What are you reading?

A new trailing thread, dedicated to what we're currently reading.

And. . . we hope. . . with participation from you.

What are you reading right  now? Add it down in the commentary section

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June 21, 2016

Give Me Eighty Men

I'm presently reading Give Me Eighty Men by Shannon Smith. It's a history of the Fetterman Fight, and a history of the history of the Fetterman Fight. I'll review it when I'm done, but I'll note that the favorable mention of the book by the authors of The Heart of All That Is caused me to pick it up, even though I'd been inclined to previously avoid it.

So far, I'm enjoying it, and its certainly raising a lot questions in my mind about the Fetterman battle, although I'm reserving my judgment on various things so far.

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July 5, 2016

Red Cloud's War

I must be stuck on a theme right now.  Having read The Heart of All that Is, and having learned about Give Me Eighty Men from that, I am now reading Red Cloud's War by McDermott which I learned about from Give Me Eighty Men.  I wasn't actually aware that John McDermott had written a two volume history of Red Cloud's War until I saw it referenced, with a bit of criticism as to his treatment of Fetterman, in Smith's book but I'm enjoying it so far, having just started it today while riding on airplanes and sitting in airports. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

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July 29, 2016

The Lost Mandate of Heaven
The American Betrayal of Ngo Dinh Diem, President of Vietnam

I just finished the excellent Red Cloud's War earlier this week and started on this over breakfast this morning. While I'm not far into it, so far its been very readable and very interesting as well.

Update:

I just finished this book and I'm left, yet again, wondering why the Kennedy Administration continues to  have such an golden aura surrounding it.

Besides Kennedy's personal ickiness, his administration was a foreign policy and moral wreck.  Camelot?  More like the court of AEthelred the Unready.

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October 13, 2016

Blacklisted by History
The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy
by M. Stanton Evans 

A good, and very well read, friend of mine has been recommending this book to me for quite some time.  I just picked it up, and as I had been getting a lot of airport time, I'm about 3/4s of the way through it, even though its a lengthy book (in excess of 600 pages) and its incredibly dense in cited facts and sources.

Indeed, it's a hard book to describe.  It purports to be the "untold" story of Senator McCarthy, and I had some concern that it might be a revisionist essay, but it's neither really solely about McCarthy nor is it so much of an essay (although it is that) as an incredibly detailed example of investigative reporting.  Evans, who wrote the book, had a career in journalism and that shows.   Given that it is investigative journalism, basically, combined with history, and because Evans knew he was taking on the prior record, it's extremely densely packed with cites to original sources and its also somewhat repetitive.  Nonetheless, its riveting. 

What the book really is, is a history of Soviet penetration into American government in the 1930s and 1940s.  It starts well before McCarthy was on the scene and looks at a lot of data before he ever made his appearance.  It then picks up his role in exposing Communists in American government once he arrives.

I'm not finished with the book yet, but while I'll come back with my full opinions when I'm done, I'm satisfied that its not a simple hard right McCarthy fan piece.  Indeed, the friend who recommended it to me actually noted that when Evans started the book off he expected to find the opposite of what he did, which may explain in part why the book is so extraordinarily careful in slamming the reader repetitively with original sources.  And I also have to note that its slightly,  but only slightly, anti climatic (so far) in that the story in this area has really changed dramatically since 1990.  McCarthy, however, hasn't really been rehabilitated so far in the public eye.

That's a bit surprising as following the 1990 collapse of the Soviet Union and the release of Soviet records, combined with the Federal Government's release of the Army's Venona files we now knew beyond a shawdow of a doubt that Soviet espionage efforts were far deeper than previously believed. Figures like Whitaker Chambers who suffered for sounding the alarm turn out not only to be correct, but in fact the Soviet effort was far greater than was previously known to anyone but the government and its investigative arms.  Venona has confirmed that many of the people that left wing and liberal apologists maintained were innocent victims of accusations were in fact Communist operatives, just as they were accused of being.  Indeed, people who were only sort of expected turn out to be proven Communist operatives.

Evans builds on that and demonstrates that the individuals on the original McCarthy list of suspects and the amended one, some 60 or so people, were in fact generally what they were accused of being.  He also goes on to show that McCarthy clearly had sources inside at least a couple of agencies that were supplying him with up to date information so the period accusations that his stories were old news were inaccurate.

I'll leave it there, and there is more to discuss, but I'll pick that back up when I finish the book.

Update, November 14, 2016:

I finished the book noted above (some time ago actually) and highly recommend it, although it does have a very unusual style.  It's author's role as a journalist really shows, as its basically a series of essay points and explorations of evidence.

As good as it is, I still wouldn't say that its the definitive biography of McCarthy.  It's really simply an exploration of his role in exploring Communist infiltration into the US government and the opposition that he met in doing that.  I'd regard it as slightly partisan, but very well done.

I also think, however, that a full biography that's not biased would be in order, which I understand has not really been done. This book explores McCarthy's early life a bit, although not much, but completely omits anything regarding his personal life upon reaching public office.  His marriage to a much younger member of his staff, for example, isn't even mentioned.

All in all, a very good correction to the record, very well researched, and convincingly written.

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November 14, 2016

The Secret War
by Max Hastings 

Hastings is extremely well known to students of World War Two and has written a number of absolutely excellent books on that topic. The former journalist hasn't focused solely on the Second World War, and recently wrote one on World War One.  At the time he wrote that book, he indicated that he was done writing on World War Two, but obviously, he wasn't.  He's noted that he's returned to the Second World War after making such statements before, doing so this time to examine intelligence and espionage during World War Two.

I must be on an espionage and fifth column kick, as the book noted immediately above is also basically on that general theme, but when I heard that Hastings had written a new book on this topic, I knew that I'd get it. Due to a series of long flights, I actually started it before I completed Blacklisted By History.

I'm still reading it and still have quite a ways to go, but so far, it meets with Hastings high standards of writing and research.  I'll detail more on it when I complete the book.

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May 4, 1918

Comment

This blog has a bunch of "trailing threads" that I have not been keeping up on. The same is true of the pages on the blog.  I'll often think of updating them, but rarely do.

So I'm surprised to see that I haven't updated this entry since November 2016.  I skipped 2017 completely.  I finished The Secret War, enjoying it very much, and never entered anything else.

Pathetic.

May 4, 1918

Since  my last entry, I read (at least):

Stalin:  Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928
Stephen Kotkin

This excellent book, which is part of what will be a three volume treatment of Stalin's life, is excellent.  It's also somewhat depressing and distressing, but then so is the life of Stalin.

I read this during 2017 but towards the beginning of the year shortly after finishing Hasting's book noted above.  I should have noted it then. Anyhow, the treatment of Stalin is exhaustive, detailing his early life and distressing rise to power.

The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-1945

Nicholas Stargardt

I'm frankly not sure if I picked this book up after the first volume treatment of Stalin's life or not.  I may have.  Some of the books I noted above I read while doing a great deal of traveling, which always makes for a lot of reading for me.

Anyhow, unusually, I read this book rather slowly.  Often just a few pages at a time while eating breakfast, until perhaps the last third of the book which I read more rapidly (and again, partially while travelling).

This book is extremely interesting and extremely distressing.  It details the views of average Germans on what they were thinking.  The book is a large one, extremely interesting, and after reading it I still don't know if I understand what they were thinking.  It seems they largely supported the war while knowing that some of their aims at least were grossly immoral.  In some ways, the book details the success of propaganda and self delusion over clear thinking, something that perhaps gives us a very distressing lesson for the present day.

Kristin Lavransdatter: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Sigrid Undset

I'm presently reading this book, which is actually three books by Undset which were written sequentially and which take up the life of the protagonist, Kristin Lavransdattter sequentially.

Set in Medieval Norway, Udset's books The Wreath, The Wife and the The Cross are frankly masterpieces and she accordingly received the Nobel Prize for Literature for them.  She was a deep student of Medieval Norway to such an extent that the books portray what almost seems like a world that picks right up where the Scandinavian Sagas leave off, and almost read like one of them for that matter.  Beyond that, the books sort of mirror an intense series of personal struggles and revelations that the author was going through at the time that she wrote them.

I'm about half way the book now, having started it a couple of weeks ago, which says something about how readable it is as the book is over 1000 pages long.  I'm deep into The Wife now.  I'll report back when I finish, but highly recommended so far.

April 4, 2019

Once again, I've been bad about updating this thread.

For whatever reason, Kristin Lavransdatter, which I was reading when I last posted nearly a year ago, took me a long time to read.  In part that was because, as is often the case, I tend to read a lot in airports and while traveling, and starting about that time it seems my travel slowed down.

Anyhow, I finished it and it was absolutely excellent.  I very highly recommend it.

Anyhow, I did finish that book some time ago and now I frankly can't remember if I read another after it, other than a series of books on hunting dogs after we got our Golden Doodle, Odo.  More on him in some upcoming post.  Anyhow, last spring there was an entire series of books I read on training hunting dogs.

I gave up on that endeavor, however, and had somebody who knew what they were doing take up that task.

One book I did read after Kristin Lavransdatter was:

American Riding and Work Saddles, 1790-1920
Ken R. Knopp.

I've basically read this book twice, as I was privileged to read a pre publication version first.

It's excellent.

It probably would have come through a lot more a decade ago when I first started this blog, but at one time I rode a lot and have a deep interest in the topic. As part of that, I have a really deep interest in the material culture of riding.  I post a lot, in fact, at The Military Horse, the best web sight there is for folks with this interest.  And I've read a lot on the topic.

Knopp's book is excellent and in some ways is a nice companion to Margaret Derry's Horses In Society, a book that if you are interested in this topic, you need to read.  Taking on a century and a half of American saddlery is a daunting task, and Knopp does it very well.

I'm currently reading:

Vietnam, An Epic Tragedy 1945-1975
Max Hastings

I love Max Hasting's works, which are focused on World War Two more than anything else (he's stated a couple of times that he wasn't going to write on World War Two anymore, only to come back and write on it again).  This time he's writing on the what may be the defining war for American culture in the post 1945 era.

I'm only up to the assassination of Diem right now, but Hasting's doesn't disappoint.  I'll report back when I've finished the book, but I'm glad to have an English author write on the topic.  There have been other good histories on the war or on parts of the war, but they're all American or French, and therefore have a participants bias to at least some degree.  Hasting's does not.  Indeed, in reading his book I've already come to a better appreciation of the failings of The Lost Mandate of Heaven, discussed above, and a couple of other more recent histories on the Vietnam War.

Update, July 17, 2019.

Still reading this book but have to note, my collection of military historian friends who served in Vietnam, and Vietnam veterans in general, I suspect will really hate this book.

This isn't a condemnation of it by any means.  It's excellent.  And this book was necessary.

Update, August 2, 2019.

I concluded reading Hasting's book, Vietnam, An Epic Tragedy 1945-1975.

Gut wrenching would likely be the best description.

Hastings has done the history of this topic, and frankly Americans, an enormous service by writing this book.  It's arguably the first really objective history of the war, in no small part because as an English military historian and former journalist, he has no stake in the fight and how it is recalled.  Additionally, as a masterful writer in the English language, his book is widely accessible to those with an interest in the history of the war, which is largely the American audience.

Hastings' book is excellent, as are all of his books which I've read (I haven't read them all by any means).  His research on the war is excellent, admittedly hampered somewhat by the fact that the Hanoi government has not come close to releasing the information that it retains on the war.  His descriptions are, moreover, are both fascinating and heart rending.

Hastings is clear from the very onset of the book that he regarded the French and then the American effort in the war (most of the book deals with the American effort) as completely doomed right from the onset.  This doesn't make him a sympathizer with the North Vietnamese effort, however, and he's clear that it was lead by brutal men who engaged in brutal acts.  His concluding sections make it plain that whatever the communists claimed to be fighting for, and whatever those in the South and North believed about what the communist victory would mean, it mean unyielding and ongoing repression.

Still, reading the book really makes a person wonder if a different outcome was possible.  Hastings basically regards the American effort from 1965 to 1973, when the US pulled out of active participation, as inept, and its really hard not to join him in that conclusion.  He also makes the observation, which is undeniable, that the Saigon government was hopelessly corrupt and its military plagued with all the problems that largess and graft could bestow upon it.  Nonetheless, it's clear in Hastings account that a fair amount of the ARVN fought hard and valiantly right to the end and that some Southern units were stubbornly fighting right until the Southern government surrendered.  It's also hard not to come to the conclusion, as Hastings himself does, that the Republic of Vietnam would have weathered the 1975 North Vietnamese invasion if the U.S. had committed air power, as it had in 1972.  Hastings feels that such a commitment in 75 would have only postponed things to a later date, as the North Vietnamese government was totalitarian and dedicated to winning no matter what losses it sustained, but by 1975 it was done to soldiers in its early teens.  Frankly, I'm far from convinced that Hastings views are correct on that score, and strongly suspect that had American air power been committed in 75, the losses that would have been sustained by the North would have been too severe for them to really recover from for at least a decade.  . . and a decade stretching to 1985 would have made quite a difference.

That makes the U.S. look really bad, of course, and indeed the U.S. comes out of this book looking absolutely horrible, including the American military throughout the war and in particular in the later stages of the war.  Nixon and Kissinger come out looking awful, and they should.

I'd put this book in the must read category for a serious student of American history, and rank it was Alistair Horne's A Savage War of Peace on the French war in Algeria as a must read for contemporary American policy makers and military men (and women).  It's interesting in that regard that two of the really seminal works on Western wars in non western lands have been written by British historians whose nations weren't involved in them.  We're fortunate that they've written them.

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August 10, 2019.


The Vanquished. Why the First World War Failed To End
Robert Gerwarth

I decided to take a break from Vietnam and read something that coincidentally fits in really well with this blog.  The Vanquished is a short book (about 1/3d of it is end notes) that deals with the wars and revolutions that came immediately out of World War One.

I'm about 1/3d of the way through this book now.  It's quite good, although I'm not really learning anything I didn't already know.  The reason for that, however, largely has to do with being a student of the era and, frankly, also because putting together the frequent posts for this blog have informed me about a lot of wars that followed World War One that I  wouldn't have otherwise known much about.

I suspect that most people don't know that much about then, however, and have the idea that when the Great War ended, the fighting simply stopped and the soldiers went home. That's far from true, for any of the combatants.

This books, so far, has been doing a nice job of explaining why that was the case, and where it was the case.

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September 5, 2019

I finished reading The Vanquished.  For a student of World War One, modern history, or history in general, I think it's a must read.

It's become very common to believe that when World War One ended, there was peace, but it simply isn't true.  Indeed the United States may be the exception to the rule in that it largely entered peace, even though it still had troops in a combat role in Russia after November, 1918.  Almost every other combatant was fighting on in some other war, and some of the wars were pretty intensive, at least locally. And most of those wars were an offshoot of World War One.  The results of the war itself were very much in doubt for some time, and the new map wasn't established for years as new nations slugged it out over their borders or even for their existence.

It probably goes without saying, but all that is not only important and interesting history in its own right, it's necessary history for the understanding of World War Two.

I'm now reading;

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
Norman Maclean

Most people are familiar with the really excellent movie based on this semi autobiographical novella by Norman Maclean which was made into an excellent movie by Robert Redford.  I just started reading it a few days ago and I'm already well into it.  I'll give, of course, a review of it when I've completed reading it.

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September 8, 2019

I finished A River Runs Through It and Other Stories yesterday.

The novella A River Runs Through It has achieved almost mystical status in certain quarters, with it being particularly highly regarded among those who like "western" literature, or perhaps I should say literature of the modern west, although all of these stories are set in the period prior to World War Two.  The reputation is well deserved.

Various reviews attempt to compare the work to other well known authors who wrote in the same genera, with Hemingway being noted.  Well, it's much better than any work of Hemingway's, even if we consider that the Hemingway outdoor works set in the West actually are good, as compared to the rest of his writing which is not all that great, frankly.  A River Runs Through it, the longest of the novellas, is truly a masterpiece.

Maclean describes the West of the 1910s through the 1930s in a way that would be highly recognizable to anyone whose grown up in the real West even today.  The novella is hugely interior, and for that reason the task of putting it on film must have been really difficult to say the least.  To anyone wanting a real grasp of how Westerners see the West and themselves, this novella is the work to read.

One question that a person whose seen the excellent movie may have is how much does the novella depart from the film?  Not much, but it does some, and the film adds some elements that are lacking in the novella.  The novella does not deal with how Norman meets Jessie, his wife, in any fashion.  Jessie Maclean really was from Wolf Point Montana, but the story of their early relationship is completely omitted.  Indeed, throughout much of the novella Norman is already married, including those parts dealing with Jessie's brother.

It's hard to describe the writing of a novel, although this is barely a novel and close to a memoir and that also raises the question here on how much of the story is fiction and how much is fact.  I'm not familiar with Maclean's life enough to know how much of the story is fictionalized, but I suspect its not all that much.  By way of a plot spoiler, one thing that's definitely true, but somewhat fictionalized, is that Paul Davidson (Paul Maclean's actual nom de plum) did indeed die from being beat up in an alley in the late 1930s, just as described, and the murder remains an unsolved murder.  It was a Chicago murder, however, as Norman Maclean had convinced Paul to come to Chicago where he worked as a reporter and for the press office of the University of Chicago.  This wouldn't really fit the Montana centric story line however, as would the fact that Paul was a Dartmouth graduate.

The novella is, I feel, a must read.

As noted, this book contains three stories, not one, although A River Runs Through It is the longest and best known.

The second one is Logging and Pimping and You're Pal, Jim.

Maclean worked as a logger while attending college.  The precise details of that I don't know, but it was for at least two seasons. This novella deals with that and I suspect, and indeed I'm certain, that it's much more fictionalized than A River Runs Through It.  It's also of uneven quality.

In this novella Maclean sought to describe loggers but I suspect that he ended up, as is so often done, by fairly grossly exaggerating his depiction as he went on, which is unfortunate. Some elements of the description, in particular his description of clothing, are really excellent. But it decays as it the novella goes on and this one may be said to have almost no real point, other than being an odd character study.

The third one is USFS 1919, which deals as with Norman's work on a Forest Service crew in 1919.

This one is excellent, and again not only is the story worthwhile, but the descriptions of life at the time, and particularly a very distinct rural occupation of the time, are superb.  Descriptions of horses, packing and Forest Service work in a now bygone era are extremely well done.   This story is also probably mostly fiction, but his work for the Forest Service at a very young age (Norman is 17 when this story takes place, and he'd already worked for the Forest Service for two years) is not.  This novella is well worth reading.

On a couple of other observations, knowing that the movie was from a novella, I've wondered if the plot details of the film were filled out from the other novellas in the book. They are not.  As noted, the film includes story lines, such as Norman meeting Jessie, that aren't in the book at all.  About the only added details provided is that Norman worked as a logger and for the Forest Service, and his work as a logger is mentioned in the film.

Anyhow, the stories included in A River Runs Through It and Other Stories are first rate stories in the modern Western genre and much better than many, maybe most. The stories due have an earthy element to them, and all three have some references to illicit unions of one kind or another, but they aren't graphic and they don't get down in the mud as much as later works of Larry McMurtry.

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September 12, 2019

The British Are Coming:  The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
Rick Atkinson

This book is a new release by noted historical author Rick Atkinson.  Atkinson, whose Liberation Trilogy on the American ground campaigns in North Africa and Europe set the bar for the histories of the U.S. Army on that topic, now turns his eye on the American Revolution for a three volume treatment.

I've just started the book and I'm still in the prologue, but it promises to be excellent.

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July 30, 1920

The King and the Catholics.
Antonia Fraser

When I update this thread it occurs to me how bad I am at keeping it updated.

And looking back on this thread it also occurs to me how much my reading has slowed down during the pandemic, which is an odd thing to realize.  Work has not slowed down for me at all, but travel really has, and that's a lot of the reason for that.

Anyhow, after I finished The British Are Coming I started, and just finished, The King and the Catholic by Antonia Fraser.  It's not a large book so I should have read it quickly, but for whatever reason it took me awhile to read this very interesting work.

The book deals with Catholic Emancipation in the United Kingdom, which then included Ireland, and which took place over a period of several decades in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries.

The UK has a complicated relationship with Catholicism and went from being a deeply Catholic country after its conversion to Christianity to one that was embroiled in turmoil following King Henry VIII's severance of ties with Rome, to being a virulently anti Catholic country some time later. In that latter period it outlawed the Church and persecuted Catholics.  In spite of that, some families in England and Scotland, including some prominent ones, remained loyal to the Catholic Church. By the mid 18th Century they were able to practice their faith at some personal risk, but were deprived of office and position.  Ireland, for its part, had been incorporated into the UK against its will and it remained overwhelmingly Catholic.

During the American Revolution the law slowly began to change, in part as a response to it, although it faced enormous opposition and backlash.  Nonetheless Catholics were largely freed from legal disabilities in 1829. This book traces that odd and interesting history.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm actually adding this book on the day I finished it, showing how much I've neglected this thread.

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August 1, 2020

The Great Plains During World War II
R. Douglas Hurt

I've just started this book which is about just what its title indicates.

I'm only in the introductory chapter, so I don't have much to report as of yet, other than that it looks promising.

Update:  October 1, 2020

I finished this excellent book and recommend it, although it does tend to read like a textbook to some degree.

Meticulously researched, and covering every topic imaginable in its scope, the book leaves the reader with the realization that much of the rah, rah mythology surrounding the home front on World War Two is just that.  Not that real patriotism didn't exist on the Great Plains in particular and the country in general, but rather that it was much more nuanced than we might commonly imagine.

A must for the study of the home front during the war.

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October 1, 2020

The SS A New History

Adrian Weale

I just started this history of the SS so I can't offer any review of it yet.  It'll be interesting to read, I'm sure, as its by the much respected British historian Adrian Weale and it covers a topic that's been heavily mythologized.

Indeed, I have a small volume on the SS around here somewhere that's interesting but clearly inadequate and I'd regretted not picking up The SS: Alibi of a Nation, when I saw it in a bookstore in Denver some years ago.  Weale's book comes highly recommended.

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November 14, 2021

I"ve been terrible about updating this thread.

I didn't complete the book on the SS noted above, but perhaps because I already knew much of the history, even though it's only a year ago, I don't have a lot to report about it as it didn't make a huge impression on me.  It is a well done academic book.  If you're looking into the SS, I'd recommend it.

Since that time I may well have read other books, but I'm not immediately recalling them off hand. That is a year ago, and I'm never not reading a book.

Right now I'm reading the following:

Stalin:  Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941

Stephen Kotkin

This is the second volume of an anticipated three volume biography of the Soviet dictator.  The first volume is referenced up above with a 2018 entry.

This is an excellent tome, but its style is unusual for about 3/4s of the book, with very short chapters.  Frankly, I think Kotkin had a hard time with this volume, and it shows it.  It's a good work, but somewhat plodding in the first 3/4s. Frankly, it could have used some good editing, which would have frankly cut about 1/4 of it out.  

February 8, 2022

I finally finished the second volume of Stalin, noted immediately above, and in spite of what I noted, I’m looking forward to the next volume, which I hope will come out soon.  It isn't out yet.

Nonetheless, my comment above remains applicable.  The book is a very long one of nearly 900 pages.  Normally length doesn't bother me at all, and it didn't with volume one, but this one is broken up into very short chapters, much of which deals with Stalin's involvement in minutia.  I get it, he was involved with minutia, and that was part of the nature of his personal dictatorship, but lots of interruptions to deal with his involvement with a single book, or play, or things of this type is a bit much.  The point, I think, is that Stalin's dictatorship was haphazard but all encompassing.

This volume deals with the terror in great detail as well, which needed to be done, but which also gets a little overdone.  Kotkin never really offers an explanation for the mass killings, although he hints that it was simply to wipe out the old in favor of the young, so we're left a bit wondering.  Perhaps its simply inexplicable.

The book really picks up in the final fifth or so as it starts to heavily deal with the Soviet Union's dealings with Nazi Germany.  I don't know that any of this is new ground at this point, but it is very well put and puts the Second World War and the Soviet Union in a prospective that histories, starting I suppose with the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which came out earlier, tend to miss, and often still do. The common narrative, and the one I've always accepted, is that Hitler turned his gaze East as he always intended to do that, making, in essence, everything that happened in the war up  until that time really a preamble to an inevitable war against the Soviet Union. Kotkin doesn't view the war that way at all.

Kotkin's view, and it's really backed up with lots of evidence, is that the Soviet Union was ready to treat with Nazi Germany and then reached too far.  And, he holds, Nazi Germany was likewise ready to treat with the Soviet Union.  He views a war between the two as sooner or later being an inevitability, but not at the time it occurred.

Rather, he maintains, that following the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact the Soviets hoped to secure a better deal and the Germans explored it. What that would have required is the USSR going to war with the United Kingdom, as the Germans, he maintains, regarded the British Empire as their principal enemy.  The Soviets indeed were willing to consider entering the war against the British, and presented a list of demands to the Germans as to what that would require.  I.e., they wanted concessions in Eastern Europe that essentially gave them a free hand there.  The Germans were not willing to do that, and at that point they went to the second option they'd been considering, which was to invade the USSR and simply take the resources that they wanted.  The Soviets were never able to grasp that the Germans weren't going to make a counter offer, and in spite of the fact that they were well aware that Germany was building up for an invasion, they believed they'd get a final demand first, which they might accept, or might use to hold the Germans off through the invasion season.

That's quite a bit different from the classic view that the invasion was simply for Lebenstraum.  It was, and that was a stated goal, but it was actually a bit secondary to a longer term goal of defeating the British Empire.  Kotkin takes the view that the Germans hoped to conquer the European portions of the USSR first, end that war, and then turn again on the British Empire, which it was otherwise unable to directly reach.

July, 2022

I just finished reading Hue, 1968 by Mark Bowden.

I really recommend the book, it's excellent.

The intense urban battle that the book is about is well known as an unusual one during hte Vietnam War.  It's come to be regarded, not without some justification, as a symbol of American defeat in the war, even though the battle was a US and RVN victory.  Bowden does an excellent job of providing a narraitve history of the Marines and soldiers (people forget nearly entirely that the U.S. Army was involved in the battle.

Bowden's book provides accounts from quite a few U.S. servicemen who served in the battle, as well as accounts from the Communist combatants.  The book is intersting in that it swings very much back towards the immediate post Vietnam sort of view of the war as an overall betrayal/lost cause, which some more recent books have not.  The book is, quite frankly, not kind to American leadership during the battle and particularly unkind to senior leadership.  It's not particularly kind to the Marine Corps overall.  It tends to be somewhat sympathetic to the VC/NVA combatants, which is unusual for an American text.

A surprising element of the book is that Bowden, who wrote Black Hawk Down, is obviously unfamiliar with many details of weaponry and the like that most military authors are.  He notes in an updated epilogue that he received criticism from readers of the book for that reason.  It's not a serious matter, but for those who are familiar with such items, it's a bit distracting.

One criticism of the book that I do have is that the role of the ARVN in the battle is really overlooked, but perhaps this was unavoidable.  The book is full of first hand accounts of the battle by Marines, soldiers and Communist combatants, but it has none from the soldiers of the ARVN.  Indeed, the only real first hand account from an ARVN unit was from their US advisor.  As the ARVN fought the entire battle, this is a fairly signficant oversight, but its frankly extremely common for US works on the Vietnam War.

January 28, 2023

I'm obviously not very good at keeping this thread up to date.

The last entry here was from July 2021, at which time I'd just finished Hue, 1968.  After that, I went on to Rasputin by Douglas Smith.

Rasputin is an excellent and perhaps definitive biography of the mysterious Russian starets who became a central figure in the Imperial Russian household.  The book examines many of the legends and mysteries regarding Gregory Rasputin, the Russian peasant, who never held Holy Orders, contrary to one of the common myths.  It's worth reading for that reason alone.

Rasputin is so mysterious, and Imperial Russia was so vast and poorly recorded even in the 20th Century, and it descended into revolution, so even with this effort, which is well done, a lot simply remains unknown about Rasputin.  What we can conclude, even though it may be unsatisfactory, is that he rose up as the second "holy man" advisor to an anemic imperial household which nonetheless had absolute rule over a vast, backwards, nation.  This was largely based on the strength of his religious character and not, as is so often asserted, because he was able to stem the bleeding of the Alexei, who suffered, as is well known, from hemophilia.

He seems to have held conventional Orthodox religious views, although he was tolerant of other faiths in an era in which that was uncommon in general and certainly uncommon in Russia.  He was not, for example, antisemitic.  

What becomes clear from the book is that he had an enormously forceful personality that attracted some, and repelled others.  He was uneducated, but could read and write, and did so simply.  He was extremely religious and a devout Orthodox believer who did not hold, as he was accused of, heretical beliefs of a perverse nature. 

Nonetheless, some of the accusations against him were true.  In spite of his devout beliefs, he became a serial adulterer and did in fact have sexual relations with a large number of women, ranging from prostitutes to ladies of noble background.  This did not extend, as was sometimes suggested, to the imperial household.  He was a heavy drinker, the two of which played together in some instances.  Both of these traits became stronger as he became more influential.

More than anything else, what this book serves to show is how bizarrely effete the Russian imperial household had become.  It's hard not to come away basically with the conclusion that the Czar and Czarina were simply not very smart and a Russian revolution simply inevitable.  That a person like Rasputin could become so influential is evidence of that.  Russia was simply rotten to the core and the empire was going to fall.

I'm presently reading Bloodlands, by Timothy Snyder, and indeed because of a recent work travel event, I'm nearly finished with it.  I'll review it shortly.

Sunday, January 28, 1973. The war continues on.

US B-52s struck Laotian locations to interdict North Vietnamese supply lines to South Vietnam in spite of the official end of the war in South Vietnam, as the peace accords did not extend to Laos.

From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 2,500,000 tons of bombs, or 260,000,000 bombs, making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. The Laotian bombing campaign ended on March 29, 1973 following the Agreement on the Restoration of Peace and Reconciliation in Laos between the central government and the Pathet Lao.

Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, remains subject to a Communist government today and is effectively one of the most isolated countries in the world.

Thursday, January 28, 1943. Glyndwr Michael.

Glyndwr Michael, age 34, died.  The homeless Welsh man's body would be used in Operation Mincemeat, in which he was set adrift off of Spain with a fictional British Army identify carrying invasion plans for Sardinia. The Sardinian operation was a deception for the anticipated invasion of Sicily.

Michael's true identity would not be revealed for 55 years, something typical of the British mania for secrecy.

His tomb, baring honors, is in Spain.

The recent movie on this matter, Operation Mincemeat, is excellent, and does a superb job of depicting the events of Operation Mincemeat from beginning to end, including selecting Michael's body.  This is the first references to the film here, but it's a very good film in all respects.

Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson announced the US would "ease restrictions on Americans of Japanese ancestry and employ loyal ones in war work", meaning the U.S. would form a Japanese American Army unit.  In fact, the US was already employing some Japanese American servicemen as interpreters, but this paved the way to wider use of Japanese American volunteers 

The Japanese submarine I-65 shelled Port Gregory, Western Australia, to no effect.

Sunday, January 28, 1923. Gand est Français?

100,000 Francophone Belgians protested the imposition of Flemish at Ghent University, changing "Gand est Français".

The Belgian Chamber of Deputies had imposed Flemish, and prohibited French, by law.

Flemish is, of course, a Dutch dialect spoken in Belgium, one of Belgium's three languages, the third being German, which is spoken in a small area of the country.  Territorially, about half of Belgium speaks Flemish as their primary language.  Ghent, in northern Belgium, is in fact in the Flemish region of the country.

Flag of Flanders.

The Belgians who speak Flemish are also called the Flemis, and make up about 60% of the Belgian population, all concentrated in the north. Flanders is the Flemish region.   The French speaking area is part of Wallonia, a region which includes parts of France.

Flag of Wallonia.

New Zealand cricketer and later Wellington lawyer, Alfred Holdship, died at age 55

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. End of the first full week, beginning of the next. (Vol 3).

January 20, 2023

Not too surprisingly, given the flood of bills, we're on to the second installment for the actual session.

Not on the topic of the legislature, but of note:

Governor Gordon Tests Positive for COVID-19

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon has received results of a COVID-19 test that showed he is positive for the virus. The Governor is experiencing only minor symptoms at this time and will continue working from home on behalf of Wyoming.

January 21, 2023

Representative Ward testified in favor of her own bill to dictate what business owners can do on their own private property in regard to masks claiming she was "prioritizing the right of the individual over the businesses", i.e., cramming down her view of rights over an established individual right.

The bill moved to the floor but the penalties for violating it were removed and the ignorant provision that would have attacked childhood immunization was also removed.  It only advanced by a single vote.

Ward repeated her story about not being able to believe that mask restrictions existed in Wyoming in 2022. Some speakers noted that the state will lose millions of dollars in Federal funds if the bill becomes law.

Speaking of money, the bill funding school facilities passed the House.

The bill putting a lower age on marriage passed the House.

The bill addressing retirement for state park rangers passed the House.

House Bill 73 on annexation vote requirements passed the House.

SF 143 was introduced to provide a scholarship to private schools.

Why, exactly, the state needs to subsidize attendance at private schools is not apparent.  The bill had widespread introductory support and I expect it to pass, which will mean that a state that's already struggling to fund its public schools will be paying parents to send their kids to someplace else, albeit in a small fashion.

A second bill on child gender mutilation was introduced.  It reads:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0661

SENATE FILE NO. SF0144

Chloe's law-children gender change prohibition.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Bouchard, French, Hutchings, Ide, Laursen, D and McKeown and Representative(s) Heiner, Hornok and Winter

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting physicians from performing procedures for children related to gender transitioning and gender reassignment; providing an exception; providing that gender transitioning and reassignment procedures are grounds for suspension or revocation of a physician's license; prohibiting insurance coverage for children for gender transitioning and reassignment procedures; providing definitions; specifying applicability; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 26‑20‑901 and 35‑4‑1001 are created to read:

ARTICLE 9

COVERAGE FOR GENDER‑RELATED PROCEDURES

26‑20‑901.  Health insurance; coverage of gender transition and reassignment procedures prohibited.

No individual or group health insurance policy providing coverage on an expense incurred basis, individual or group service or indemnity type contract issued by any insurer including any nonprofit corporation or individual or group service contract issued by a health maintenance organization or delivered on or after July 1, 2023 shall include coverage for any gender transitioning or gender reassignment procedure provided to or performed upon a child that is prohibited by W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

ARTICLE 10

GENDER‑RELATED PROCEDURES

35‑4‑1001.  Gender transitioning and reassignment procedures for children prohibited.

(a)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Child" means a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age;

(ii)  "Health care provider" means a person other than a physician who is licensed, certified or otherwise authorized by Wyoming law to provide or render health care or to dispense or prescribe a prescription drug in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession;

(iii)  "Physician" means any person licensed to practice medicine in this state by the state board of medicine under the Medical Practice Act.

(b)  For purposes of transitioning a child's biological sex as determined by the sex organs and except as provided by subsection (c) of this section, chromosomes and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child's perception of the child's sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child's biological sex, no physician or health care provider shall:

(i)  Perform a surgery that sterilizes the child, including castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, metoidioplasty, orchiectomy, penectomy, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty;

(ii)  Perform a mastectomy;

(iii)  Provide, administer, prescribe or dispense any of the following prescription drugs that induce transient or permanent infertility:

(A)  Puberty suppression or blocking prescription drugs to stop or delay normal puberty;

(B)  Supraphysiologic doses of testosterone to females;

(C)  Supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males.

(iv)  Remove any otherwise healthy or non‑diseased body part or tissue.

(c)  Subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to procedures or treatments that are performed with the consent of the child's parent or guardian and are for a child who is born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development, including 46, XX chromosomes with virilization, 46, XY with undervirilization or both ovarian and testicular tissue.

Section 2.  W.S. 33‑24‑122(a)(intro), (ix) and by creating a new paragraph (xi) and 33‑26‑402(a) by creating a new paragraph (xxxvi) are amended to read:

33‑24‑122.  Revocation or suspension of license and registration; letter of admonition; summary suspension; administrative penalties; probation; grounds.

(a)  The license and registration of any pharmacist may be revoked or suspended by the board of pharmacy or the board may issue a letter of admonition, refuse to issue or renew any license or require successful completion of a rehabilitation program or issue a summary suspension for any one (1) or more of the following causes:

(ix)  For senility or mental impairment which impedes the pharmacist's professional abilities or for habitual personal use of morphine, cocaine or other habit forming drugs or alcohol; or

(xi)  For violating W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

33‑26‑402.  Grounds for suspension; revocation; restriction; imposition of conditions; refusal to renew or other disciplinary action.

(a)  The board may refuse to renew, and may revoke, suspend or restrict a license or take other disciplinary action, including the imposition of conditions or restrictions upon a license on one (1) or more of the following grounds:

(xxxvi)  Violating W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

Section 3.

(a)  This act shall apply to all insurance policies delivered or issued for delivery in this state on and after July 1, 2023.

(b)  W.S. 35‑4‑1001, as created by section 1 of this act, shall apply only to conduct or procedures occurring on and after the effective date of this act.

Section 4.  The insurance commissioner, department of health, state board of medicine and state board of pharmacy shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 5.  

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

(b) Sections 4 and 5 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.

As often oddly happens, a bill that failed is back, that being SJ 4, the silly resolution banning electric vehicle sales. 

January 25, 2023

More new bills.

Let's look first at the House.

HB 223.  This bill is a "good Samaratin" bill for rendering aid to a police dog.

1‑1‑120.  Persons rendering emergency assistance exempt from civil liability.

(d)  No emergency medical services provider who in the performance of their duties and in good faith renders emergency first aid to an injured police dog shall be held personally liable for any damages occurring as a result of rendering such aid or services or as a result of transporting a police dog to a veterinary care facility, nor shall they be held personally liable to a veterinary care facility for its expenses if, under emergency conditions, they cause the admission of a police dog to the veterinary care facility.

HB 240.  This would allow for the initiative and referendum process to be used for budget appropriations.

(b)  The people may make appropriations by initiative. Upon the enactment of an initiative that makes an appropriation, the legislature shall appropriately assign the appropriation in the immediately following legislative session. The legislature's failure to assign an appropriation shall be subject to judicial review.

HB246 would adopt year around Mountain Standard Time in the state.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0246

Mountain standard time-2.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ottman, Davis, Heiner, Hornok, Tarver, Trujillo and Winter and Senator(s) Schuler

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to legal time; requiring the state to observe a time zone as specified; establishing a new uniform state time; repealing provisions; specifying a contingency; and providing for effective dates.

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.  Mountain standard time.

(a)  The year round observed time of the state of Wyoming and all of the state's political subdivisions is mountain standard time. Wyoming exempts all areas of the state from mountain daylight time.

(b)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Mountain daylight time" means the period during a year when mountain standard time is advanced one (1) hour in accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 260a;

(ii)  "Mountain standard time" means the observed time assigned to the fourth time zone in 15 U.S.C. § 261.

Section 2.  2020 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 134 is repealed.

Section 3.  W.S. 8‑4‑115 is repealed.

Section 4.

(a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective November 5, 2023.

(b)  Sections 2 through 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.

HB247. This bill eliminates the provision that allows a person to abandon the meat of a trophy game animal.

In other words, mountain lion, it's what's for dinner!

HB250 would outlaw "Red Flag Act", i.e. the temporary suspension of a person's rights to keep firearms if they are a perceived public threat.

HB202 would provide for scholorships for students wanting to be commercial pilots.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0202

Pilot student loan payments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Walters, Northrup, Sherwood, Sommers and Western and Senator(s) Gierau and Landen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; providing financial assistance to students obtaining commercial pilot certificates; requiring pilots licensed under this act to fly commercially as specified or repay funds expended by the state; requiring students to satisfy a residency requirement to qualify for the program; allowing the community college commission to forgive student debt where undue hardship exists; requiring reports; providing an appropriation; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑18‑227 is created to read:

21‑18‑227.  Wyoming airline pilot loan repayment program; eligibility criteria; procedures; program reporting.

(a)  The Wyoming airline pilot loan repayment program is created to be administered by the Wyoming community college commission established under W.S. 21‑18‑201. Applicants shall have a Wyoming residence, as defined in W.S. 22‑1‑102(a)(xxx), or shall be graduates of a Wyoming high school and may apply for loans from the program in accordance with this section.

(b)  To qualify for a loan under this section, the applicant shall:

(i)  Be enrolled in good standing in a program at a Wyoming community college for the purpose of receiving an aviation or related degree and a commercial pilot certificate;

(ii)  Intend to obtain an airline transport pilot certification; and

(iii)  Apply for federal financial assistance.

(c)  Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this program, loans under this section may be granted to qualified applicants to pay the cost of attendance for the aviation or related program and the commercial pilot certificate specified under paragraph (b)(i) of this section.

(d)  A loan provided under this section shall not exceed the cost of tuition fees for the approved program and the cost of earning the commercial pilot certificate, reduced by the amount of any Pell or other federal grant and any employer based financial assistance received by the applicant.

(e)  A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the loan without cash payment by earning an airline transport pilot certification and actively engaging in commercial aviation as an airline transport pilot employed by an airline that regularly flies into airports within Wyoming for three (3) years.

(f)  Any recipient of a loan under this section who fails to:

(i)  Complete the academic program for which the loan was provided shall commence cash repayment of the loan no later than forty‑five (45) days after the recipient leaves the academic program;

(ii)  Obtain employment in the targeted occupation specified in subsection (e) of this section within two hundred forty (240) days after successfully obtaining the airline transport pilot certification, shall commence cash repayment of the loan within two hundred eighty‑five (285) days after successfully obtaining the airline transport pilot certification;

(iii)  Obtain the airline transport pilot certification within two and one‑half (2 1/2) years after completion of the aviation or related program and commercial pilot certificate shall commence cash repayment of the loan.

(g)  Loan repayment options under this section may be deferred for a period not to exceed five (5) years while a loan recipient is serving on full‑time active duty with any branch of the military services of the United States.

(h)  The Wyoming community college commission shall have the powers and duties specified under W.S. 21‑18‑202(c) to implement this section and shall establish terms and conditions of loans issued under this section, including:

(i)  Interest rates and loan terms;

(ii)  The form and process for loan application, review and award;

(iii)  Criteria under which students may be relieved from having to repay loans and interest thereon, in whole or in part, where the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship;

(iv)  Criteria for determining the cost of attendance as used in establishing the loan amount for aviation or related programs and commercial pilot certificates based upon each semester or summer school session of full or part‑time program attendance.

(j)  Funding of the loan program established under this section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The community college commission shall transfer approved loan amounts to the appropriate Wyoming community college.

(k)  Cash repayment of loans and interest thereon shall be credited to the general fund.

(m)  The community college commission shall annually review the loan program established under this section and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S. 9‑2‑1014 regarding program results, funds received and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under the program. 

(n)  Any person who receives a loan under this section shall continue to receive funding for the program as the person remains eligible as required by this section.

(o)  Repayment of loans provided under this section shall continue as specified by this section until all loan obligations have been satisfied.

Section 2.  There is appropriated one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming community college commission for purposes of providing loans for students seeking aviation related degrees and commercial pilot certificates under W.S. 21‑18‑227 as created by section 1 of this act for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation on June 30, 2026 shall revert as provided by law. It is the intent of the legislature that an appropriation to fund the student loans authorized by this act be included in the community college commission's standard budget request for the 2027‑2028 fiscal biennium.

Section 3.  The community college commission shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 4.  

(a)  Except as otherwise provided by 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.

HB 204 would regulate the length of trains.

 HOUSE BILL NO. HB0204

Allowable train lengths.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Chestek, Berger and Newsome and Senator(s) Gierau and Rothfuss

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring trains to be not more than a specified length; providing operational requirements; providing a civil penalty; providing definitions; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 37‑9‑1401 and 37‑9‑1402 are created to read:

ARTICLE 14

RAILROAD TRAINS

37‑9‑1401.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this article:

(i)  "Branch line" means a secondary railroad track that branches off from a main line;

(ii)  "Director" means the director of the department of transportation;

(iii)  "Mainline" means a class I railroad as documented in current timetables filed by the class I railroad with the federal railroad administration under 49 C.F.R. 217.7 when the railroad has five million (5,000,000) or more gross tons of railroad traffic transported annually;

(iv)  "Railroad" means any form of non‑highway ground transportation that runs on rails or electromagnetic guideways;

(v)  "Train" means one or more locomotives, coupled with or without cars, that require an air brake test in accordance with 49 C.F.R. part 232 or part 238;

(vi)  "Siding" or "passing track"  means a sidetrack with switches at both ends.

37‑9‑1402.  Train length; penalties.

(a)  In addition to other administrative or criminal remedies authorized by law, the director, after notice and opportunity for hearing, shall assess a civil penalty against a railroad company, corporation or employer as provided in this section.

(b)  No railroad company operating in the state of Wyoming shall run or permit to be run any train that exceeds eight thousand five hundred (8,500) feet in length or exceeds the length of the shortest passing track or siding on which it travels on any mainline or branch line, or that routinely or repeatedly blocks any intersection for periods exceeding ten (10) minutes at one (1) time.

(c)  Except as provided in subsection (d) any railroad company who willfully violates subsection (b) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) per foot nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per foot of the amount of a train exceeding the limitation set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

(d)  Any railroad company who commits a grossly negligent violation or who has a pattern of repeated violations of subsection (b) of this section which violation caused an imminent threat of death or injury to another person or that caused death or injury to another person shall be subject to a one (1) time fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00).

(e)  In determining the amount of any civil penalty under this section the director shall consider:

(i)  The nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation;

(ii)  The degree of culpability, history of violations, ability to pay and any effect on the violator's ability to continue to do business;

(iii)  Any other matters that justice requires.

(f)  At the request of the director, the attorney general may initiate a civil action to collect any civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section. The attorney general may bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction. A civil action under this section shall be commenced within three (3) years of the date of the violation or within three (3) years of the latest violation if a repeated offense is alleged.

(g)  Any civil penalty received under this section shall be deposited in the state highway fund.

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

HB 205 would ban teaching "critical race theory".

HB 217 changes the definition of "trophy game animal" to "large carnivore".  The point?  Semantics I guess. 

And now the Senate, where it was apparently firearms day.

SF 179 is a companion bill doing the same thing in the Senate on the above noted Red Flag Laws.

Senate File 149 would create a new class of "enhanced" concealed carry permits.

6‑8‑104.  Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits.

(dd)  In addition to a permit otherwise authorized under this section, an applicant may apply for, and the attorney general is authorized to issue, an enhanced permit to carry a concealed firearm subject to the following:

(i)  In addition to meeting all other eligibility requirements for a permit under this section, an applicant for an enhanced permit shall present evidence that the applicant received training in the safe use of a firearm within one (1) year of the date of an original or renewal application. Training sufficient for purposes of this paragraph may be demonstrated by:

(A)  Employment as a peace officer in the state of Wyoming within the past one (1) year; or

(B)  Completion of a firearms safety or training course providing basic training in the safe use of a firearm and conducted by an instructor certified by the national rifle association or the Wyoming law enforcement academy.

(ii)  Firearm training required under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall include:

(A)  Instruction in the fundamentals of firearm use;

(B)  Successful completion of an actual shooting qualification exercise; and

(C)  Instruction in the fundamental legal aspects of firearm possession, carry and use, including self‑defense and the restrictions on the use of deadly force.

(iii)  All rights, duties and obligations imposed upon any person, or entity relating to a permit issued under this section shall apply to the enhanced permit authorized under this subsection except as otherwise specified by this subsection;

(iv)  No person under twenty‑one (21) years of age shall be eligible for an enhanced permit under this subsection;

(v)  Applications for a permit to carry a concealed firearm under this subsection shall be made available and distributed by the division of criminal investigation and local law enforcement agencies;

(vi)  Not later than July 1, 2023, the attorney general shall notify the relevant agency regulating the concealed carry of firearms in each state of the enhanced concealed carry permit available under this subsection and take any steps necessary to achieve permit reciprocity with states that have similar requirements for concealed carry permits to the requirements of an enhanced concealed carry permit under this subsection.

What are you going to do with that enhanced permit, you may ask? Well ask no further:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0150

Capitol carry.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Kinskey, Anderson, Baldwin, Biteman, Boner, Dockstader, Hicks, Kolb and Schuler and Representative(s) Larsen, L, Olsen, Stith and Walters

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to weapons; allowing for concealed carry on the grounds of the state capitol as specified; providing that a section is contingent upon passage of a separate bill;  and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 6‑8‑104(t)(intro) and by creating a new subsection (ee) is amended to read: 

6‑8‑104.  Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits.

(t)  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (ee) of this section no person authorized to carry a concealed weapon pursuant to paragraphs (a)(ii) through (iv) of this section shall carry a concealed firearm into:

(ee)  Any person who possesses a valid enhanced concealed carry permit pursuant to subsection (dd) of this section may carry a concealed firearm on the grounds of the state capitol building, including the extension from the capitol building to and under the Herschler building, provided that:

(i)  Not less than twenty‑four (24) hours before first entering the state capitol building with a concealed firearm, the person shall notify the administrator of the Wyoming state highway patrol or his designee, orally or in writing, that the person intends to possess a concealed firearm in the state capitol building and the date on which, or the range of dates during which, the person intends to possess a concealed firearm in the state capitol building;

(ii)  After providing notice under paragraph (i) of this subsection the person may enter the areas of the state capitol building open to the public carrying a concealed firearm, including into any public meeting of the legislature or a legislative committee conducted in an area open to the public, but shall not enter into any area not open to the public while carrying a concealed firearm.

Section 2.  The state building commission and the management council of the legislature shall promulgate any rules necessary consistent with section 1 of this act not later than July 1, 2023.

Section 3.  This act shall be effective only if 2023 Senate File 0149 is enacted into law.

Section 4.  

(a)  Except as provided in section 3 of this act and subsection (b) of this section, 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.

(b)  Except as provided in section 3 of this act section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2023.

SF135 would repeal government "gun free zones".

SF171 keeps financial information regarding firearms purchases secret. 

SF160 would allow the state to make I80 a toll road.

SF 180 would make decriminalize corner crossing.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0180

Corner crossing-trespass exception.

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

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing an exception to the offenses of criminal trespass and game and fish trespass regarding incidental contact associated with crossing two (2) adjacent parcels 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 a new subsection (d) and 23‑3‑305(b) are amended to read:

6‑3‑303.  Criminal trespass; penalties.

(d)  For purposes of this section, a person does not commit criminal trespass if the person incidentally passes through the airspace or touches the land or premises of another person while the person is traveling from one (1) parcel of land that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land that shares a common corner with or is immediately connected to the first parcel and that the person is authorized to access.

23‑3‑305.  Hunting from highway; entering enclosed property without permission; penalty; hunting at night without permission prohibited.

(b)  No person shall enter upon the private property of any person to hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property. Violation of this subsection constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23‑6‑202(a)(v). For purposes of this subsection, a person does not commit trespass under this subsection if the person incidentally passes through the airspace or touches the land or premises of another person while the person is traveling from one (1) parcel of land that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land that shares a common corner with or is immediately connected to the first parcel and that the person is authorized to access.

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

As is probably obvious, that's a Democratic bill and will likely go nowhere in this legislature.

Here's an odd firearms one:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0182

Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission-2.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Kolb and Salazar

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the University of Wyoming; creating the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission; specifying membership and duties of the commission; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑17‑127 is created to read:

21‑17‑127.  Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission created; membership; duties; compensation.  

(a)  The Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission is hereby created. The commission shall consist of eight (8) members appointed as follows:

(i)  One (1) legislative member selected by dual appointment of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives which member shall serve as an ex officio member of the commission;

(ii)  The remaining members of the commission shall be appointed by a majority vote of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction and state auditor to include:

(A)  One (1) Wyoming resident from a hunting or sportsman's organization affiliated with Wyoming;

(B)  One (1) Wyoming resident from a recreational shooting organization affiliated with Wyoming;

(C)  One (1) Wyoming resident from an organization that supports the second amendment to the United States constitution and that is affiliated with Wyoming;

(D)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed by a firearms industry manufacturer located in Wyoming;

(E)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed by a firearms retail business located in Wyoming;

(F)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed as a law enforcement official in Wyoming;

(G)  One (1) Wyoming county attorney nominated by the Wyoming county attorneys association.

(b)  The appointments made under paragraph (a)(ii) of this section shall be confirmed by the senate. Appointed members shall serve three (3) year terms. The governor may remove any appointed member as provided by W.S. 9‑1‑202. Except for the legislative member, any vacancy occurring shall be filled by a majority vote of the five (5) statewide elected officials.

(c)  The commission, in conjunction with the University of Wyoming firearms research center, shall:

(i)  Review and provide oversight regarding the center's mission to become a scholarly center for firearms and firearms law, history, technology, social sciences, economic development and recreation. The commission shall provide recommendations to the center to ensure that the center focuses on and facilitates a meaningful and measurable impact on the firearms culture and traditions cherished by residents of Wyoming;

(ii)  Facilitate the development of formal agreements between the University of Wyoming firearms research center and Wyoming stakeholders;

(iii)  Make recommendations to the legislature regarding funding for the University of Wyoming firearms research center.

(d)  The commission shall be staffed by the governor's office.

(e)  The commission shall meet at least one (1) time per year.

(f)  Nonlegislative members of the commission shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed at the same rate as state officers or employees under W.S. 9‑3‑102 and 9‑3‑103 for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the commission.

(g)  The legislative member of the commission shall receive salary and reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the commission pursuant to W.S. 28‑5‑101.

Section 2.  

(a)  There is appropriated two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2024 to be expended only on salary, per diem and mileage for the legislative member of the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission for attendance at meetings of the commission. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2024.

(b)  There is appropriated seventeen thousand five hundred dollars ($17,500.00) from the general fund to the governor's office for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2024 to be expended only on per diem and mileage for the nonlegislative members of the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission for attendance at meetings of the commission. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2024.

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

UW just announced it was going to have a firearms research program, and I'd take it that the legislature doesn't trust UW on this, and therefore wants some "oversight". 

SF169 would create a state shooting complex.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0169

State shooting complex task force.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Hicks, Kinskey, Kolb and Salazar and Representative(s) Burkhart, Chadwick, Haroldson, Larson, JT, Niemiec, O'Hearn, Washut, Western and Wylie

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; creating the state shooting complex development and oversight task force; providing duties of the task force; requiring reports; creating the state shooting complex account; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  

(a)  There is created the state shooting complex development and oversight task force to consist of the following members:

(i)  The governor or his designee;

(ii)  The director of the Wyoming game and fish department or his designee;

(iii)  The director of the department of state parks and cultural resources or his designee;

(iv)  The director of the department of tourism or his designee;

(v)  Two (2) members representing firearm, archery or firearm accessory manufacturing companies in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(vi)  One (1) member of the public representing a shooting sports organization that has representation in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(vii)  One (1) member of the public representing a hunting or wildlife conservation organization that is headquartered in Wyoming or that has an active chapter in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(viii)  Two (2) members of the Wyoming house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house. The speaker of the house shall designate a co‑chairman of the task force;

(ix)  Two (2) members of the Wyoming senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate a co‑chairman of the task force.

(b)  Any vacancy in the task force shall be filled in the same manner as members are appointed under subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  The task force shall:

(i)  Develop a framework for the selection of a location for the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(ii)  Review other shooting facilities in the region and develop preliminary specifications, plans and features for the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(iii)  Develop a request for proposals so that local governments, private sector entities or a combination of both may submit proposals to be considered for the location of the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(iv)  Make recommendations for the development, location and administrative structure of the Wyoming state shooting complex to the governor, the joint appropriations committee and the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee.

(d)  Not later than October 1 of each year the task force shall report to the governor, the joint appropriations committee and the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee on the activities of the task force under this section.

(e)  The legislative members of the task force shall receive compensation, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28‑5‑101. Task force members who are not legislators and are not state employees shall receive the compensation, per diem and mileage paid to members of the Wyoming legislature under W.S. 28‑5‑101.

(f)  The task force shall be staffed by the legislative service office.

(g)  The task force shall terminate June 30, 2026.

Section 2.  

(a)  There is appropriated forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) from the general fund to the governor's office to pay compensation, mileage and per diem for nonlegislative members of the task force. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026.

(b)  There is appropriated forty‑five thousand dollars ($45,000.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office to pay for salary, mileage and per diem of legislative members appointed to the task force. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026.

Section 3.  

(a)  There is appropriated the following amounts from any unexpended, unobligated funds in the following accounts to the state shooting complex account, which is hereby created:

(i)  Five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) ARPD;

(ii)  Two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000.00) from the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account;

(iii)  Six hundred twenty‑five thousand dollars ($625,000.00) from the game and fish fund. This amount is intended as the required match to obtain federal Pittman‑Robertson funds or other federal funds to the extent federal funds are available for a Wyoming state shooting complex. This appropriation is conditioned upon a match of funds in the ratio of one dollar ($1.00) of appropriated game and fish funds to not less than three dollars ($3.00) of federal funds.

(b)  The amounts appropriated under subsection (a) of this section to the state shooting complex account shall only be expended through additional action of the legislature for the siting and construction of the Wyoming state shooting complex. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining in the account shall revert to the accounts from which they were appropriated, unless otherwise provided, on June 30, 2026.

(c)  As used in this section, "ARPD" means American Rescue Plan Act direct funds, which are any unexpended, unobligated funds received by the state of Wyoming through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established under section 602 of title VI of the federal Social Security Act, as created by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117‑2. "ARPD" shall not include expenditures authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117‑2, section 602(c)(1)(C) for revenue replacement for the provision of government services to the extent of the state of Wyoming's reduction in revenue.

Section 4.  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.

Senate File 166 proposes to help fund a border wall in Texas and to help ship migrants around.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0166

Border wall and sanctuary city transport.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Hicks, Kinskey, Kolb and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Bear, Burkhart, Jennings and Oakley

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; providing legislative findings; providing an appropriation for the purpose of constructing a border wall along the southwest land border as specified; providing an appropriation to aid other states in transporting non-citizens of the United States to sanctuary cities located in other states; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1. 

(a)  The legislature finds that:

(i)  On July 10, 1890, the United States Congress enacted the Act of Admission that admitted Wyoming as the forty-fourth state in the United States of America;

(ii)  The southwest land border is the border between the United States and Mexico that includes the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas;

(iii)  There were two million three hundred seventy-eight thousand nine hundred forty-four (2,378,944) encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 by the United States Border Patrol and the Office of Field Operations. These encounters included apprehensions and expulsions;

(iv)  The amount of encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 reflected an eleven and one-half percent (11.5%) increase from fiscal year 2021;

(v)  The encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 included migrants from the countries of Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela;

(vi)  The United States Border Patrol encountered ninety-eight (98) non-citizens of the United States and the Office of Field Operations encountered sixty-seven (67) non-citizens of the United States who had records with the Terrorist Screening Dataset also known as the terrorist watchlist on the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022;

(vii)  The United States Border Patrol encountered a total of twelve thousand twenty-eight (12,028) non-citizens of the United States with criminal convictions in all apprehensions in fiscal year 2022 including apprehensions at the southwest land border;

(viii)  The Office of Field Operations encountered a total of sixteen thousand nine hundred ninety-three (16,993) non-citizens of the United States with criminal convictions in all apprehensions in fiscal year 2022 including apprehensions at the southwest land border;

(ix)  The United States Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations seized a total of six hundred fifty-five thousand seven hundred eighty (655,780) pounds of drugs in fiscal year 2022. The drug fentanyl accounted for fourteen thousand six hundred ninety-nine (14,699) pounds of the total pounds of drugs seized;

(x)  The Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation reported that law enforcement seized a total of seventeen thousand three hundred twenty-four (17,324) grams of fentanyl in 2021; 

(xi)  Five hundred six (506) migrants crossing or attempting to cross the southwest land border were reported dead or missing in 2022;

(xii)  The illegal immigration of non-citizens of the United States at the southwest land border negatively impacts the state of Wyoming's economy and places a burden on Wyoming law enforcement agencies;

(xiii)  Construction of a permanent border along the southwest land border between the United States and Mexico constitutes a public purpose and provides substantial benefits to the health and welfare of citizens of the state of Wyoming.

Section 2.  There is appropriated three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Texas for the construction or partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Texas and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall provide that the state of Texas may use not more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) of this appropriation to transport non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Texas to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for the construction of the permanent border wall along the southwest land border and the expenditures for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 3 and 4 of this act. 

Section 3.  There is appropriated two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Arizona for the construction or partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Arizona and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall provide that the state of Arizona may use not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) of this appropriation to transport non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Arizona to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for the construction of the permanent border wall along the southwest land border and the expenditures for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 2 and 4 of this act.    

Section 4.  There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor  for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Florida for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Florida to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Florida to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Florida to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 2 and 3 of this act. 

Section 5.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Senate File 178 would create a mountain lion chasing season:

The commission is directed and empowered:

(xxxiii)  To establish and regulate resident and nonresident mountain lion pursuit seasons. During a mountain lion pursuit season, a person may use dogs to pursue a mountain lion but no mountain lion shall be killed or captured.

I'm a hunter, but I find this item exceedingly odd.

A Joint Resolution supports Taiwan, which is hard to square in the same year that another bill proposes to keep the National Guard from leaving the state.  In the event of an invasion of Taiwan, which isn't a recognized sovereignty, how are going to help them? 

Granted, neither bill is law yet, but one of the supporters here is the same one that's trying to castrate the Guard.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0007

Support for Taiwan.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Driskill, Anderson, Barlow, Case, Cooper, Dockstader, Ellis, French, Furphy, Gierau, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, Kinskey, Laursen, D, Pappas and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Brown, Crago, Jennings, Larsen, L, Neiman, Nicholas, Oakley, Obermueller, Olsen, Rodriguez-Williams, Slagle, Sommers, Stith, Styvar, Walters, Washut, Western, Yin and Zwonitzer, Dn

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION in support of Taiwan.

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the United States are bonded by their shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and a free market economy; and

WHEREAS, on March 5, 1984, the State of Wyoming adopted Taiwan as Wyoming's sister state; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the United States' eighth largest trading partner, Taiwan ranks as the United States' sixth largest agricultural goods export destination and bilateral trade between the United States and Taiwan reached an estimated one hundred fourteen billion dollars ($114,000,000,000.00) in 2021; and

WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan have welcomed the resumption of high-level trade engagement and have expressed a desire to work closely together; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the State of Wyoming's eighth largest trading partner in Asia and both the State of Wyoming and Taiwan are committed to strengthening bilateral economic bonds; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relation Act in 1979 to sustain a close, bilateral relationship and to advance mutual security and commercial interests between the United States and Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, based on the principles of the United States' and Taiwan's Education Initiative in 2020, Taiwan's Ministry of Education and the State of Wyoming's Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation in 2022 to further promote teacher and student exchanges and cultural awareness; and

WHEREAS, the United States has previously assisted Taiwan in its participation with the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Criminal Police Organization and the United States will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in these and other international organizations; and 

WHEREAS, Taiwan, as a willing and contributing member of the world community, has made countless contributions of technical and financial assistance in the wake of natural disasters worldwide.

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

Section 1.  That Wyoming reaffirms its commitment to the strong and deepening relationship between Taiwan and the State of Wyoming.

Section 2.  That Wyoming supports Taiwan's participation in internal organizations that impact the global trade, health, safety and well-being of the twenty-three million (23,000,000) people in Taiwan.

Section 3.  That Wyoming reiterates its support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the United States and Taiwan including signing the United States-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement.

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 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to Wyoming's Congressional Delegation, to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Seattle, Washington.

Colorado's Democratic legislatures are about to introduce a bill there which would ban very broadly defined "assault weapons".  

Colorado is a lesson for conservatives of the Chamber of Commerce mindset.  The state was conservative but encouraged in migration for business reasons, resulting in the importation of liberals who now dominate the state. 

January 26, 2022

Yet more new bills.

Somebody better start watching the clock and calendar.

HB 259 proposes to have runoff elections where nobody achieves a majority in the primaries. 

This is a good idea.  My predication is that folks like Chuck Gray, even though that wasn't his situation, will not like it.

HB262 would have you believe that religious rights need to be restored in Wyoming, when in fact its a prophylactic bill aimed at the fear they will be restricted.  It states:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0262

Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Washut, Burkhart, Crago, Harshman and Olsen and Senator(s) Biteman, Hutchings, Kolb and Salazar

A BILL

foe

AN ACT relating to religious freedom; creating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act; providing definitions; limiting specified governmental actions that burden religious freedom as specified; authorizing claims and defenses against governmental action that burden religious freedom as specified; providing exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 9‑25‑101 through 9‑25‑105 are created to read:

CHAPTER 25

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

ARTICLE 1

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT

9‑25‑101.  Religious Freedom Restoration Act; short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act."

9‑25‑102.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this act:

(i)  "Burden" means any action that intentionally either directly or indirectly constrains, inhibits, curtails or denies the exercise of religion by government action, including any person acting under the color of state law where the action is intended for that purpose, including, but not limited to:

(A)  Withholding of benefits;

(B)  Assessing criminal, civil or administrative penalties;

(C)  Exclusion from governmental programs; or

(D)  Denial of access to governmental facilities.

(ii)  "Exercise of religion" means the practice or observance of religion, including an act or refusal to act, that is substantially motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief;

(iii)  "Government" means any department, agency, division, board, bureau, commission, council, authority, employee, official or other entity of this state or a political subdivision of this state, or a person acting under color of state law;

(iv)  "Person" means any natural person, association, partnership, corporation, religious institution or other legal entity;

(v)  "This act" means W.S. 9‑25‑201 through 9‑25‑205.

9‑25‑103.  Limitation on government action; exception.

(a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, government action, including action by any person acting under color of state law, shall not:

(i)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability;

(ii)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion more restrictively than comparable secular conduct because of any economic need or benefit;

(iii)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion more restrictively than any secular conduct of reasonably comparable risk.

(b)  Government may substantially burden a person's right to the exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to that person's exercise of religion in that particular instance is:

(i)  Essential to further a compelling government interest; and

(ii)  The least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

9‑25‑104.  Claims.

A person whose exercise of religion has been burdened in violation of this act may have a claim in a court of competent jurisdiction and may obtain appropriate relief.

9‑25‑105.  Provisions to be liberally construed.

Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize acts of licentiousness or practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the state or its laws which protect the health and safety of the public.

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

HB 264 would appropriate funds to memorialize the mining industry:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0264

Mining mural.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Conrad, Berger, Larson, JT and Sommers

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the legislature; authorizing the painting of a mural in the state capitol house chamber; providing an appropriation; providing requirements; creating a selection committee; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  

(a)  Five hundred twenty thousand dollars ($520,000.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative service office. These funds shall be used only for the purpose of the planning, design and painting of a mural in the house chamber at the Wyoming state capitol building. The mural shall depict the history of mining in Wyoming and shall match historically and artistically with the Allen True murals that are currently in the house chamber.

(b)  The legislative service office, with assistance from the Wyoming arts council, shall issue a request for qualifications to commission an artist or artists to paint the mural specified in subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  A selection committee consisting of the five (5) members of the management council who belong to the house of representatives and three (3) other non-legislative members as determined by the speaker of the house, with assistance from the legislative service office, shall select an artist or artists to paint the mural using criteria established by the selection committee. Members of the selection committee who are not members of the legislature shall receive the same per diem and mileage as members of the legislature traveling to and from meetings or while in actual attendance of meetings of the selection committee and during the performance of their duties relative thereto. The state building commission shall approve of the process to affix the mural required under subsection (a) of this section to the house chamber wall, pursuant to W.S. 9-5-106(e), before any alteration is made to the house chamber under this section.

(d)  The funds appropriated in subsection (a) of this section shall not be transferred or expended for any purpose other than for the planning, design and painting of the mural required by subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e), 9-4-207(a) or any other provision of law, the funds appropriated in subsection (a) of this section shall not lapse or revert until the mural required by subsection (a) of this section is complete.

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

HB 267 would illegally grant the State of Wyoming a right of first refusal that it hasn't paid for, thereby perpetuating an adverse condemnation on entire state, in instances when somebody wants to sell property to the Federal Government.  This bill, which won't ever take effect as its illegal, states:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0267

Conveyances to United States-right of refusal by state.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Knapp

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to property; granting the state of Wyoming the right of first refusal for real property conveyances to the United States and federal agencies; specifying conditions for the purchase of property by exercising the right of first refusal; specifying duties for property owners and the board of land commissioners; providing a continuous appropriation; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 34‑1‑158 and 36‑2‑111 are created to read:

34‑1‑158.  Conveyances to the United States; right of first refusal to state; landowner notices; requirements.

(a)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Board" means the board of land commissioners;

(ii)  "Director" means the director of the office of state lands and investments;

(iii)  "Property" means all interests in real property and shall include land, mineral rights and water rights;

(iv)  "United States" means the United States, the federal government and any agency or office of the federal government.

(b)  The state of Wyoming shall have the right of first refusal for any sale, grant or award of property to the United States.

(c)  Before entering into an agreement or contract to sell or otherwise grant property to the United States, the owner of the property shall, not less than forty‑five (45) days before entering into the agreement or contract, provide notice in writing to the director and the board that includes notice of the purchase agreement or contract, details of the property to be conveyed in the agreement or contract, the appraised value of the property if known and the agreed‑upon purchase price for the property.

(d)  Not later than thirty (30) days after receiving a notice from a property owner under subsection (c) of this section, the board shall, through the director, respond to the notice by:

(i)  Declining to exercise the right of first refusal granted in subsection (b) of this section; or

(ii)  Declaring that the board intends to exercise the right of first refusal on the property and purchase the property, subject to subsection (e) of this section.

(e)  A purchase of property upon exercising the right of first refusal under this section shall comply with all of the following:

(i)  The purchase price to be paid for the property shall not exceed the amount offered by the United States for the property or, if the property is to be granted or donated to the United States without consideration, the fair market value of the property. The board may negotiate with the property owner to purchase the property at a lower price than the maximum price specified in this paragraph;

(ii)  The purchase shall be made from funds appropriated in subsection (f) of this section or from another legislative appropriation;

(iii)  Not later than ten (10) days after exercising the right of first refusal under this section, the director shall report to the joint appropriations committee on the property to be purchased and the known or estimated purchase price;

(iv)  Upon completing the purchase, the land shall be managed by the board as state lands as defined by W.S. 36‑1‑101. The board may take any action in managing property purchased under this section as authorized by statute, including selling, leasing or exchanging the land in accordance with law.

(f)  There is continuously appropriated to the board from any unexpended, unobligated funds in the legislative stabilization reserve account an amount not to exceed the purchase price of property specified in paragraph (e)(i) of this section. Before expending funds appropriated in this subsection, the board shall report to the joint appropriations committee as required by paragraph (e)(iii) of this section. The board shall not expend funds from the continuous appropriation if other appropriated funds are available for the purchase of the property under this section.

36‑2‑111.  Right of first refusal of conveyances to the United States; duties of board.

The board shall review all notices of property conveyances to the United States that the board receives under W.S. 34‑1‑158 and shall respond to each notice in accordance with W.S. 34‑1‑158.

Section 2.  W.S. 36‑3‑102 by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:

36‑3‑102.  Duties generally.

(e)  The director shall receive all notices of property conveyances to the United States under W.S. 34‑1‑158 and immediately forward each notice to the board for the board's consideration of exercising a right of first refusal under W.S. 34‑1‑158. The director shall offer any assistance to the board as necessary to help the board make a determination on exercising the right of first refusal in accordance with W.S. 34‑1‑158.

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

It's telling that this bill has a single sponsor.  It's going nowhere.

HB273 amends the hunting trespass bill to require that a person knowingly trespass, rather than just trespass.

HJ11 proposes to ask Congress to amend federal law to allow livestock producers to directly access antibiotics. 

January 27, 2023

More new bills

HB285 proposes to require hunters to detach landowners coupons and give them to private landowners, if they mostly hunted on private land, even if they didn't get anything.

This would effectively compensate landowners for animals that might not have been there.

An anti-historical site designation 

Today In Wyoming's History: 2023 Wyoming Legislature. Anti Historical Site Bill.:  

2023 Wyoming Legislature. Anti Historical Site Bill.

 A bill to make it more difficult to designate historical sites has been introduced in the legislature.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0281

Local government approval for historic site designations.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Storer

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to state historic sites; requiring the board of land commissioners to provide notice and to obtain consent from counties, cities or towns before making a historic site designation as specified; providing requirements; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  W.S. 36‑8‑108 is created to read:

36‑8‑108.  Designation of state historic sites; requirements.

After designation by the legislature but before any official designation is made for a state historical site when the property to be designated belongs to a county, city or town, the board of land commissioners shall obtain consent from the board of county commissioners or the local governing body of the city or town where the proposed state historical site is located. The board of county commissioners or the local governing body of a city or town shall be given not less than thirty (30) days written notice before the site is designated as a state historic site.  After notice is given and the notice period has passed, if no objection is made, consent to the designation of the historic site shall be presumed. 

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.

As this has a single sponsor, it likely will go nowhere, but its purpose is hard to understand.  Something being designated a historical site, contrary to widespread popular belief, doesn't commit private parties to anything.

I swear, the really radical populist concepts in the current legislature seemingly have no limits.

HB 276 declares shed antlers the property of the state, everywhere, and further provides:

Pursuant to this paragraph, the commission shall require a permit for the collection of big game animal shed antlers and horns on public lands. A permit under this paragraph shall be issued for no fee for residents and for a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) for nonresidents. The commission shall adopt rules necessary to issue a permit under this paragraph;

Frankly, I think the entire shed antler thing is out of hand.  People who find a shed antler in the non season are going to pick it up, much like they pick up arrowheads, even though that's technically illegal.  This makes this one of those areas where this hard right legislature actually acts contrary to their self professed "less government" mantra, much like dictating to property owners that you can't require people to wear masks in your own business if you wish to.

B'eh

HB 274 would effectively condemn the internet by declaring that the owners of private sites couldn't discriminate.

Newspapers can.

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0529

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0274

Internet freedom-prohibiting discrimination.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Hornok, Davis, Heiner, Locke, Ottman and Rodriguez-Williams and Senator(s) French, Hutchings, McKeown and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; prohibiting discrimination based on viewpoint, race, religion and location by interactive computer services, social media platforms and businesses as specified; providing legislative findings; specifying a breach of fiduciary duty for release or loss of private information; defining terms related to the prohibitions on discrimination; providing remedies for violations as specified; specifying applicability of prohibitions; specifying severability; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.  

(a)  The legislature finds that:

(i)  Interactive computer services and companies are similar to common carriers, are affected with a public interest, are central public forums for public debate and have enjoyed governmental support in the United States;

(ii)  Interactive computer services and companies may owe a fiduciary duty to their users;

(iii)  Interactive computer services and companies appear to be increasingly censoring expression on their services and platforms based on the point of view of the person making the expression;

(iv)  In Hudgens v. NLRB, 424 U.S. 507 (1976), the United States Supreme Court has recognized that statutory or common law may, in some situations, extend protection or provide redress against a private corporation or person who seeks to abridge the free expression of others;

(v)  The laws of the several states and of the United States already protect against obscene, violent, harassing and other dangerous expression.

Section 2.  W.S. 40‑12‑801 through 40‑12‑805 are created to read:

ARTICLE 8

DISCRIMINATION BY INTERACTIVE COMPUTER SERVICES

AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

40‑12‑801.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this article:

(i)  "Censor" means to block, ban, remove, deplatform, demonetize, de‑boost, restrict, deny equal access or visibility to or otherwise discriminate against a person;

(ii)  "Expression" means any words, music, sounds, still or moving images, numbers, video or perceivable communication;

(iii)  "Free speech state" means any state or territory of the United States or the federal government that protects expression from censorship by interactive computer services based on the viewpoint, race or religion of a person or of a person's expression;

(iv)  "Identifiable private information" means private information that may reasonably be expected to be associated with a user or could reasonably be associated with a user;

(v)  "Interactive computer service" means any information service, system or access software provider that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server. "Interactive computer service" includes networks, websites and a service or system that provides access to the internet including systems operated or services offered by libraries or educational institutions. "Interactive computer service" does not include an internet service provider;

(vi)  "Internet service provider" means any entity that provides internet access services and that may also provide associated internet services, such as internet transport, encryption, account security services, email hosting services, web hosting services, domain services, data storage services, intranet services and cloud‑based solutions;

(vii)  "Private information" means information acquired by an interactive computer service or social media platform from any user who has not expressly given prior authorization for the release or disclosure of the information, including its specific content, form or recipient of the information;

(viii)  "Receive" means to read, hear, look at, gain access to or otherwise receive;

(ix)  "Share" means to speak, sing, publish, post, upload, transmit, communicate or otherwise share;

(x)  "Social media platform" means any information service, system or access software that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server and that allows a user to publish or share expression with other persons. "Social media platform" does not include an internet service provider;

(xi)  "Unlawful expression" means expression that is unlawful under federal or state law;

(xii)  "User" means a person who shares or receives expression through an interactive computer service.

40‑12‑802.  Interactive computer services; discrimination prohibited; applicability.

(a)  No interactive computer service shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression from another person based on:

(i)  The race, religion or viewpoint of any user or other person; or

(ii)  The viewpoint presented in any user's or other person's expression.

(b)  No interactive computer service shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression based on the user's residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state.

(c)  The prohibitions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply:

(i)  Whether the viewpoint is expressed on an interactive computer service or elsewhere;

(ii)  Only to an interactive computer service that:

(A)  Functionally has more than twenty million (20,000,000) active users within any thirty (30) day period;

(B)  Functionally has more than one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) active users within one (1) calendar month.

(iii)  Only to protect:

(A)  A user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state;

(B)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression, sharing or receiving occurs in this state;

(C)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with or received from any other free speech state; and

(D)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with, or received from, any other state or territory of the United States that is not a free speech state.

(d)  This article shall not be construed to:

(i)  Subject an interactive computer service to any action or require a remedy from an interactive computer service for which the interactive computer service is protected under state or federal law;

(ii)  Prohibit an interactive computer service from censoring any expression that it is specifically authorized to censor under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(iii)  Prohibit an interactive computer service from censoring an unlawful expression.

(e)  This chapter shall not apply to an interactive computer service that:

(i)  Has been available to users for not more than twelve (12) months; or

(ii)  Is engaged primarily in its own expression and that allows users to comment on its expression, provided that the commentary or ability to comment is merely incidental to the expression.

40‑12‑803.  Interactive computer services; remedies; procedures; fiduciary requirements.

(a)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any interactive computer service for a violation of this article by an interactive computer service against the user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(b)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any person who aids or abets a violation of this article by an interactive computer service against that user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the courts of Wyoming may exercise personal jurisdiction over any interactive computer service subject to an action initiated under this section or any person alleged to have aided or abetted a violation of this article to the maximum extent permitted by the United States constitution and Wyoming constitution.

(d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any user initiating a civil action pursuant to this section shall have the right to a jury trial.

(e)  The court may hold an interactive computer service or a person in contempt if the interactive computer service or person fails to promptly comply with any order issued under this section. The court may use all lawful measures to secure immediate compliance, including daily penalties sufficient to secure immediate compliance.

(f)  Any loss, release or distribution by an interactive computer service of personally identifiable information or private information that has been collected by the interactive computer service and not released or distributed by the user or for which the user has not consented to the release shall be deemed a breach of fiduciary duty and shall be subject to any remedy or recovery authorized by law. For any intentional or reckless loss, release or distribution by an interactive computer service of identifiable private information, the court shall award to a person whose information is lost, released or distributed as damages treble damages or one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), whichever is greater.

40‑12‑804.  Social media platforms; discrimination prohibited; applicability.

(a)  No social media platform shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression from another person based on:

(i)  The race, religion or viewpoint of any user or other person; or

(ii)  The viewpoint presented in any user's or other person's expression.

(b)  No social media platform shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression based on the user's residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state.

(c)  The prohibitions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply:

(i)  Whether the viewpoint is expressed on an interactive computer service or elsewhere;

(ii)  Only to a social media platform that:

(A)  Functionally has more than twenty million (20,000,000) active users within any thirty (30) day period;

(B)  Functionally has more than one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) active users within one (1) calendar month.

(iii)  Only to protect:

(A)  A user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state;

(B)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression, sharing or receiving occurs in this state;

(C)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with or received from any other free speech state; and

(D)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with, or received from, any other state or territory of the United States.

(d)  This article shall not be construed to:

(i)  Subject a social media platform to any action or require a remedy from a social media platform for which the social media platform is protected under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(ii)  Prohibit a social media platform from censoring any expression that it is specifically authorized to censor under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(iii)  Prohibit a social media platform from censoring an unlawful expression.

(e)  This chapter shall not apply to a social media platform that:

(i)  Has been available to users for not more than twelve (12) months; or

(ii)  Is engaged primarily in its own expression and that allows users to comment on its expression, provided that the commentary or ability to comment is merely incidental to the expression.

40‑12‑805.  Social medial platforms; remedies; procedures; fiduciary requirements.

(a)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any social media platform for a violation of this article by a social media platform against the user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(b)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any person who aids or abets a violation of this article by any social media platform against that user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the courts of Wyoming may exercise personal jurisdiction over any social media platform subject to an action initiated under this section or any person alleged to have aided or abetted a violation of this article to the maximum extent permitted by the United States constitution and Wyoming constitution.

(d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any user initiating a civil action pursuant to this section shall have the right to a jury trial.

(e)  The court may hold a social media platform or a person in contempt if the social media platform or person fails to promptly comply with any order issued under this section. The court may use all lawful measures to secure immediate compliance, including daily penalties sufficient to secure immediate compliance.

(f)  Any loss, release or distribution by a social media platform of identifiable private information that has been collected by the interactive computer service and has not been released or distributed by the user or for which the user has not consented to the release shall be deemed a breach of fiduciary duty and shall be subject to any remedy or recovery authorized by law. For any intentional or reckless loss, release or distribution by a social media platform of identifiable private information, the court shall award to a person whose information is lost, released or distributed as damages, treble damages or one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), whichever is greater.

Section 3.  If any clause, sentence or provision of this act or its application is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other clauses, sentences or provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect without the invalid clause, sentence or provision or application and to the end that the clauses, sentences and provisions of this act are severable. It is the intent of the legislature that the clauses, sentences and provisions of this section be liberally construed to the maximum possible extent.

Section 4.  The provisions of this act shall apply to actions that may be deemed violations of W.S. 40‑12‑802 or 40‑12‑804, as created by section 2 of this act, that occur on or after the effective date of this act.

Section 5.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Completely unworkable, probably unconstitutional, and tailor-made for the law of unintended consequences. 

The good news is that new Senate bills seem to have ceased.

On a personal comment, I read, purely by accident, some comments made about a serving legislature who is very conservative and personally very honorable.  None of that stopped far right populist going after him, as they're in favor of a certain bill he is not.  An irony here is that one of the people is in the very class of people he complains about.

Calling people names, falsely, is not honorable, and frankly, it's sinful.

January 27, cont.

House Bill 68, which would have allowed video surveillance of school crossings, died over concerns about the misuse of video surveillance and automatic ticketing.

January 28, 2023

Senate File 109 banning the use, manufacture and distribution of medications for the use of abortions passed the Senate and is on to the House. It passed in a 23-6 vote, 2 abstentions.

Passed one chamber:

SF0017 Off-road recreational vehicles-safety and insurance.

SF0021 High occupancy vehicle lanes.

SF0033 Defining aircraft for purposes of hunting prohibitions.

SF0034 Trespass by small unmanned aircraft.

SF0042 Taxation of cigars.

SF0055 Chancery court vacancies-extension amendment.

SF0056 Prohibiting travel across private land for hunting purposes.

SF0068 Prescriptive easement for water conveyances.

SF0086 Voter identification-concealed carry permit.

SF0088 Hunting licenses-weighted bonus points system.

SF0091 Creation of tenancy by the entirety

SF0094 Federal Indian Child Welfare Act codification.

SF0095 Moon landing day.

SF0102 Food Freedom Act-amendments.

Senate File 109 banning pharmaceutical abortions.

SF0116 Protection of lawful commerce in firearms.

SF0117 Parental rights in education.

HB0003 State assessment of independent power producers.

HB0005 Voter registry list-voter ID and absentee ballots.

HB0007 Underage marriage-amendments.

HB0017 State lands-grazing of non-owned livestock.

HB0021 State lands-use of land qualification requirements.

HB0039 Verifying the veteran designation on a WY driver's license.

HB0067 Special license plate decals-women veterans.

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.

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

House Bill 55, election ballot order.

House Bill 71, sales tax holiday for back to school.

House Bill 68.  Video surveillance of school crossings

Prior related threads:

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

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

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