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

 

November 15, 2025

Wyoming ‘Tim Tebow’ Rule Heads To Lawmaking Session

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

A long time legislator has passed away.

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

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

November 18, 2025

Governor Gordon Proposes $11.13 Billion Two-Year Budget

November 19, 2025

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

Curt Meier, however, praised it.

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

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

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

Wyoming Horse Racing Is Thriving, But Legislators Want More Regulation

November 22, 2025

This is flat out irresponsible and insane:

Wyoming Legislators Advance Plan To Kill All Residential Property Taxes

December 16, 2025

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

December 19, 2025

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

January 8, 2026

We had this news posted here yesterday:

Abortion in Wyoming and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

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

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

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

Anyhow, the Tribune notes:

Wyoming Republicans seek to amend constitution

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

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

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

January 9, 2026

Rep. Elissa Campbell files resolution for Wyoming abortion amendment

That was fast.

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

Laramie lawmakers celebrate abortion ruling

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

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

January 10, 2026

Lawmaker Unveils Bill To Prevent DUI Charges For Drunk Horseback Riding

January 13, 2026

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

Lawmakers question Wyoming Public Media’s funding

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

January 14, 2026

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

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

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

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

And they're going after the Wyoming Business Council.

Legislators Vote To Defund And Dismantle Wyoming Business Council

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

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

January 16, 2026

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

January 17, 2016

Sigh . . . 

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

January 24, 2026

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

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

January 27, 2026

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

The assault on education in the legislature continues on:

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

Noble act from the football coach.

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

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

The following should be a hard "no". 

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

Tracking Shot Bears With Dogs Would Be Legal Under Hunting Bill

January 28, 2026

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

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

January 29, 2026

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

Last edition:

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

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

Sunday, December 28, 1975. Conflict in the Third Cod War.

The Icelandic Coast Guard vessel ICGV Týr rammed the Royal Navy frigate HMS Andromeda which was escorting two British fishing trawlers in what Iceland claimed as its territorial waters in the first confrontation of the Third Cod War.

The Týr is still in service.  The HMS Andromeda went on to serve in the Falklands War and was decommissioned in 1983.

Argentine guerilla commander Roberto Quieto was captured by soldiers in Martinez, Argentina during a raid on a warehouse. He'd betray his confederates under torture.

Quieto was a lawyer by training and would disappear while in Argentine captivity in 1976.

Both Chile and Argentina went through a period like this, called the Dirty War in Argentina.

Down 14-10 with  32 seconds remaining on  the clock, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a long pass to win the game.  Interviewed later, he'd say:

It's a play you hit one in a hundred times if you're lucky.  It's a Hail Mary pass.  You throw it up and pray he catches it.

Staubach thereby coined, unintentionally the phrase that's irreverently used to refer to such desperate passes in football today.  I dislike the phrase so much I thought about not posting it here, but it's so frequently used, I relented.

Last edition:

Tuesday, December 23, 1975. Going metric.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, 79th Congress, Cheesecake, Ethnicities, It was because of World War Two, law, Marriage, The Press, The relationship between men and women, Women, World War Two

Thursday, November 26, 1925. Thanksgiving Day.

Edgerton dodged a bullet.

Remembering what hte day is for, there were church services.

Some were attended by the famous.

As well as the not so famous.

Pan American Mass, New York City.

Georgetown played a Marine Corps football team:

Other news:

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Today -100: November 26, 1925: I don’t give a damn...: France: Paul Doumer, like Briand, fails  to form a cabinet, so Édouard Herriot, who was last prime minister in April, will try next. Texas G...

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 25, 1925. Hats.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, China, China (Beijing), Clothing, law, Turkey

Thursday, November 19, 1925. First lighted high school football game.

 The first nighttime lighted football game in the US was played between Midwest and Casper.

Let There Be Light!: 1st Prep Football Night Game

Midwest was a football titan at the time.

Out Our Way for the day:

That cartoon hits hard, in a way.

Footnotes:

Yes, this was published a day late.

Last edition:

Tuesday, November 17, 1925. Earthquake at Big Horn.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Geology, Wyoming (Big Horn), Wyoming (Johnson County), Wyoming (Sheridan County)

Vox populi. Trump booed at a Commanders game.

He deserved it, for a lot of reasons.

I don't think Trump realizes how widely detested he really is.  He was booed down at CSU as well when Sen. John Barrasso piped him in during a game.

Saturday, November 7, 1925. Crabby Coolidge.

It was Saturday.

Coolidge delivered a crabby press  conference.

Press Conference, November 7, 1925

Date: November 7, 1925

Location: Washington, DC

I keep having inquiries about the coal strike. I don’t know just why I keep having them. I suppose the press would like something to write about. There isn’t anything that I can say about that, and I don’t know of anything at the present time that I can do about it. Now, if you will just keep that in mind perhaps it will be in an indication of what slant you ought to take when you hear rumors.

I don’t know of anything about Commissioner Haynes’ connection with the Government other than what I have seen in the press. I have indicated, I think a good many times, to the conference, that I had a very high regard for Major Haynes. I think he was a very good officer holding a very difficult situation. I am sure that he can be very helpful by continuing. Now whether it is going to be thought best by General Andrews and Secretary Mellon and Mr. Blair to continue him in office, I don’t know. From all I know, I suppose they are going to do so and receive the benefit of the vary vast knowledge he has of the situation and use him in a great many ways.

I haven’t in contemplation any action in regard to Commissioner of Immigration, Curran, of New York. I don’t know what his views are about immigration. I know that he has extensive views that he has voiced in the press, but if there is a difference between him and the Immigration Department, I don’t know just what the nature of the difference is. The only rumor that has ever come to me seemed in a way a reflection of Mr. Curran, and I don’t know that that was warranted, was the fact that he seemed to be making a good deal of criticism of his superior officers. He may have a very good plan of running his office over there that is better than the Department has. Of course, it is always unfortunate when a subordinate starts out publicly to criticize his superiors. I have understood that Mr. Curran was a first-rate public officer. He is a man of intelligence. I think he is a graduate of Yale some time back. It looks as though he was well trained to administer that office. Now I imagine that there have been rumors about it, but that the facts are rather inconsequential.

Press: The matter hasn’t been referred to you by the Labor Department?

President: Not that I know of. I heard something to the effect that a letter of reference had come over here, but I have never seen it and don’t think it has come.

Here is another veteran rumor about my position on the World Court. If you want to know what my position is in relation to it, read the two or three statements that I have made. The first one in my message of 1923, next in my message of 1924, and in an address I made at Arlington the 30th of May, 1924. I haven’t changed my position at all. Nobody has suggested that there should be any compromise. What I want is some practical resolution that will carry out the necessary purpose.

Senator Borah didn’t mention and I didn’t mention the Italian debt or the foreign debts, when he was in here. I sent for him to consult with him as I am consulting with a great many now, to find out if anything had occurred to him in his experience or his studies that would be something that I ought to touch on in my message. I learned from Senator Smoot and Secretary Mellon, who was in here just now, that they seemed to be making very good progress. I haven’t any details. If I did have them, I wouldn’t want to disclose them. But they are making progress. There is every indication I think that an agreement can be reached. That is the general impression I get from my conference with those who are on the debt commission. There seems to be a disposition on both sides to try to make a settlement and I think from such information that comes to me that both sides are approaching the problem with the utmost candor. When that is the case we usually expect that candid minds can meet and agree.

I think that is all for the day.

(Newspaper men called back within a few minutes)

**** between the depression of the franc and the debt settlement failure. The suggestion is that the so-called Morgan credits to France have been held up at the instance of the Government. I don’t think there is any foundation whatever for any rumor of that kind. I don’t know of any proposal by France to get the credits here, and I am sure that our Government has not put anything in the way of any credit of that kind. I am very certain that no suggestion has been made for an additional credit.

Press: That was made a long time ago, Mr. President.

President: Yes. A credit of I think $100,000,000 was extended in the late spring.

Press: Has the administration any plans for a possible debt conference in Europe

President; no.

Theater in Berkeley, California showing the film "The Midshipman" (1925)

Movies were a big deal.

So was football.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 5, 1925. The Big Parade.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, 1925 at the movies, 1930s, 1933, 1936, actors and actresses, Alcohol, Cheka, Disease, Espionage, Japan, Personalities, Russian Civil War, United Kingdom, World War One