Wyoming Senate

Senators are frustrated with a late-stage amendment.

Lawmakers are still discussing the details of rebuilding a new dam, as the Wyoming State Engineer's office prepares for a breach in less than three months.

Wednesday was the last day for senators to introduce bills in the legislative general session. 197 Senate Files had been introduced. That’s compared to 324 House bills.

The “Ban on cell phone use in schools” act aims to limit student phone usage during class time. The bill, supported by some educators, seeks to reduce distractions and cyberbullying, while opponents argue it undermines local control and could impact student safety.

Wyoming’s Speaker of the House and veteran of the Cowboy State lawmaking world, Albert Sommers, will be out of politics for now. This political upset in the primaries marks a larger shift in state politics – aligning more with the farther-right Freedom Caucus.

If you’ve tuned in to a livestream or sat in the gallery of the Wyoming Senate, odds are you’ve heard the dulcet voice of Randy Fetzer reading out bill descriptions to throngs of seated legislators.

On March 21st, Sen. Affie Ellis (R-Cheyenne) announced that she will not seek another term in the state Senate. Ellis was first elected in 2016 and represents Senate District 8, which includes downtown Cheyenne and parts of southwest Laramie County.

Wyoming lawmakers have had some time to rest and reflect on the 2023 legislative session. Several notable things happened this year - there were a lot of new lawmakers and the Republican party had some division between traditional Republicans and a newer, national party called the Freedom Caucus and there was a budget surplus rather than dealing with making cuts. Wyoming Public Radio spoke with the leaders of both the House and Senate to re-cap. This interview is with WPR’s Kamila Kudelska and President of the Senate Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower). Kudelska started off by asking him how he felt the session went overall.

Wyoming lawmakers are once again considering banning chemical abortions. The bill does not differ from the same one that was defeated at last year's legislative session. It targets four drugs that are used to induce an abortion in the first trimester.

Ken Decaria, director of government relations for the Wyoming School Boards Association, spoke against the bill, saying it sets "an extremely low bar."