Latest news with #WyoFile.com
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Corporations Committee: Educating on election process top priority; affordable housing low priority
CHEYENNE — Affordable housing isn't likely to be studied by Wyoming lawmakers for the first time in years. Meanwhile, the topic of studying Wyoming's election processes is priority No. 1 for the Legislature's Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee this interim. The Management Council recently reduced the number of days a committee can meet from six to four, in hopes of narrowing down the focus of topics studied this interim. The chairmen of the Corporations Committee requested back the extra two days, given the heavy lift of topics the committee wants to study. The interim is the Legislature's off-season, where legislators break up into 12 different joint committees to study a variety of topics and draft legislation. This time is also spent educating lawmakers on Wyoming issues, including catching new members up to speed. The Corporations Committee is the only group that listed workforce housing as an interim topic this year. But co-Chairman Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle last week he didn't consider this a top priority for the committee. 'I think a lot of housing difficulties are caused by the way communities have chosen to regulate housing,' Case said, 'and that's an internal thing.' Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander (2025) Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander The topic was added to the committee's list because several members believed state government should play a role in addressing this issue. Using a ranked-choice voting system, Case listed it as the fourth priority. 'I'm not a heavy-handed chairman. I'm a person that believes we have to talk about things and make decisions and make your point,' Case said. 'You know, it passed the committee before — it could pass again.' Several affordable housing bills sponsored by various committees were filed in the recent legislative session, but all failed to pass the Legislature. Case said he wasn't impressed with any of the bills. Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Knapp, R-Gillette, said there's an apparent 'lack of interest' in having state government address this issue. 'And I think that's been the case for the last six years, and continues to be the case,' Knapp said. 'It's probably time to bring those (bills) individually.' Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette (2025) Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette Since legislative leadership reduced the amount of days committees can meet, it's likely affordable housing will not be addressed this interim, Knapp added. However, election integrity remains the top priority for the committee. Forty-five election-related bills were filed during the recent general session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to Only a fraction of these bills made it to the governor's desk. Case invited Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese to walk committee members through the election process in the first meeting. 'I want to let the committee have some discussion and education first before we dig into (election bills),' Case said. However, Knapp told the WTE he didn't think an education on the election process will change anyone's mind. 'I understand the idea of bringing (election machines) in and looking at them. I don't know that will necessarily change the mind of any committee member,' Knapp said. Failed election bills, including a ban on ballot drop boxes and getting rid of voting touch screens (which are only used in Laramie County), are among those that will be reconsidered by the committee, he said. Why election laws? Secretary of State Chuck Gray announced his top priorities to boost election integrity before the start of the general session. He told the media he'd work closely with lawmakers during the session to push through legislation that reforms Wyoming's election laws. There have only been four reported cases of election fraud in the Equality State since 2000, according to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. In addition, a randomized survey of 739 adults conducted by the University of Wyoming for the 2024 election year found 89% of respondents believed their county's tally of presidential votes to be somewhat or very reliable. Case said taking on the topic of revising Wyoming's current election laws is a 'waste of time.' However, amid a rise of questioning election processes across the state, he noted it's important to educate the public on this issue. 'Part of our job as policymakers is to provide a forum for people to learn and ask questions and satisfy their curiosity about this,' Case said. 'If we spent 10 hours and we didn't do a darn thing other than teach people … I don't ever look at that as being a waste.' Knapp said it's 'because of the influx that we've had of illegal immigrants.' County clerks previously testified they've caught four or five individuals who tried to illegally vote in an election, he said, and four more are being investigated. 'So it does happen in Wyoming,' Knapp said. 'I think it's important to safeguard our elections as much as we can. That's part of (the) title of our committee.' Other top priorities Management Council member Sen. Barry Crago, R-Sheridan, brought up corporate fraud issues to the Corporations Committee chairmen on Tuesday. He said this is an issue that's being reported in the news, and he asked if it was discussed as a potential interim topic, since it's currently not on the list. Case mentioned to the WTE last week that corporate fraud is an issue he wants to address, but he's holding off for two reasons. One, it's a 'big lift' to study and the next session is a budget session — meaning non-budget bills need to pass a two-thirds introductory vote in order to be considered. Two, a new federal law, the Beneficial Ownership Information Report, recently went into effect that requires companies to list their beneficial ownership. 'I think we need to understand the implications of the disclosures that will occur federally,' Case told the WTE. 'The real problem is anonymity in Wyoming, and the fact that we may have fraudulent filings. That's going to be a lot harder to do with the federal checklist.' He told the council 'it would be prudent' to gather a report from various entities and 'keep that topic open.' Public records is another top priority for Case, which is listed in the interim topic letter for the committee. His constituents have approached him with complaints about the associated fees with these requests and their ability to access public records. To view the interim topics letter, go to or visit
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cheyenne town hall hosted by Reps. Lucas, Brown and Johnson gets a little heated
CHEYENNE – Conversation got tense during a town hall hosted by Cheyenne Republican state Reps. Ann Lucas, Gary Brown and Steve Johnson at the Laramie County Library Saturday afternoon, with a special appearance by Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray. The three representatives had just finished serving in their first session with the Wyoming Legislature, which ended three weeks ago. Lucas livestreamed the event, which is available on her Facebook page, "Ann Lucas for Wyoming." During the town hall, each representative took turns explaining some of the major bills that went into law. A majority of the bills discussed Saturday were widely supported by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline Republicans that recently gained majority control of the state's House of Representatives. None of the three representatives at the town hall are declared members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Legislation discussed during the town hall included major property tax relief, a statewide repeal of most gun-free zones, universal school choice and new anti-abortion policy, which is currently being challenged in court in Natrona County, according to While most of the 60 attendees voiced their support during the town hall, a few spoke in heated opposition to some of the bills, and voices were raised more than once. The discussion on House Bill 172, "Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act," was particularly intense. This bill allows Wyomingites with a concealed carry permit to walk into most places with a concealed firearm, including K-12 public schools, public college campuses, and governmental and legislative meetings. 'Where's the proof that (repealing) these gun free zones make children safer?' asked Cheyenne resident Joe Ramirez. 'This is not the Wild West.' Suzie Meisner-Esquibel, wife of former Democratic Wyoming lawmaker and current Cheyenne City Councilman Ken Esquibel, said she was in a Starbucks 10 years ago when a woman dropped her purse with a gun in it. The firearm went off, Meisner-Esquibel said, but luckily no one was hurt. 'My question is this: Who is going to safeguard me from someone carrying the weapon?' she said. Around this point, several people began speaking at once, and Meisner-Esquibel raised her voice to be heard over the rumblings before the room was called to order. After decorum was quickly restored, the representatives noted that this legislation already went into law and will be effective July 1. During his presentation of HB 172, Brown also noted conditions and exemptions to where concealed carry is not allowed, which includes school and college events where alcohol is served and areas where firearms are federally prohibited. 'To get into the emotion of all this right now, I don't believe that's the thing we need to do,' Brown said. 'The bill is law, so let's keep it to that discussion.' Property taxes Senate File 69 provides a 25% property tax exemption on the first $1 million of a single-family home's fair market value. Critics of the bill have argued the resulting revenue loss could mean cuts in services provided by local governments and special districts across the state. Officials previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that Laramie County Fire Authority will likely face a $200,000 budget cut, and Laramie County Fire District 1 could face up to a $100,000 budget cut. However, Lucas told people during the town hall that the government is 'inflation-proof' because it collects taxes. 'As clever as our government seems to be at getting money, we're going to recover OK from this 25% cut,' Lucas said. 'This is the time for our local governments and our state government to take a little bit of a hit for the people, because we've got people who are truly hurting.' Cheyenne resident Deacon Maggard, who told the WTE that he lives in Brown's district, asked the representatives how they planned to retain young working professionals amid rising costs of child care, inflation and housing. 'What are you guys doing to, I guess, harness young professionals so that we can actually have people here?' Maggard said. 'We're bleeding people, and I know that from seeing and working with people.' Lucas told Maggard she didn't 'have a great answer' for him about retaining a young workforce. She acknowledged that there aren't a lot of high-paying jobs in Wyoming. 'And I don't know the answer to that, necessarily,' Lucas said. 'I know that we cannot sell our souls to get big business here when we do not have housing for them and we do not have infrastructure for them.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills banning ballot drop boxes, touch-screen voting machines fail in Senate
CHEYENNE — Some of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election integrity bills died Friday night after failing to pass first reading in the Wyoming Senate, including two that threatened to 'upend' Laramie County elections, according to County Clerk Debra Lee. A large number of election-related bills were filed this session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to House Bill 245, 'Pen and paper ballots,' would have removed touch-screen voting machines that have been used by Laramie County voters for decades. Lee previously told lawmakers this bill would 'upend' elections in her county. 'We've been using these for decades,' Lee said in a House committee. 'They don't know how to mark a paper ballot, I have to be honest.' Another failed bill, HB 131, 'Ballot drop boxes-prohibition,' would have created a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes. Lee and several other county clerks argued that the removal of ballot drop boxes could disenfranchise qualified electors from participating in Wyoming elections. Lee previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle she received a lot of correspondence from voters who were grateful for the ballot drop box outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex. 'They could deliver their ballot securely, they could deliver it independently,' Lee said. 'Some of them had health concerns, and they really were glad that they were able to get that ballot to us without having to come into the office.' Gray's election priorities Before the start of the session, Gray told members of the press he was working closely with lawmakers to promote his election integrity priorities this legislative session. These priorities included requiring proof of voter residency and U.S. citizenship, a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes, a ban on ballot harvesting, requiring 'true' photo ID, a ban on Zuckerbucks, improving voter list maintenance statutes and requiring hand verification of voting machines. In a January news release, Gray added four more priorities, including adding a durational residency requirement, a default to paper ballots and banning foreign funding of elections and ballot measures. The secretary of state celebrated a victory on Monday, after HB 156, 'Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications,' successfully passed the Legislature and headed toward Gov. Mark Gordon's desk. Sponsored by Wyoming Freedom Caucus chairman emeritus Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, HB 156 creates a new 30-day residency rule in order to vote in Wyoming elections and includes a requirement of proof of U.S. citizenship. 'Only United States citizens, and only Wyomingites, should be voting in Wyoming elections. Period,' Gray said in a news release. 'With the passage of this landmark legislation, Wyoming will further cement our commitment to election integrity, as the only state to require proof of citizenship for all elections, an important priority of President Trump. 'I urge the Governor to sign this common-sense, conservative piece of election integrity legislation.' Several House bills that ban Zuckerbucks and other third-party funding administrations, improve voter maintenance list statutes and prohibit rank choice voting are still making their way through the session. However, Gray expressed his disappointment over the other election bills that failed to pass the Senate. 'Despite a lot of the good work we have been able to achieve and continue to achieve, I am disappointed that seven key election integrity bills were not heard on Friday,' Gray said in an email to the WTE. 'All of these passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, were heard and passed the Senate Corporations(, Elections and Political Subdivisions) Committee, and died before they could be heard in the Senate.' Correction: This story originally said that a majority of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election reform priorities had died. Since he expanded the original list of six to 10 in January, that was incorrect. In fact, six of the 10 passed this session and are awaiting action by the governor.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills banning ballot drop boxes, touch screen voting machines fail in Senate
CHEYENNE — A majority of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election integrity bills died Friday night after failing to pass first reading in the Wyoming Senate, including two that threatened to 'upend' Laramie County elections, according to County Clerk Debra Lee. A large number of election-related bills were filed this session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to House Bill 245, 'Pen and paper ballots,' would have removed touch-screen voting machines that have been used by Laramie County voters for decades. Lee previously told lawmakers this bill would 'upend' elections in her county. 'We've been using these for decades,' Lee said in a House committee. 'They don't know how to mark a paper ballot, I have to be honest.' Another failed bill, HB 131, 'Ballot drop boxes-prohibition,' would have created a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes. Lee and several other county clerks argued that the removal of ballot drop boxes could disenfranchise qualified electors from participating in Wyoming elections. Lee previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle she received a lot of correspondence from voters who were grateful for the ballot drop box outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex. 'They could deliver their ballot securely, they could deliver it independently,' Lee said. 'Some of them had health concerns, and they really were glad that they were able to get that ballot to us without having to come into the office.' Gray's election priorities Before the start of the session, Gray told members of the press he was working closely with lawmakers to promote his election integrity priorities this legislative session. These priorities included requiring proof of voter residency and U.S. citizenship, a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes, a ban on ballot harvesting, requiring 'true' photo ID, a ban on Zuckerbucks, improving voter list maintenance statutes and requiring hand verification of voting machines. The secretary of state celebrated a victory on Monday, after HB 156, 'Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications,' successfully passed the Legislature and headed toward Gov. Mark Gordon's desk. Sponsored by Wyoming Freedom Caucus chairman emeritus Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, HB 156 creates a new 30-day residency rule in order to vote in Wyoming elections and includes a requirement of proof of U.S. citizenship. 'Only United States citizens, and only Wyomingites, should be voting in Wyoming elections. Period,' Gray said in a news release. 'With the passage of this landmark legislation, Wyoming will further cement our commitment to election integrity, as the only state to require proof of citizenship for all elections, an important priority of President Trump. 'I urge the Governor to sign this common-sense, conservative piece of election integrity legislation.' Bills that ban Zuckerbucks and other third-party funding administrations, improve voter maintenance list statutes and prohibit rank choice voting are still making their way through the session. However, Gray expressed his disappointment over the other election bills that failed to pass the Senate. 'Despite a lot of the good work we have been able to achieve and continue to achieve, I am disappointed that seven key election integrity bills were not heard on Friday,' Gray said in an email to the WTE. 'All of these passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, were heard and passed the Senate Corporations(, Elections and Political Subdivisions) Committee, and died before they could be heard in the Senate.'
