After hours of sometimes-heated debate, the Wyoming House finished voting on amendments to its version of the state budget bill. Lawmakers restored some previously cut funding for state employee pay increases, the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council.

Lawmakers are racing to mark up the spending bill that funds state operations for the next two years. Once the House finishes its work, the two marked-up bills will go to a Joint Conference Committee that will try to arrive at a unified bill.

Open Spaces show rundown for February 20, 2026

Week two of the budget session is when all lawmakers get their first chance to weigh in on how much, and on what, the state will spend over the next two years. Until this point, only a small group has shaped the budget. WyoFile's Maggie Mullen and Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clements break down the process, from the Senate's Big Beautiful Amendment to the House's late nights and tense debates. They've got the latest on Checkgate, too.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver Democrats' response on Tuesday following President Trump's State of the Union address.

For decades, rising home prices have been an engine for middle-class wealth. Now a growing movement wants to slow — or even reverse — that trend. Are the politics around new housing development inherently stacked against them?

The woman has no criminal record and is unsure what prompted the threat of removal. She fears being deported to Iran given her father's military service and her Christian faith.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, and the fighting continues. Here's a look at where the war stands today.