politics

Former U.S. Senator Al Simpson passed away Friday in Cody. Former U.S. Senator Al Simpson died on March 14, in Cody at the age of 93. Born in Denver and later living in the Cody community, Simpson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978. He served in that role for 18 years.

Between the Freedom Caucus’ first session holding a majority in the House and the Senate tanking a supplemental budget, the general session of the 68th Wyoming Legislature was a whirlwind. Our team shares highlights – and what happens next.

As the Wyoming Legislature adjourns, we’re taking another look at the interplay between the three branches of government. What happens with the stack of passed legislation on the governor's desk really brings those checks and balances into focus.

With the end of the 2025 legislative session in sight, Wyoming lawmakers were hit with a surprise. In an unprecedented move, Senate leadership announced there would be no supplemental budget, upsetting the governor and sending lawmakers scrambling to figure out alternative ways to fund their priorities.

Lawmakers — and the public and press — have had their hands full tracking some 555 pieces of legislation this session. For some, all those bills present more opportunities for the best ideas to win. For others, the sheer quantity makes it hard to shape well-thought-out policies.

The talks include lawyer Nadine Strossen discussing free speech, Martín Carcasson on solving “wicked” problems with deliberation and physicist Paul Steinhardt on the debate around his theory for the formation of the universe.

The Wyoming Legislative Service Office (LSO) helps support Wyoming's lawmakers by drafting bills, conducting legal and policy research, offering fiscal analysis, and providing IT support. The LSO also trains newly elected legislators and offers ongoing education for committee chairs and those in leadership roles.

The Wyoming Legislature has passed the halfway point in its 40-day general session. To mark the occasion, three WyoFile and three Wyoming Public Radio reporters share moments that feel emblematic of the attitudes and energy of the session so far.

As the Legislature nears the halfway point of the general session, bills are starting to drop like flies. The carnage is exposing some fault lines between freshman and veteran lawmakers over both the content of the bills, and the lawmaking process itself.

Lawmakers are in the midst of deciding how much the state should spend on programs that impact people's lives across Wyoming — from wildfire recovery to energy projects to support for vulnerable children. We compare what the governor recommended against what lawmakers cut, and where things go from here.