politics

Wyoming legislative leaders say they will delay the bulk of the 2021 legislative session until the state's COVID-19 outbreak is under control.

The Campbell County Commissioners have chosen a replacement for the late Roy Edwards. Former Campbell County Commissioner Chris Knapp will take over the term of Rep. Edwards and represent District 53 at the state legislature.

Environmental groups are hoping to see action on climate, energy, and environmental justice when President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.

The Interior Department is facing criticism for putting up barriers to conservation projects nationwide funded through the new Great American Outdoors Act.

The Legislature's Joint Revenue Committee has voted to recommend approval of a nine cent fuel tax increase to pay for highway maintenance. Wyoming Department of Transportation Director Luke Reiner said WYDOT faces a funding gap of $136 million and the tax increase would help chip away at that.

Local businesses serving the energy industry in Wyoming are expressing anxiety over expected policy changes from President-elect Joe Biden.

Cevin Iemus, owner of Land Surveying, Incorporated in Gillette, said he expects his bottom line to be greatly impacted by this election. He's thinking about Biden's potential ban of oil and gas permits on federal land. For now, Iemus expects a surge of new permits and activity to outrun those changes, "but it's going to take a quick turn and go downhill."

The constitutional amendment to remove the limit of debt municipalities can have on sewer projects has failed after Tuesday's general election.

Though the majority of votes on the issue were in support of it, those more than 126,000 votes made up only 45 percent of total votes cast in the election. More than 50 percent is the threshold required to amend Wyoming's Constitution.

Wyoming voters reminded everyone that it's still a strongly red state. Republicans won the majority of races and three incumbent Democrats were defeated.

Cheyenne Republican Cynthia Lummis has won the U.S. Senate race in Wyoming. Lummis is a seasoned political figure in the state who served in the U.S. House for eight years from 2009 to 2017 and before that in the state legislature. 

Gillette State Rep. Roy Edwards has died. The Casper Star Tribune reported on Monday afternoon the 66-year-old died on that morning after a week-long struggle with an unspecified illness.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in our state, thousands of Wyomingites will be sick with the coronavirus or under quarantine orders on Election Day. That doesn't mean that they can't cast a ballot.

A University of Wyoming survey shows that Wyomingites favor the president and two other republican candidates for federal office ahead of Tuesday's election.

About a week before Election Day, as the Wind River Reservation was bracing for snow, Wyoming state Rep. Andi Clifford squeezed in some roadside campaigning outside of a community hall in Arapahoe.

"Normally we would've been inside," she said. "But we can't, so we're out here."

Former U.S. Senator Al Simpson is in stable condition after experiencing a minor stroke Monday night. His son Colin said his mother noticed a change of character when she asked him to say his name earlier that day.

Simpson didn’t respond immediately so she called Cody Regional Hospital. He was flown to Denver the next day. Colin said his father is still at the hospital receiving tests and being evaluated for any other risks. He said his father is back to his old self now.