Wyoming Freedom Caucus

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.

The bill would hold government entities liable for damages stemming from violations of parental rights.

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.

A special committee will continue its investigation of checks distributed on the lower chamber floor. The speaker of the House told the body that he, too, received a check in the Capitol from a Teton County conservative fundraiser.

Wyoming Business Council funding. Pay raises for correctional officers. The opportunity for more suicide prevention education in schools. All were budget bill amendments that members of the Wyoming House killed this week.

The order applies to state-owned property, such as state office buildings and the Wyoming State Capitol Complex. It does not apply to property managed by the legislative or judicial branches, such as the House and Senate chambers.

Bills are flying and dying in the Wyoming Legislature’s budget session. And lawmakers haven’t even touched the budget itself yet. WyoFile's Maggie Mullen and Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clements highlight some of the biggest upsets – and an incident of checks on the House floor that’s launched investigations.

House lawmakers will begin an investigation into an incident involving a Teton County conservative activist distributing checks to members of the lower chamber on the floor.