directed millions into pathways.

Senate Bill 60.  This would have raised the price of out of state big game licenses.

Senate Joint Resolution 4. Resolution on banning sale of electric cars.

House Bill 72, reforming the sales and services tax provisions, failed.

House Bill 55, election ballot order.

Last Prior Edition:

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Waking Up Edition (Vol 1).

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming, and Montana, Legislative Session. When Freedom can be another name for things you'll lose.