"A strong civil society and democracy requires its citizens be informed with the facts.” -- Patricia Harrison, CPB President and CEO
The Wyoming State Government Collaboration answers the questions: How does your government work? What does it do? How does it affect your life? What role do you play in creating a healthy and functioning state? Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Collaboration employs two reporters dedicated to reporting on Wyoming’s state government activity. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover reporting both on air and online.
The initiative stemmed from the State Government Coverage in Public Media survey commissioned by CPB and published in 2022. The survey found that while public media stations in all 50 states provide original state government reporting at least weekly when their legislatures are in session, not all states have a full-time state government beat reporter based at a public media station. Wyoming was selected from national media applicants from 19 states.
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The 2024 legislative budget session ended last month, but the impacts of the bills that passed – or died – are still being felt across Wyoming. How much do you know about this year’s session and the history of the state Capitol?
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If Ivan Posey wins in Nov., he’ll be the only Native American representative in the state Legislature. He’s running as a conservative Democrat against Rep. Sarah Penn (R-Lander) for House District 33, which encompasses part of the Wind River Reservation.
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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.
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Some tribal residents on the Wind River Reservation are concerned that a new law could allow Wyoming to take over jurisdiction of land within the reservation. But legislators say that wasn’t the law’s intent, and that tribal lands won’t be affected.
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Lawmakers packed the Capitol's historic courtroom Monday to consider possible interim issues ranging from artificial intelligence's impacts on society to abortion access, water to the affordable housing shortage.
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Secretary of State data show there are nearly 90,000 fewer registered voters in Wyoming today than there were two years ago. That's because Wyoming law requires county clerks to remove the names of voters who did not vote in the most recent general election of 2022.
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The House voted 27 to 35 against returning to Cheyenne this summer, while the Senate voted 16 to 15 in favor of the idea.
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In a combative committee hearing, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) spoke in favor of a bill last week that would bar transgender athletes from competing in the Olympics.
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A bill that requires teachers in Wyoming to notify parents of changes in their students’ physical, mental or emotional health has passed into law without Gov. Mark Gordon’s signature. It also mandates educators in the state to obtain parental consent to teach classes on gender identity and sexual orientation.
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Last week Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill that would have made it legal to carry concealed firearms in public schools, hospitals and government meetings across the state.