by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile The last month of the year will be one to watch for those who are both for and against abortion access in Wyoming. The week of Dec. 11 will feature two significant court hearings and the closing of a Jackson clinic — leaving only one physical facility to provide elective abortions in […]
State Government
Posted inEducation
Tribal school officials, lawmakers sketch out performance gap solutions
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile FORT WASHAKIE—Wyoming can support tribal schools on the Wind River Indian Reservation with funds for additional language teachers and counselors, substance abuse programs, early childhood education and mental health needs, district superintendents told legislators Friday. The mental health piece, “I’m sure it would resonate across the state of Wyoming in many different […]
Posted inCourt
Age limit will soon create opening on Wyoming Supreme Court
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Keith Kautz will retire in March, but not because he wants to. “I’m not tired, I’m not burned out, I don’t feel like I’m not useful,” he told WyoFile during an interview at the supreme court building in Cheyenne. “In fact, I feel the opposite.” At 70, Wyoming […]
Posted inGovernment
Gov. Gordon’s budget proposes ‘living within our means’
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile It’s the beginning of the end of the federal funds that bailed Wyoming out of its last financial bust, according to Gov. Mark Gordon, who submitted his written budget recommendations to the Legislature on Friday and warned lawmakers of tough decisions that lie ahead in the 2024 legislative session. “The Legislature has […]
Posted inEducation
Public funds for private schools? Lawmakers advance ‘education savings account’ bill
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile A measure to create “education savings accounts” using state funds for parents to pay for costs associated with their children’s preschool education or non-public-school expenses is headed to the legislative session, despite concerns it may not be constitutional. The Legislature’s Joint Education Committee advanced the bill on Wednesday. Under the measure, Wyoming parents whose […]
Posted inLatest News
UW School of Energy Resources embarks on fourth carbon capture, storage project
The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources announced today it will lead a fourth carbon capture and storage project.
Posted inGovernment
Governor Gordon’s budget proposal starts with $20 million in property tax relief and savings
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon has introduced a budget proposal for the next two years, focusing on sustainable spending while addressing current challenges. The governor’s approach addresses the immediate challenges facing the state by making targeted investments — including expanded property tax relief totaling $20 million — while ensuring ongoing spending remains at a sustainable […]
Posted inPolitics
GOP hardliners say Gordon’s shifted on carbon. But he’s shared the same vision for years.
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile When Gov. Mark Gordon took to the dais at the dawn of the 2023 legislative session, he made few, if any, surprising remarks in his State of the State address. He called for all people to have access to affordable, quality health care. He thanked veterans and deployed Wyoming National Guard members […]
Posted inWyoming
Lawmakers reject California’s property tax system despite GOP backing
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile The Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee narrowly rejected legislation on Monday that would have implemented an acquisition value-based property tax system in Wyoming to counter soaring home values. It was the committee’s final meeting ahead of the 2024 budget session and a conclusion to an off-season mostly defined by the debate over how […]
Posted inWyoming
Skeptical public tells Wyoming ‘don’t auction Kelly Parcel’ as developers lurk
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile JACKSON—Fourth-generation Jackson Hole cattle rancher Cody Lockhart thought back to his childhood, the days when he’d select his 4-H calf from a herd out at pasture every summer. Those calves grazed a state-owned section of land in the corner of Grand Teton National Park known as the Kelly Parcel, which could soon go […]
Posted inEnergy
Wyoming’s coal plant carbon capture mandate may tap ratepayers beyond 2030
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile A panel of lawmakers has advanced a draft bill to give power plant operators eight more years to comply with Wyoming’s low-carbon emissions standard. The measure, Low-carbon reliable energy standards-amendments, would push back the deadline from 2030 to 2038. It would also exempt regulated utilities with fewer than 10,000 customers, carving out a […]
Posted inWyoming
Property tax ballot measure will slash local funding, report finds
A statewide ballot initiative would effectively halve rising property tax bills for certain residents but would slash education and local government funding. That’s according to a fiscal analysis prepared in October by the Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Revenue. The proposal, now being circulated for signatures, would exempt 50% of the assessed value for property […]
Posted inWyoming
Ban on delta-8, ‘psychoactive’ hemp substances advances to Wyoming Legislature
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile A bill to ban hemp substances with synthetic or “psychoactive” components is headed to the Wyoming Legislature, though many lawmakers agreed it’ll need more work when it gets there. “I don’t have any doubt that this is a work in progress,” said Sen. Bill Landen (R-Casper), who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee. “But I […]
Posted inLegislature
State law can stymie police misconduct inquiries. Legislators may have a fix.
by Tennessee Watson, WyoFile t’s been five years since former Albany County sheriff’s deputy Derek Colling shot and killed Laramie-resident Robbie Ramirez. Yet, because of ambiguities in state law, the agency that certifies police officers in Wyoming still hasn’t been able to access Colling’s personnel records or complete its investigation of his fitness to serve. The […]
Posted inWyoming
Wyoming Guard dedicated to ‘rooting out’ sex offenders, general says
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile Faced with allegations that the Wyoming Military Department is plagued by a culture of sexual assault and harassment and that victims are met with excuses, suspicion, hostility and retaliation, Maj. General Gregory Porter says he’s going to great lengths to “root out” offenders. “If we have predators in our ranks, they don’t […]
Posted inWyoming
Legislators want $50M to sue feds over environmental laws
by Angus M. Thuermer Jr., WyoFile Wyoming lawmakers want to earmark $50 million to sue the federal government over implementation of national environmental and natural resource laws. Lawmakers added the proposed $50 million appropriation to a draft bill — Federal land use plans-legal actions authorized — that the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee […]
Posted inEnergy
Historic rate hike inspires slew of bills to scrutinize electric utilities
Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed 30% rate hike is under scrutiny at the Public Service Commission and down the street at the Wyoming Capitol.
Posted inWyoming
Lummis backs bill to hasten federal permitting process
GILLETTE, Wyo. — The federal permitting process for Wyoming energy producers would be quicker under a bill Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis, R-WY, introduced, according to a news release Lummis’s office sent out today. The Revising and Enhancing Project Authorizations Impacted by Review Act’s provisions include forbidding filing a lawsuit based on the National […]
Posted inLegislature
Wyoming lawmakers skip crossover-voting ban fix, leave loophole intact
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile As long as voters are willing to jump through some hoops, the crossover-voting ban won’t block all attempts to change party affiliation ahead of the 2024 election. That’s according to an example laid out in a recent directive Secretary of State Chuck Gray provided to county clerks, which came to light during legislative conversations […]
Posted inWyoming
Legislative panel looks to preserve hemp while snuffing out delta-8 — again
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile Lawmakers will soon take a second pass at drafting legislation to ban hemp-derived products like delta-8 — which have similar intoxicating properties as marijuana — while preserving the state’s fledgling hemp industry. Earlier attempts at threading this needle were scrapped at a September Joint Judiciary Committee meeting in Casper as an unhappy crowd showed […]
Posted inWyoming
BLM wants low-key river recreation at Marton Ranch property near Casper
Feds call for comments on use of new public land that would boost recreation on and along the North Platte River.
Posted inWyoming
Wyoming outpaces revenue forecast by $177M
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile The funding picture for Wyoming’s state government just got a lot rosier. Driven once again by higher-than-expected mineral revenues, Wyoming enjoyed a more profitable 2023 than financial forecasters predicted, and similar forces are expanding revenue expectations for the next three years. Nearly all major state revenue streams exceeded January estimates, according to […]
Posted inEnergy
Critics make case against utility’s historic electric rate hike
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile CHEYENNE—Rocky Mountain Power officials took the stand here Wednesday to defend the company’s proposed $140.2 million rate hike — a 21.6% increase that’s sparked fear and outrage among its 144,000 customers in Wyoming. The hike would come on top of a 7.6%, $50.2 million “fuel cost adjustment,” resulting in a cumulative 29.2% […]
