Campus Concealed Carry Shot Down In Senate
A bill to allow individuals with concealed carry permits to carry guns on the University of Wyoming’s campus and community colleges was defeated this week by the State Senate. Those in support of the legislation say it would have made campuses safer, while those opposed to it worried about potential dangers. In this piece reported by Maggie Mullen, Wyoming Public Radio’s Caroline Ballard revisits the pros and cons surrounding the bill.
American Constitution Society Prof Has Concerns About Supreme Court Nominee
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy is the nation’s leading progressive legal organization. One of their scholars, Professor Bill Marshall from the University of North Carolina Law School, was in Laramie this week speaking at the University of Wyoming law school. We asked him to stop by and discuss Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch and why he has concerns about Gorsuch and his take on the Constitution. Professor Marshall begins by explaining how he sees things.
Despite GOP Concerns, Wyoming Delegation Still Wants To Repeal And Replace
The Republican Party hates so-called Obamacare, but when it comes to replacing the bill the party is divided over how to change the health care system. Matt Laslo reports from Washington.
Former Maine Senator Olympia Snowe On Bipartisanship And Civil Discourse
In today’s political climate it can be difficult to even talk to a neighbor or a friend about contentious issues, not to mention trying to work across the aisle within Congress. Former Maine Republican Senator Olympia Snowe has built a career on bipartisanship and now serves on the board of directors for the Bipartisan Policy Center.
On Monday she will be speaking at the Leap Into Leadership Conference in Cheyenne. As part of our series on civil discourse “I Respectfully Disagree,” she joined Wyoming Public Radio’s Caroline Ballard to talk a little about building bridges.
Citizens Climate Lobby Hopes Pitches A Conservative Solution To Climate Change
A group of conservative thinkers who are concerned about climate change are proposing an approach that they hope will encourage companies to look to reduce carbon pollution. It’s a market based solution called a climate fee and dividend. It charges a fee on industry for the amount of carbon burned and gives a dividend to consumers to help them pay for rising energy costs, which means the fee would eventually get returned to the companies. The plan is to move money around to reduce emissions and not hurt the economy. The Citizens climate lobby is pushing the proposal. A number of chapters are being developed in Wyoming and Wesley Frain is from the Cheyenne chapter. He says it should be revenue neutral.
Taking A Look At Wyoming Science Standards, Then And Now
This school year, for the first time, Wyoming kids are learning about climate change using science standards adopted by the State Board of Education. But as Wyoming Public Radio's Melodie Edwards reports, it's been a bumpy ride to get those standards passed.
A Youth Radio Investigation Of Wyoming's Role In Climate Change
Now that Wyoming’s Science Standards are encouraging kids to make up their own minds about climate change, a group of Laramie middle schoolers tackled the issue of the environmental impacts of energy development in Wyoming. We handed off the microphone to young reporters Zeren Homer and Sam Alexander.
As Shepherds See Higher Wages, Ranchers Adapt
Wyoming’s sheep industry relies on foreign labor from the Department of Labor’s H2-A visa program, which applies to agricultural jobs. When that agency raised wage requirements for sheepherders in 2015, ranchers complained that the rule change could put them out of business. But worker’s advocates argued that the new regulations were not enough. Wyoming Public Radio’s Alanna Elder met with a rancher and a shepherd near Kemmerer just after the latest round of raises went into effect.
Staying Safe In Avalanche Country
A winter storm this week brought even more snow to the Tetons. And the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort closed Tuesday because of high winds and avalanche danger. But those spiny peaks aren’t the only place in Wyoming where snow must be approached with caution. Every year Wyoming sees multiple fatalities from avalanches. All you need is the wrong combination of terrain, snow and weather, and there could be a problem. Wyoming Public Radio’s education reporter Tennessee Watson dropped in on a class studying how to stay safe in avalanche country.
