This is why we can't have nice things.

 

Going Feral: This is why we can't have nice things:

Going Feral: This is why we can't have nice things::   

This is why we can't have nice things:

 

The above is a case caption of a lawsuit brought in Montana in which Wilderness Watch is suing the U.S. Forest Service over the Forest Service program to use rotenone to take out non-native trout species so that cutthroat trout, the native species can be reintroduced in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

So, in the name of wilderness, Wilderness Watch, it acting contrary to nature.

Sigh.

The 2024 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Super Early Riser Edition (Part 1)

March 14, 2024

Having passed a bill to prohibit "cross over voting", which will in fact simply lock in as Republicans most of the Democrats who crossed over, to no effect, in 2022, the legislature is now pondering tying residence requirements for holding office to the same date.

Indeed, they should, in my view.

One recent, and fairly in effectual, member of the House of Representatives, Jeanette Ward, had arrived so recently from Illinois that she didn't qualify for office until after the primary, something that oddly didn't seem to come up in her primary election.  She's been in the state a little over two years now.   She was interviewed about this proposal and stated she had no strong feels one way or another, which is a bit difficult to believe, but perhaps.

A better solution would be to make a residency requirement stretch out to five years for the house, and perhaps seven for the senate and higher office.  Perhaps ten or fifteen years for the Governor's office.

April 13, 2024

Karlee Provenza will not be sanctioned for her recent comments, in the form of a t-shirt, which will upset some but which makes the leadership of the House in Wyoming continue to be admirably fair-minded and prudent, and which in the current atmosphere contrasts nicely with Tennessee.

An interesting aspect of this is that her political polar opposite, Anthony Bouchard, came to her defense.  He also, oddly, called for new state GOP leadership, calling the leadership "undocumented Democrats".

March 21, 2023

On May 19,  the Cowboy State Daily ran an op ed by Wyoming "Freedom" Caucus head John Bear and another by Speaker of the House Albert Sommers.  We already noted Bear's article on this with, with this: 

The blaring of the propoganda bugle.

Wyoming Rep. John Bear writes, "It was the Speaker’s decision to create an Appropriations Committee consisting only of socially liberal legislators from big cities, and now it appears that the President of the Senate sees some benefit in a Senate Appropriations committee loyal to the Uniparty’s cause as well.

John Bear, head of the Freedom Caucus, in the Cowboy State Daily.

There is no Uniparty.

A person would be hard-pressed to find a single "socially liberal legislator", let alone one from a "big city", in the State Legislature. 

I note this as this is the current drumbeat of the Freedom Caucus, and it's a fantasy.  A better case could be made that the Freedom Caucus is not made up of Republicans, as it doesn't reflect traditional Wyoming Republican values.  Of course, Bear isn't a Wyomingite, being a transplant.

The problem with false propaganda, however, is that people will believe it, including those spouting it.

We read Sommers, but didn't comment on it.  It's title raises a good question:

Albert Sommers: Why Does Freedom Caucus Tell Its Members How To Vote?

In it, Sommers states, reflecting the way that the Wyoming GOP has traditionally been:

I believe Wyoming Republicans remain “a Party for free men/women, not blind followers, and not conformists,” and yet the media, hardline conservative pundits, state party leaders, and the Freedom Caucus want to push all Republicans into the round hole of conformism when we are truly the square peg of diversity.

By doing so, he really does define the current state of affairs between the traditional Wyoming GOP and the populist branch. The Wyoming GOP is traditionally conservative, but Wyomingite, the populists are something else, and do very much march in lockstep.  Indeed, failure to adhere to uniformity yields to insults such as being accused of being part of an imaginary fictitious "Uniparty" to ending up getting listed on the WyoRino website which list traditional Republicans as RINO's.

Populist do appear to be driving the bus nationally in the GOP, which frankly just doesn't behave the way it used to in any fashion.  It's interesting that this fight is developing in Wyoming, which still is heavily Trump country, when Trump's supporters brought the Führerprinzip into the party. It might be telling that "think for yourself" is appearing here now.

June 28, 2023

A committee rejected a bill proposing to make EMS services essential.  This would have provided for some level of state funding.

August 25, 2023

A committee heard testimony from Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray on a bill that would require 30 days residence in order to vote in a Wyoming election.  It was formerly one year, some time go, but that was struck down by a Supreme Court opinion and never re addressed.

In spite of Gray's having been voted into office, he's not universally popular with long time Republicans or long time residents, and one multi generation Wyoming rancher and former legislature apparently also testified and called Gray a "snake oil salesman".

August 31, 2023

The 30 day's residence bill was tabled by the Corporation's Committee.

The Committee unanimously passed a bill that banning private funding for the administration of elections in Wyoming.  My prediction is that the Law of Unintended Consequences will end applying to this bill as political parties are private organizations and primaries are the use of public funds for their internal choices, and somehow this will blow up on the parties, which will be fine.

The committee passed in a 9-5 vote a resolution asking Congress to propose a constitutional amendment that would restrict corporations and organizations from making campaign contributions, an act that will go nowhere as Congress won't do it.

"Freedom Caucus" legislator John Bear, originally of Missouri, wrote a longish letter to the Casper Star Tribune complaining about Senate President Ogden Driscoll using the term "Uniparty", which FC members use to slam anyone who is not a member of the populist right.

October 7, 2024.

Senator Bob Ide has an op ed in the paper today, promising to introduce legislation to somehow require the Federal government to turn over the Federal domain to Wyoming.  He terms the Federal Government's possession of its public land in Wyoming illegal and contrary to a promise it made at the time of Wyoming's statehood, both of which are absolutely false.

This would be a disaster for the state's sportsmen and the state in general, and would soon result in the land likely going to the wealthy, and wealthy out of staters.  It would frankly make it not worth living here and destroy the character of the state.

Ide cites the popular transfer of the Marton ranch to the Federal Government and the recent southwestern Wyoming BLM plan as part of the reason this needs to occur, both of which are reason why it should never occur.

Poster from several years ago.

Ide is a far right member of the legislature and was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the insurrection, although there is no reason to believe he participated in it.

October 15, 2023

Oh brother:

A legislative committee will draft a measure to prohibit state and local authorities from aiding or cooperating with federal land management agencies “when they pursue policies which harm Wyoming’s core interests.”

The move is in response to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s draft plan for managing 3.6 million acres of federal land in southwest Wyoming.

The Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee also voted unanimously to draft a bill creating a new full-time position in the governor’s office to act as a watchdog “protecting the state’s interest against federal overreach.” Lawmakers on the panel suggested recruiting current and former BLM employees for the position with a signing bonus. They also discussed offering “bonuses and or opportunities for promotion” for state employees who go “above and beyond in protecting the state’s interests” against perceived federal overreach.

Casper Star Tribune 

November 2, 2024

A $68M inflation adjustment funding bill for education will be introduced.

At least this makes sense for a budget session.

November 4, 2024

Election related bills will appear in the upcoming budget session.

A bill to require a person to be a resident for 30 days prior to voting in an election will move on to the budget session.

A bill to expand the definition "of organization" for campaign donation reporting also will.

A bill to add a misdemeanor offense for intimidating an election official has been added to the one that already exists at the felony level.

November 10, 2023

After a special purpose bill failed, judges were added to the statute that makes it a felony to intimidate jurors, witnesses and peace officers while they are fulfilling their duty.

This seems to fall considerably short of the originally proposed bill which was specific to judges.

November 14, 2023

A bill to create a Rural Lawyer Incentive Pilot Program which grant entering lawyers in rural communities $16,000 each year over five years, so little as to be of no practical effect whatsoever, is advancing to the legislature.

The bill states:

HOUSE BILL NO.

Wyoming rural attorney recruitment program.

Sponsored by: Joint Judiciary Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to attorneys-at-law; establishing the rural attorney recruitment pilot program; specifying eligibility requirements for counties and attorneys to participate in the program; specifying administration, oversight and payment obligations for the program; requiring reports; providing a sunset date for the program; authorizing rulemaking; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1. W.S. 33-5-201 through 33-5-203 are createdto read:

2024 STATE OF WYOMING 24LSO-0061

Working Draft

Bill Number

ARTICLE 2 – RURAL ATTORNEY RECRUITMENT PROGRAM

33-5-201. Rural attorney recruitment program established; findings; program requirements; county qualifications; annual reports.

(a) In light of the shortage of attorneys practicing in rural Wyoming counties, the legislature finds that the establishment of a rural attorney recruitment program constitutes a valid public purpose, of primary benefit to the citizens of the state of Wyoming.

(b) The supreme court may establish a rural attorney recruitment program to assist rural Wyoming counties in recruiting attorneys to practice in those counties.

STAFF COMMENT 

In light of the Committee's discussion at its last meeting, the Committee may wish to consider whether the Supreme Court or the State Bar should establish and operate the rural-attorney program. 

(c) Each county eligible under this subsection may apply to the supreme court to participate in the program. A county is eligible to participate in the program if the county:

(i) Has a population of not greater than twenty8 five thousand (25,000); 

(ii) Has an average of not greater than one and one-half (1.5) licensed attorneys in the county for every one thousand (1,000) residents of the county;

16 STAFF COMMENT

The State Bar proposed the following alternative qualification/standard to paragraph (ii) above:

(ii) Has an average of not greater than one and one-half (1.5) qualified attorneys in the county for everyone thousand (1,000) residents. As used in this paragraph, "qualified attorney" means an attorney who provides legal services to private citizens on a fee basis for an average of not less than twenty (20) hours per week. "Qualified attorney" shall not include an attorney who is a full-time judge, prosecutor, public defender, judicial clerk, in29 house counsel, trust officer and any licensed attorney who is in retired status or who is not engaged in the practice of law;

(iii) Agrees to provide the county share of the incentive payment required under this article;

(iv) Is determined to be eligible to participate  in the program by the supreme court.

(d) Before determining a county's eligibility, the supreme court shall conduct an assessment to evaluate the  county's need for an attorney and the county's ability to sustain and support an attorney. The supreme court shall maintain a list of counties that have been assessed and are  eligible to participate in the program under this article.  The supreme court may revise any county assessment or  conduct a new assessment as the court deems necessary to reflect any change in a county's eligibility.

(e) In selecting eligible counties to participate in the program, the supreme court shall consider: 

(i) The county's demographics;

(ii) The age and number of attorneys in the county;

STAFF COMMENT

Rather than require the consideration of age as a factor the Committee may wish to consider alternate language for paragraph (ii) above:

(ii) The number of attorneys in the county and the number of attorneys projected to be practicing in the county over the next five (5) years;

(iii) Any recommendations from the district judges and circuit judges of the county;

(iv) The county's economic development programs;

(v) The county's geographical location relative to other counties participating in the program:

(vi) An evaluation of any attorney seeking to practice in the county as a program participant, including  the attorney's previous or existing ties to the county;

(vii) Any prior participation of the county in the program;

(viii) Any other factor that the supreme court deems necessary. 

(f) A participating eligible county may enter into agreements with any municipality, school district or nonprofit entity within the county to assist the county in meeting the county's obligations for participating in the program.

(g) Not later than October 1, 2024 and each October 1  thereafter that the program is in effect, the supreme court shall submit an annual report to the joint judiciary interim committee on the activities of the program. Each  report shall include information on the number of attorneys and counties participating in the program, the amount of incentive payments made to attorneys under the program, the general status of the program and any recommendations for  continuing, modifying or ending the program. 

33-5-202. Rural attorney recruitment program; attorney requirements; incentive payments; termination of program.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, any attorney licensed to practice law in Wyoming may apply to the supreme court to participate in the rural attorney recruitment program established under this article. No attorney shall participate in the program if the attorney has previously participated in the program or has  previously participated in any other state or federal scholarship, loan repayment or tuition reimbursement  program that obligated the attorney to provide legal services in an underserved area.

(b) Not more than five (5) attorneys shall participate in the program established under this article at any one (1) time.

(c) Subject to available funding and as consideration for providing legal services in an eligible county, each attorney approved by the supreme court to participate in  the program shall be entitled to receive an incentive payment in five (5) equal annual installments. Each annual incentive payment shall be paid on or after July 1 of each year. Each annual incentive payment shall be in an amount equal to ninety percent (90%) of the University of Wyoming college of law resident tuition for thirty (30) credit hours and annual fees as of July 1, 2024.

STAFF COMMENT

The College of Law's resident tuition for 30 credit hours for the 2023-2024 academic year and annual fees is $17,946. Ninety percent of that amount is $16,151. The Committee may wish to simply specify the amount of each annual payment in subsection (c) above.

(d) Subject to available funding, the supreme court shall make each incentive payment to the participating attorney. The Wyoming state bar and each participating county shall remit its share of the incentive payment to the supreme court in a manner and by a date specified by the supreme court. The responsibility for incentive payments under this section shall be as follows: 

(i) Fifty percent (50%) of the incentive payments shall be from funds appropriated to the supreme court;  (ii) Thirty-five percent (35%) of the incentive payments shall be provided by each county paying for attorneys participating in the program in the county;(iii) Fifteen percent (15%) of the incentive payments shall be provided by the Wyoming state bar.

(e) Subject to available funding for the program, each attorney participating in the program shall enter into an agreement with the participating county, the Wyoming state  bar and the supreme court that obligates the attorney to  practice law full-time in the participating county for not less than five (5) years. No agreement shall be effective until it is filed with and approved by the supreme court.

STAFF COMMENT

The Committee may wish to consider:

Whether attorneys participating in the program must live in the county in which they practice.

Whether language is needed to clarify what it means for an attorney in the program to practice law in the applicable county. Whether a local contribution or match should be required, or whether alternatives to the local matchshould be included in the bill draft. (This was a suggestion raised by the State Bar at the Committee's meeting in September.)

Whether a failure to repay an incentive payment when required to do so should expressly subject the attorney to license suspension (this was an item raised at the September meeting).

(f) Any attorney who receives an incentive payment under this article and subsequently breaches the agreement entered into under subsection (e) of this section shall  repay all funds received under this article pursuant to terms and conditions established by the supreme court. Failure to repay funds as required by this subsection shall be grounds for attorney discipline.

(g) The supreme court may promulgate any rules necessary to implement this article. 

(h) The program established under this article shall cease on June 30, 2029.

STAFF COMMENT

In light of the Committee's discussion in September, the Committee may wish to consider whether clarifying language is necessary to make clear that attorneys can begin the program before June 30, 2029 and complete their requirements after June 30, 2029.

33-5-203. Sunset.

W.S. 33-5-201 and 33-5-202 are repealed effective July 17 2029.

Section 2. There is appropriated one hundred ninety20 seven thousand three hundred seventy-five dollars

($197,375.00) from the general fund to the supreme court  for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2029 to be expended only for  purposes of providing incentive payments for the rural attorney recruitment program established under this act. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e) and 9-4-207, this appropriation shall not revert until June 30, 2029.

Section 3. This act is effective July 1, 2024.

There is a real shortage, but as noted, the amount of money proposed here will do little to address the problem.  Most likely, what it would do is allow new law school grads to fool themselves into opening local practices that would soon be closed, something that has been going on for quite some time.

The problem that this bill addresses is caused by a variety of things, a significant one being the adoption of the Uniform Bar Exam which has caused Colorado firms in particular, but also Montana and even Texas firms to license lawyers in Wyoming while they practice from their actual localities. This has made practicing law in Wyoming less viable, and in return reduced and consolidated local practice.  This could easily be fixed by requiring residency requirements to practice in Wyoming or restoring a Wyoming specific bar exam.

November 17, 2023

In an act of flaming hypocrisy, the Converse County GOP voted 20-12 to censure state Rep. Forrest Chadwick R-Evansville, for a record that doesn't follow the state's GOP platform and which claims  he violated“the oath that he made to God.” Seeing as the state's GOP is presently heavily supportive of sedition, that's rather rich.

It's not surprising that Chadwick has run into trouble, however. The Businessman turned politician is a Natrona County resident and it could have been predicted from day one that Converse County would not really appreciate a Casperite being in the legislature for some of them, something that occured due to recent redistricting.

The 2024 Election, Part VII. Drama

September 23, 1923.

Probably not the right place to put it, but it seems to fit into an election atmosphere everywhere that's a bit over the top.

Casper's mayor has resigned after having been accused of physically assaulting his wife in Texas. In resigning, he stated.

It is readily apparent to me that the City Council has abandoned me, band members who I have worked with for a number of years, have ended their relationship with me and it is apparent to me that every effort is being made to destroy me to the public.

Well, after photographs were run of his wife with a major scar suture on her head, no matter what happened, it'd be in the press.  Perhaps the surprising thing this year is that it turned out to matter, given that so little otherwise seems to in regard to public conduct.

We will note that he's disputing her allegations, stating that she was intoxicated and fell.

He'd been in the press with comments a fair amount, including this recently:

Challenging airport funding and looking at subsidization of transportation in a different light.

I didn't note it there, but he's a pilot himself and did a crash landing not all that long ago.

Now about the ongoing races:

President.

Democrats:

Joe Biden; the incumbent.  

Marianne Williamson.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  

Republicans.

Donald Trump. 

Nikki Haley

Vivek Ramaswamy.  

Perry Johnson,

Larry Elder 

Asa Hutchinson. 

Tim Scott.

Ron DeSantis

Chris Christie

Mike Pence.

Doug Burgum

Will Hurd 

Steve Laffey 

Ryan Binkley 

Green Party

Cornel West.  

American Solidarity Party

Peter Sonski  

U.S. Senate

Republicans

John Barrasso, maybe?

The long serving Senator has not announced if he's running or not.  Right now, because it's pretty obvious that Mitch McConnell is headed on to the next realm, he stands to potentially be Senate Majority Leader.

Reid Rasner.

Rasner has announced and is running essentially as a far right populist.  If Barrasso stays in, his campaign will be forgotten within days of the primary election.

September 25, 2023

Former President Trump's comments are getting increasingly extreme, even unhinged.

He's now openly threatening the Press.  The scary part here is that his supporters will fall right in line with this.

September 27, 2023

A New York court has determined, in a partial ruling in a case, that Donald Trump committed fraud in the process of building his real estate empire, apparently by misrepresenting his assets.  The ruling does not determine damages.

Joe Biden joined UAW picketers yesterday.

September 29, 2023

Some members of the Converse County GOP wish to censure Rep. Forrest Chadwick, whose districts straddles Natrona and Converse Counties.  Included in their proposed censure is "failed to vote in a manner that has any semblance to the oath that he made to God to ‘support, obey and defend the Constitution’ or any semblance to the Wyoming Republican Party Platform.”

I'm not certain at all that the oath legislators take is a divine one.  They take an oath, but I don't think it's in that context.

Ironically, moreover, many of the populist far right, including in Wyoming, have been supporting sedition, at least in their statements, which is clearly violative of their oaths if they're in office, as it amounts to subverting the U.S. Constitution.  Lying, in the Catholic view, with Catholicism being an Apostolic and therefore an original branch of Christianity (and given Apostolic succession, the original branch) is regarded as a grave sin in some circumstances, which does invoke a person's relationship with the Divine, but not for the same reason.  Here too, however, the far right position is rather ironic, given what is just noted above.

WyoRino, which recently failed to make an appearance at a Natrona County debate, is mentioned by name.

The effort appears to be tied to his vote against the Life is a Human Right Act as he thought it was unconstitutional and his vote for the budget in the last session.  A person could be upset about either of these (although It's hard to grasp being upset about a necessary budget), but that doesn't amount to a violation of his oath of office.

October 3, 2023

I know nothing about Butler, and she may be supremely qualified, but its hard not to assume there's a fair amount of box checking going on in the selection, something that Democratic politicians are particularly likely to do. Butler is black, fulfilling a Newsom promise, and she's gay, making her the first black openly gay U.S. Senator. Should that matter?  No, but its statistically improbable while also fulfilling promises to one major Democratic demographic and also satisfying, maybe, the desires of another.

John Kelly, a former adviser to Donald Trump, slammed his former boss in a CNN interview, stating:

What can I add that has not already been said? A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.

A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women. A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.

There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.

October 4, 2023

The Trump campaign, in what should be regarded as an expression of concern, is calling on the GOP debates to end, so all resources can be focused on defeating Joe Biden.

A plea to end attention to other candidates, even though they have not touched him so far, demonstrates that something is causing concern in the Trump camp.

October 6, 2023

Cornell West, who may get as many as 5 or 6 votes next November, has ditched the Green Party in favor of running an independent campaign in hopes of actually getting on the ballot in various states.

This is his third switch this season.

West is a figure who fascinates American leftist and is otherwise wholly unknown to the American public.

October 8, 2023

Steve Laffey, a long shot candidate for the Oval Office on the GOP ticket has dropped out of the race and dropped out, as well, from the Republican Party. He called the GOP "dead".

October 9, 2023

Robert F. Kennedy is now running as an independent.

cont:

Will Hurd has backed out and endorsed Nikki Haley.

October 11, 2023

Far right populist Kari Lake has announced a bid for an Arizona Senate seat.  She will run against independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, the Senates most photogenic member, and Arizona Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego. This assuming, of course, that Sinema runs.

October 12, 2023

Cenk Uygur, a media personality, has announced his candidacy for the Democratic ticket for the Oval Office.

As he was born in Turkey, he's not eligible to be President.

Trump, in a recent interview, stated, regarding Benjamin Netanyahu, the following:

He was not prepared. He was not prepared and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they wouldn't have had to be prepared.

Why doesn't it occur to Trump supporters how deeply weird statements like that are? 

October 17, 2023

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso has endorsed Kari Lake for Senator from Arizona.

This is politics, of course, but it really shows how far people are willing to go for no other reasons other than politics.  Lake is an extremist.  The calculation probably is that she might win, and you'd want her to owe you some favors.

October 25, 2023

The absurd flap on which Democratic primary will occur first means that Biden might not appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot.

October 27, 2023

Larry Elder has dropped out of the Republican race.

cont:

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips announced that he is running for President on the Democratic ticket and that he will seek to appear on the New Hampshire ballot.

October 28, 2023

Mike Pence has dropped out.

From here on out, with Pence breaking the dam, candidates will start dropping out of the GOP race. Pretty soon, it will be Christie against Trump.  

While it expresses a minority view, my guess is that as Trump looks more and more childish and faces more and more criminal problems, Christie will gain.

For the second time, it should be noted, Pence has done something for the good of the nation.

October 30, 2023

Arguments commenced today in a Colorado suit on whether Trump's role in the January 2020 insurrection bars him from seeking office.

The Minnesota Supreme Court hears arguments on the same topic later this week.

If Trump loses either of these cases, this issue will be on its way to the Supreme Court, but perhaps not be heard until quite near the 2024 election.

Last prior edition:

The 2024 Election, Part VI. The 14th Amendment Edition.

Related threads:

Random snippets. Another thing that Biden will oddly not get any credit for.

Going Feral: Hog Wash

Going Feral: Hog Wash:

Hog Wash

That's how the conservation group Center for Wester Priorities characterized a three-page letter written by Wyoming populist legislator Bob Ide which asserted that the sale of the Marton Ranch in Natrona County to the Federal Government required the state legislature's permission.

A University of Wyoming professor confirmed that state law did not support Ide's position and frankly, it's abundantly clear that the claim is not only extreme, but baseless.