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

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

Subsidiarity Economics 2025. The Times more or less locally, Part 13. Disassociation.

December 12, 2025

From the Casper Star Tribune.

The Democratic bill to extend the credits failed.

Senate blocks Obamacare tax subsidy extension, all but ensuring spikes for Wyoming consumers: Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming called tax subsidy extension a “disaster” and lobbied for a Republican health savings account proposal that also failed.

So did a moronic Republic bill for health savings accounts. That was no sort of plan.

The evidence is too well established to ignore.  A national health care system needs to be established and frankly it would not be that difficult.  It'll be interesting to see if this brings it about, as the populist contingent that opposes it, including here in the state, is about to lose its insurance.  This is, quite frankly, a disaster.

It's a disaster that the GOP hopes will kill off the AHCA and there really isn't any serious proposals to replace it. They want it dead, as it's "socialism", even though it isn't.  The Health Savings Account concept was just pablum and everyone is well aware that it'd achieve nothing at all.

Which brings me back to this point.  The difference between right wing populism and left wing populism is nearly non existent.  The ox that will end up being gored here is that of the street level right wing populist, who can be, and in some instances was, left wing populist.  

Speaking of average folks:

Also from the CST.

December 13, 2025

December 14, 2025

The Federal government terminated the collective bargaining status for the union that covers TSA officers, the American Federation of Government Employees, as to TAS officers.

The union, which covers the employees of other agencies as well, has over 300,000 members, probably none of whom will caste a vote for the GOP next year.

We also have Chuck Gray sounding like a broken record:

Chuck Gray: I Will Continue To Fight Woke Wind Energy Projects

Gray's in a bit of a spot as he'd hoped to use the Secretary of State's office as a springboard to something else.  It's not looking like that will pay off, as Bill Barlow is clearly in the lead for the Governor's office and Gray can't think of anything to say that doesn't sound like it's from the junior edition of the MAGA playlist, which is rapidly becoming a set of moly oldies.  To make matters worse for him, he's now so acclimated to absurd name calling that he can't stop it, as in:

We should be deeply troubled by the efforts of Gov. Gordon and other insider politicians to jam through woke wind projects that violate so many of our core principles as Wyomingites. 

"Woke wind projects"?  

I know what he means, of course, which is that as the Federal Government backed wind under Biden, and as global warming is a fib, and as Joe Biden is responsible for all of the ills in society, it's the dreaded evil "woke".  Gray has used this sort of rhetoric so often, however, that if a cafe burns his toast I'm sure that he reflexively calls the short order cook a liberal, let wing woke Marxist.

Gray's career in Wyoming politics is probably shot.  Barlow will get the Governor's office, Hageman won't run for it as she knows that, so she'll keep her office, Lummis is the Wyoming sphinx, rarely saying anything, and she'll keep her office.  Gray will be lucky if he doesn't draw opposition and lose his.

On wind, all the fossil fuel true believers were dead set against it but now oil is hovering around $60.00 and it appears that the Federal Government might be pushing to depress the price.  A well placed GOP politician told me the other day that the administration wants it at $30.00/bbl next year, which would wipe out domestic production and throw Wyoming into an oilfield depression.

On a different note:  

Cattle Ranchers Revive Nebraska Town With Bold Producer-Owned Beef Plant

December 16, 2025

US payrolls fell by 105,000 people in October, and then rebounded to add 64,000 in November.

Sort of a mixed message there, assuming that such figures coming out of the US government are trustworthy.

Cont:

Well, apparently those who are schooled in this kind of data view this as a pretty negative jobs report.  The economy is cooling, and the unemployment rate is up.

December 17, 2025

Feds, Wyoming greenlight new helium plant, among world’s largest: The Dry Piney helium production and CO2 sequestration project would rival ExxonMobil's neighboring Shute Creek plant near LaBarge.

Wyoming Aims To Turn EV Charging Into A New Post-Pump Marketplace

December 21, 2025

‘A Gut Punch’: Nebraska Town Shell-Shocked By Tyson Closing Huge Beef Plant

 

‘A Gut Punch’: Nebraska Town Shell-Shocked By Tyson Closing Huge Beef Plant

December 22, 2025.

Jim Beam is ceasing production from its principal facility for all of 2026.

The price of oil in Wyoming today:  $43.73.  Below the price for further exploration. . . by a huge margin.

December 23, 2025

Rogue Brewing in Oregon has shut down and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

December 24, 2025

Headline in the CST:

Gordon awards $100 million

in matching funds to

BWXT nuclear fuel facility

And the story:

Gordon awards $100M to northern Wyoming nuclear fuel manufacturer: The state-backed grant will support BWXT's proposed TRISO fuel manufacturing facility in Gillette.

December 25, 2025

Wyoming Oil And Gas Operators Cheer Delay Of Biden-Era 1,400% Bond Rate Hike

The price of oil today is $58.0/bbl.  Wyoming's oil is at $43.90.

December 28, 2025

The news that so many simply refuse to believe:

2025 is projected to be Wyoming’s second worst coal production year

As part of this:

Wyoming coal is projected to have its second worst production year since its peak in 2008. Economists say the decline will likely continue, putting the state’s economic future on shaky ground.

We've discussed this trend line before, but to put it bluntly, it's going to decline into oblivion.

December 30, 2025

Lack of snow and economic uncertainty foretell a grim outlook for winter resorts

Related threads:

Seemingly missed in the story of prices at the pump being down is that the rig count is down too. And the coming economic storm in Wyoming.

Labels: Coal, deflation, Economics, Ignorance, OPEC, Petroleum, Russo Ukrainian War, Taxes, trends, Venezuela, Wyoming Freedom Caucus

Last edition:

Subsidiarity Economics 2025. The Times more or less locally, Part 12. Don't look . . . everything's just fine edition.

Labels: Agriculture, Economics, Food, Health, Predictions, technology, Technology is ruining everything, Wyoming (Gillette), Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming's boom and bust economy

 

Mitt Romney: Tax the Rich, Like Me

Seemingly missed in the story of prices at the pump being down is that the rig count is down too. And the coming economic storm in Wyoming.

Down 6.32% compared to this time last year, which means that less petroleum exploration is going on.

Presidents seem to always want to take the credit for the price of petroleum going down.  They also eschew taking the blame, and correctly at that, when the price goes up.  But because Americans are economic ignoramuses, this story repeats again and again.

Wyomingites tend to follow the price of petroleum as it directly correlates to jobs in the state.  The price must be over $58.00/bbl for Wyoming petroleum oil to break even, and really has to be over $62.00/bbl for it to be profitable.

Today it's at $55.95 for WTI and $59.72 for Brent.

Oh oh.

That doesn't seem to have made the news, but it has started to impact the field.

Part of the reason that it is going down is that investors are worried about the Trump buffoonery in Ukraine, where he's siding with the Russians, and because the US has taken up seizing Venezuelan ships carrying oil.  The latter might actually be justified for reasons having nothing to do with the murdering of drug boat crews, and it's interesting to note that the ship that was seized was seized by the Coast Guard, not the Navy which is relying on the Nuremberg defense for its actions in spite of the Government war manual actually referencing the murder of distressed crews as against the laws of war.  On the latter, Americans have become so psychologically fragile since the Vietnam War that we can be assured former sailors will be reporting that they have PTSD due to their role as hitmen in a few years, but that's another topic.  So, basically, Trump can take some credit for lower prices, but it's basically due to international investors figuring he's a rogue bufador, which he is.

Trump getting out his big box of GI Joes isn't the only reason, however.  Lots of refineries completed turnarounds, which are scheduled years in advance, and OPEC has an oil glut, things that would be causing Democrats to claim that Harris had lowered the price of oil, had things worked out differently.

So here's the thing.  How long will this slide go, and how low will it go?

Rumors, and that's what they are, are circulating that there's hopes that oil will go down to $30/bbl.  I  don't see how that can happen, absent an economic depression, and if that did occur, that's exactly what would occur in Wyoming.

For that matter, if oil stays this low, that's what's going to happen here.  

I wonder if all the MAGA loyalist here will be cheering in that event?

If oil stays down around $55/bbl for about three months, the oil economy in Wyoming will be very badly damaged.  Natural gas will prop some of it up, of course, and we really are more a natural gas explorating state now rather than a crude oil one. Still, crude is the rig count driver.

And if that happens, all the alternative energy projects which existed under the Biden Administration are drying up, the attack on them lead by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and people like Chuck Gray.  Coal prices are up, but not so much that anyone ought to be deluded enough to thinking that there's going to be a second era of King Coal.   Meanwhile, the Freedom Caucus is gutting the state's ability to fund anything.

And that is probably where we should close.  The Freedom Caucus basically would like the entire US to be a variant of 1930s Appalachia.  If this trend continues, we may get to be.

The Rural Blog: Trump announces $12 billion in farm aid, but many ...

The Rural Blog: Trump announces $12 billion in farm aid, but many ...: American farmers need more markets. (USDA photo) The Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers hurt by the p...

Sunday, November 25, 1945. Taxing war profits.

MacArthur ordered the Japanese government to submit a plan to tax away all war profits.

The Austrian People's Party won the Austrian election.  The Christian Democratic party still exists.

Zionist terrorists attacked coast guard stations near Tel Aviv.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 22, 1945. Thanksgiving Day.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Cartoons, entertainment, Home Front, It was because of World War Two, J.R. Williams, Japan, Joseph Stalin, Rationing, Strike Wave of 1945-1945, Thanksgiving, The written word

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

April 10, 2025

Freedom Caucus leader John Bear went on record at a meeting of legislators on how to handle the upcoming populist initiative to reduce property taxes by 50%, after they've just been reduced by 25%, as favoring completely eliminating property taxes in favor of sales taxes.

On the imported geezer reduce my property taxes on the house I bought after I moved here from California initiative, he feels that the effect wouldn't be cumulative (50% of the just reduced 25%), while other legislators do.

May 2, 2025

A press interview of Freedeom Caucus member Bear reveals the WFC wants to treat the Wyoming budget to some DOGEy style actions, particularly in regard to grants and loans.

May 4, 2025

Wyoming Republicans Elect Sheridan's Bryan Miller As New Party Chairman

I don't know anything about the woman from Teton County who was his competition, but Miller was another individual who spent a career in the military, and therefore was a lifelong recipient of public funds, and who has now returned as an opponent of the Federal government.

May 7, 2025

Wyoming Legislature finalizes list of ‘off-season’ topics for study

May 9, 2025

Chuck Gray Supports 22 New Election-Reform Bills, Committee To Study 10

Some of these bills are frankly nuts.

May 19, 2025

Wyoming lawmakers go after funding for state associations that sometimes oppose their bills: Green River Rep. Marlene Brady is leading the charge on prohibiting cities, towns and counties from paying dues to elected officials’ associations.

May 21, 2025

Legislative panel pursues bills to regulate Wyoming library books with sexual material: Lawmakers are taking up library books as conservative activists around the state pore over material in young adult and teen library sections for sexual content.

For reasons I won't go into, I've seen some of the book that is featured in this article, and there's no way it should be in the children's section of a library.

May 22, 2025

Committee Adopts Bill To Make Wyoming Senate Confirm Supreme Court Justices

This is inaccurate. Rather they voted to have the LSO draft such a bill.

May 23, 2025

As scrutiny of judges grows, lawmakers weigh changes to Wyoming’s selection process: In her final official appearance before lawmakers, Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate Fox defended the process for choosing the state’s judges. But some lawmakers still want changes.

May 25, 2025

A draft bill would allow for nuclear facilities to have armed guards as a type of private police force.

Private police forces are rare, but not completely unknown. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association at one time was authorized to have them, although that's long ago in the past.  While I haven't kept up on it, so I don't know the current status, railroads at one time had them as well.

June 4, 2025

Oh great . . . 

Wyoming Freedom Caucus plans on ‘DOGE-ing’ state budget: House Appropriations Chairman John Bear takes inspiration from the Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal jobs and spending.

DOGE has been such a disaster that even Trump is questioning it.  This is the last thing Wyoming needs

Deep down, to a large extent, the Freedom Caucus just hates the government.

Meanwhile:

Wyoming Democrats Are Going Broke And Don’t Want The Press To Report It

The State's Democratic Party is abasically as dead as a doornail.  Those looking for a middle path aren't being offered it by the Democrats, who recently replaced their leadership.  The thin, bow tie, wearing newly elected leader provides an apt symbol for a party grossly out of step with the state.

June 5, 2025

Wyoming Legislature to consider abolishing property taxes through constitutional amendment: After creating a complicated web of residential property tax exemptions, lawmakers are now weighing whether to eliminate property taxes entirely.

June 11, 2025

Wyoming lawmaker uses slur for Japanese people before visiting Heart Mountain internment site: Rep. John Winter made the remark while discussing logistics for a tour of the former internment camp, where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were held against their will during World War II.

 Wyoming lawmakers step toward bill clarifying corner crossing’s legality: Some agricultural industry lobbyists urged a legislative committee to wait and see whether the U.S. Supreme Court takes the case, but others — including law enforcement — testified that they could use precise legal directions.

July 28, 2025

Wyoming lawmakers consider nuclear waste storage as tensions rise over microreactor plant proposal: A draft bill that would make an exception to Wyoming's nuclear waste ban is intended to accommodate a California firm's plans to "mass-produce" microreactors near Casper.

July 31, 2025

Legislators Clash Over Proposed Bill That Would Allow Spent Nuclear Fuel In Wyoming

August 1, 2025

Lawmakers table bill to allow nuclear waste storage in Wyoming

August 9, 2025

Tom Lubnau:  Calling Innocent People Pornographers And Pedophiles At Taxpayer Expense

August 20, 2025

As Wyoming lawmakers rehash election reforms, two familiar camps remain divided: A committee voted to sponsor three failed bills from the 2025 session that would continue the overhaul of Wyoming’s elections system.

Going Feral: Wyoming lawmakers advance bill decriminalizing cor...: 

Wyoming lawmakers advance bill decriminalizing corner crossing

Wyoming lawmakers advance bill decriminalizing corner crossing: By one vote, a legislative committee agrees to consider a draft measure again in November when amendments are possible.

Gomers in the Wyoming “Freedom” Caucus: If the caucus was a herd, it would be full of gomers, columnist Rod Miller says. Its members make a lot of noise, but can’t get the job done.

Wyoming Highway Patrol Backs State Bill To Ban Non-English Speaking Truckers

August 22, 2025

Cities, counties continue to push for new tax program to make up lost funds

August 23, 2025

Homeowners urge Wyoming lawmakers to skip further property tax cuts: Public services are worth paying for, residents told lawmakers who are considering additional tax reform.

August 27, 2025

The legislature has a draft bill before it to drop the felony larceny threshold from $1,000 to $500. 

A typical law and order type of bill, this is a bad idea in a state with a grossly overburdened criminal justice system.

August 29, 2025

Wyoming Lawmakers Drafting Legislation To Ban Cloud Seeding For 10 Years

October 14, 2025

Panel advances legislation restricting sexual content in Wyoming library books: The Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 in support of the measure, and the issue unified Wyoming Freedom Caucus lawmakers with Republicans not always aligned with them.

Committee Adopts Bill Greenlighting Lawsuits Over 'Sexually Explicit' Library Books

October 24, 2025

Wyoming lawmakers hit pause on redrawing voting maps: Efforts to reconfigure the state’s legislative districts to adhere to county lines came to a halt Wednesday.

October 31, 2025

Absolutely incredible.

Claims ‘chemtrails’ poison citizens spur Wyoming lawmakers to advance ‘geoengineering’ ban: Claims ‘chemtrails’ poison citizens spur Wyoming lawmakers to advance ‘geoengineering’ ban Nano particles released from Department of War jets are sterilizing soils, blocking sun, lawmakers hear from Wyomingites and YouTuber before backing bill.

Apparently every member of this committee save for Barry Crago and Karlee Provenza voted for this goofball bill. 

November 4, 2025

This is shaping up to be the stupidest legislature in Wyoming's history.

Legislature To Consider At Least 13 Election Bills After Committee Adds 6 More

Wyoming lawmakers advance election reform bills despite feasibility warnings

Wyoming Freedom Caucus wants to cut state budget, but won’t say how much yet: Cuts are coming in next year’s legislative session, but where and how deep remains to be seen.

And of course 82 year old Jim Magana, who seemingly hasn't managed to grasp that the positions he consistently advocates hurt the reputations of ranchers in general, is at it again:

Rancher lobbyist knocks Wyoming bill recognizing corner crossing’s court-decided legality: Jim Magagna

Magagna should have stepped down from a leadership role with the WSGA a good 30 years ago.  He's hurting the livestock industry by seemingly never accepting its no longer the 1960s. 

November 8, 2025

Fixing what isn't broken:

Undeterred by tight timeline, Wyoming lawmakers charge ahead with election reform: County clerks are anxious about changes made in the last session and what’s now coming down the pike. 

November 20, 2025

Wyoming to again weigh making landowner tags ‘transferable,’ a step toward pay-for-play hunting

This again:

Wyoming to again weigh making landowner tags ‘transferable,’ a step toward pay-for-play hunting: Legislation that would enable ranchers and large property owners to sell tags to the highest bidder passed through the Agriculture Committee and has a shot at becoming law in 2026.

Here's the tale of the tape:

Ayes included Pearson, Cowley Republican Rep. Dalton Banks, Cheyenne Republican Rep. Steve Johnson, Riverton Republican Rep. Pepper Ottman, Douglas Republican Rep. Tomi Strock, Thermopolis Republican Rep. John Winter and Casper Republican Sen. Bob Ide. 

Opposing were Buffalo Republican Sen. Barry Crago, Cheyenne Republican Sen. Taft Love, La Barge Republican Rep. Mike Schmid, Baggs Republican Rep. Bob Davis and Laramie Democrat Rep. Karlee Provenza. 

Of course, Casper Republican Ide is in favor of it.

Don't vote for the people in the aye column.

And with this hideous idea, we're going to close out this edition and start a new one.

Related threads:

Wyoming Freedom Caucus Membership Survey: 31 House Reps Say They're Not Members

Tom Lubnau: Wyoming Lawmakers Are Here To Vanquish The Contrails

What’s next from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus? Tinfoil Stetsons?

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus and the 2025 and 2026 Legislatures. Some things to keep in mind.