Wyoming Freedom Caucus

Gov. Mark Gordon talked about the budget session, Wyoming Freedom Caucus and the tech future of the state.

The Legislature adjourned with a budget and over 90 new laws on the books. On this season’s last episode, WyoFile's Maggie Mullen and Wyoming Public Radio's Jordan Uplinger recap what passed, back-and-forth between the governor and lawmakers, and what happens next.

On the last day of the budget session, the caucus said the two-thirds requirement hindered their ability to fully achieve all their goals. But they said they governed well and pointed to other wins.

Hand counting ballots is less secure, less accurate and more time consuming than counting ballots using voting machines, according to studies and local county clerks. But the governor signed a new law requiring county clerks to audit 5% of ballots by hand after the primary and general elections this year.

Wyoming has a budget for the next two years! After weeks of divisive lead up, how did we get here? Plus, the House issues its report on an activist handing out campaign checks on the House floor. WyoFile's Maggie Mullen and Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clements break down the penultimate week of the budget session.

A House investigative committee presented its findings on ‘Checkgate’ this week. It found lawmakers didn’t accept bribes, but admonished members of the lower chamber to never let it happen again.

After passing in the House, the bill missed the deadline to be considered by the Senate. The state Freedom Caucus, which has a majority in the House and pushed for the ban, accused the Senate of “slow-walking” the bill.

Freedom Caucus appropriators tried to defund the radio station, but a “public outcry” against that and other reductions saw lawmakers reverse course.

Wyoming lawmakers are working to agree on the state's budget for the next two years. And they’re still plowing through a lot of other bills – and the continuing reverberations of “Checkgate.” WyoFile's Maggie Mullen and Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clements break down week three of the budget session.

The bill would hold schools liable for student damages stemming from violations of personal expression.