Public News Service

Although abortion access is currently legal in Wyoming, there is only one clinic performing procedural abortions and one providing medication abortions. (Adobe Stock)

WY judge expected to make decision on abortion case

A Wyoming district judge is expected to decide a case over a state law which would ban abortions with few exceptions. The "Life is a Human Right …

More than half of single parents in Wyoming earn less than $17 per hour, according to an Oxfam America report. (Adobe Stock)

More than 1 in 4 WY workers would benefit from higher minimum wage

More than 80,000 Wyoming workers would benefit from an increased minimum wage, according to a new report. Wyoming is one of 16 states where …

Wyomingites aged 70-79 had the highest voter turnout rates in every general election from 2008 to 2022, according to data from the Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock)

WY candidates address older voters in online videos

Data show older voters are an influential demographic in Wyoming elections and a new series of videos asks candidates questions specific to the group…

Despite recent increases, Wyomingites pay some of the lowest property taxes in the country. (Christopher Boswell/Adobe Stock)

WY governor to talk property tax shifts at 'TeleTown Hall'

Gov. Mark Gordon will address Wyomingites this week to detail new avenues for property tax relief. Following the pandemic, property values in …

Constructed in a Spanish-Colonial style, the Parco/Sinclair Theatre opened on June 9, 1924. (Photo by Alliance for Historic Wyoming Staff)

$2 million investment in historic theater winning over skeptics

On May 21, the town of Sinclair is hosting a free screening of the Wyoming PBS documentary "100 Years on the Lincoln Highway" at the newly restored …

Wyoming voters who participated in the presidential election of 2020 but not the general election in 2022 have likely been purged from the state's voter rolls and need to re-register with their county clerk before being allowed to vote in 2024. (Adobe Stock)

WY purged 86,000 voters, must re-register for presidential election

More than 86,000 Wyoming voters have been purged from voter rolls, thanks to a state law requiring county clerks to remove people who did not vote in …

In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that durational residency requirements violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in Dunn v. Blumstein. (Adobe Stock)

Bill for 30-day waiting period to trigger ballot access stalls

Voting is a fundamental right in American democracy, but some Wyoming lawmakers want to restrict that right to people who can prove they have been …

Nearly half of older adults surveyed said they prefer to vote at their polling place, in-person.<br />(Adobe Stock)

Older Wyomingites could decide 2024 elections

People in Wyoming aged 50 and over had the highest voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections compared with other age demographics, according to new …

A push from the community in South Cheyenne saw some success in this redistricting cycle, where more of the community was held together in fewer legislative districts instead of splitting the more predominantly Latino community among many districts. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming gets C-minus grade on voter map redistricting

Wyoming got a C-minus grade in Common Cause's new report card on gerrymandering for voter district maps drawn after the 2020 Census. Jenn Lowe - …

Grand Teton National Park's 2.8 million visitors last year added $597 million to gateway communities, according to a new National Park Service report. (Adobe Stock)

Wanted: Visions for the future of Grand Teton National Park

Imagine reaching your favorite Grand Teton National Park trail in half the time because of new pull-outs that clear traffic on arterial roads…

The historic stone barn at the Stephen George Homestead is made of limestone with visible seashell and other fossils. (Sheridan Community Land Trust Staff).

Tour Opens Up Historic Wyoming Agricultural Sites to Public

The Alliance for Historic Wyoming is hosting its next "Unbarred" tour on Aug. 5, featuring historic agricultural buildings in Sheridan County…

Wyoming is one of 31 States where utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment amid heat waves. (Adobe Stock)

Older Wyomingites Mobilize Over Utility Rate Increase

Wyoming's largest advocacy group for people age 50 and older is mobilizing its 80,000 members to let the state's Public Service Commission know what t…

Wyoming lawmakers are being asked to guarantee remote testimony during the winter session in part due to frequently dangerous travel conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Push for Virtual Testimony in Main Legislative Session

After the Wyoming Legislature's Management Council guaranteed the right to remote public testimony during the interim legislative session, good …

In 2011, coal produced 44% of all electricity in the United States. In 2022, it produced just 20% and is projected to drop to 10% or less by 2030. (Creativenature.nl/Adobe Stock)

Report: Half of Nation’s Coal Power Units to Retire by 2026

The U.S. is projected to retire half of its coal-fired power units by 2026, just 15 years after coal use for electricity reached its peak in 2011…

The current rate of species going extinct is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background extinction rates, and is accelerating because of human activity including unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and climate change. (Lucaar/Adobe Stock)

Congress Could Sidestep Endangered Species Act to Delist Grizzlies, Wolves

Congress is considering three bills that would sidestep the Endangered Species Act to de-list the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone grizzly …

Grace Raymond Hebard's second home, known as the Doctor's Inn at 318 S. 10th St. in Laramie, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the University Neighborhood Historic District. (Andrea Graham/Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Project Highlights Women Who Forged, Documented Wyoming's History

Wyoming became the first U.S. territory to give women the right to vote in 1869, half a century before the nation finally followed the Cowboy State's …

Over the past 50 years, the population of pygmy rabbits in Wyoming has declined by 69% (Serikbaib AdobeStock)

Groups Call on U.S. Fish and Wildlife to Prevent Pigmy Rabbit Extinction

On Monday, conservation groups submitted a petition calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered …

The 163 billion cubic feet of lost methane on public lands represents enough wasted natural gas to meet the needs of 2.2 million households; nearly as many households as New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming combined, studies show. (Adobe Stock)

Report: $500 Million Gas Lost at Oil and Gas Fields on Public Lands

Oil and gas operators waste a half billion dollars worth of natural gas on public lands every year, according to a new report. Chad Franke, …

The Glen Canyon Dam currently generates energy for nearly six million households in Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. (Adobe Stock)

Falling Lake Powell Water Levels Put Wyoming Hydro Power at Risk

Part of the deal Wyoming struck for sending its water down the Colorado River was that state residents would be able to tap electricity generated at G…

Senate File 40 aims to hold federal and state political action committees to the same standards. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Legislature Tackles Election Integrity

Election integrity has emerged as a top concern for Wyoming lawmakers gathered in Cheyenne, but it remains unclear what priorities will emerge from …

Last March, Wyoming lawmakers passed a law that would ban abortions in most cases if the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, which the high court did in June. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Supreme Court Sends Suit Over Abortion Ban Back to District

The Wyoming Supreme Court has decided it will not weigh in on a lawsuit that has temporarily halted a ban on abortions in the state. Citing a state …

In 2021, volunteers drove or flew 42 injured raptors 9,583 miles and donated more than 165 hours of their personal time to help wild birds rehabilitate. (Adobe Stock)

Teton Raptor Center Nears Historic Restoration Goal

The Teton Raptor Center was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help the site become a year-round de…

Lemley Mill is part of the 30-square-miles South Pass Historic Mining Area, part of the traditional homelands of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Eastern Shoshone Nations. (Historicorps/BJ Klophaus)

Volunteers at Work on Lemley Mill, Miner’s Delight Saloon

Volunteers have set up camp and are hard at work on the historic Lemley Mill in Wyoming's South Pass Historic Mining District, where the Red Desert …

Communities from across Wyoming are offering tours, pamphlets, hands-on workshops, clean-up days and more to help raise awareness of preservation efforts in local communities.<br />(Adobe Stock)

WY Governor to Mark May as Historic Preservation Month

On Thursday, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is expected to sign a proclamation declaring May of 2022 Historic Preservation Month, part of a national …

New voter maps, based on data collected in the 2020 census, can have profound impacts on how federal and state funds are distributed for education, health, veterans and other programs. (Adobe Stock)

New Voter Maps Advance in Wyoming Legislature

The Wyoming Legislature is getting closer to finalizing new voter district maps. The new 62-31 Plan, which would add one new Senate and two new House …

Wolves have not been protected by the federal Endangered Species Act since 2011, when Congress carved out an exemption for the wolf populations of Montana and Idaho. (Adobe Stock)

Yellowstone Wolf Kills in MT, WY Pose Economic Risks

New Montana hunting regulations could have a direct effect on Wyoming businesses relying on visitors to Yellowstone National Park. At least 21 of …

New voter maps can impact how public schools operate through school board elections. (Adobe Stock)

WY Panel to Deliver New Voter District Maps to Legislature

Advocates for Wyoming's Latino communities welcomed the latest voter redistricting maps advanced last week. The 62-31 plan, which is expected to be …

Since 2015, right-wing extremists have been involved in 267 plots or attacks, with 91 fatalities. (Adobe Stock)

ADL CEO: A Year Later, American Democracy Not Guaranteed

It has been a year since demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to change the official outcome of the 2020 presidential election…

Wyoming's new voter districts are expected to impact how the state addresses falling fossil-fuel revenues, Medicaid expansion, and how local school boards shape public education. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Voters Urged to Give Feedback on New Voter District Maps

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming lawmakers sort through new 2020 census numbers to update voting districts, watchdog groups are encouraging all residents …

The most recent major renovations to Cheyenne's Union Pacific Depot were completed in 2006. The building now ishome to the Cheyenne Depot Museum. (Adobe Stock)

Saving More of Wyoming’s Older Buildings Could Boost Local Economies

RIVERTON, Wyo. - Community and economic-development leaders are gathering in Riverton this week for the 2021 Wyoming Working Together Conference…

New state electoral district maps can impact how local public schools operate through school board elections. (Adobe Stock)

Watchdog Groups Work to Prevent Gerrymandered New Voting Districts

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Now that 2020 census numbers are in, groups in Wyoming are working to help voters keep an eye on lawmakers as they draw new voting-…

Advertising curtains, such as this one inside Kearney Community Hall, are common in community halls as stage backdrops, and were used to raise funds through local businesses paying to have ads. (Andrea Graham/Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Historic Community Halls Open Doors for Tour, Potlucks, Pie Auctions

BUFFALO, Wyo. -- The doors of five historic community halls across Johnson and Sheridan counties were opened this past weekend for 15 people curious …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

Women make up half of Wyoming's population, but just 18% of the state's legislators. (Charlie Riedel)

Wyoming Legislators to Tackle Election Redistricting

CASPER, Wyo. - Wyoming lawmakers are beginning the process of redrawing boundaries for state legislative districts today, which will determine which …

A recent national survey from the Surgo Foundation found that Wyoming has the third-highest proportion of COVID-19 skeptics in the nation. (van3ssa/Pixabay)

Wyoming Behind Most States in COVID Vaccine Distribution

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Wyoming ranks among the bottom of states for COVID vaccination rates, and state health officials are encouraging all eligible …

Every dollar paid out to retirees in Wyoming creates an estimated $1.12 in economic activity. (Pixabay)

Closing Wage Gap Would Boost Retirement Security for WY Women

LARAMIE, Wyo. - Women in Wyoming earn just 70 cents for every dollar a man makes, and that wage gap plays a deciding role in how and when women can …

If House Bill 11 becomes law, oil and gas producers would be able to claim severance-tax exemptions when prices are low, and high. (Arek Socha/Pixabay)

Critics Warn: Cutting Oil/Gas Tax Won't Increase Production

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyoming lawmakers are considering a bill that would cut severance taxes paid by oil and gas companies from 6% to 3%. Proponents …

Animals can contract Chronic Wasting Disease through prions, which persist long after an infected animal dies by eating plants in contaminated areas. (PXhere)

Critics Say Feedlot Law Unnecessary, Shortsighted

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyoming lawmakers are considering a proposal which would require a governor's order before any of the state's winter elk feedlots …

Non-resident hunters spend money at outfitting businesses, hotels and restaurants and are seen as essential for local Wyoming economies. (PXhere)

Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce Takes Deep Dive

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce is ready to get to work with eighteen newly-appointed members, including landowners, sportsmen and …

Ron Keine is one of 173 people on death rows who since 1973 have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had condemned them. (Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty)

Death-Row Exoneree to Share Experience in Live Zoom Event

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- On Tuesday, Wyomingites will have a chance to hear firsthand how Ron Keine came close to being executed for a crime he didn't commit…

Sage grouse populations have continued to decline in Wyoming. The 2020 lek count of some 19,000 birds is less than half of the lek count of over 43,000 recorded just four years ago. (Picasa/Flickr)

Converse County Oil-Gas Project Could Be Headed to Court

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Conservation groups may take the federal Bureau of Land Management to court after the agency announced its final decision on the …

Gillette has invested $200 million in a 42-mile pipeline to tap the Madison Aquifer, which is expected to supply drinking water to the city's 32,000 residents. (Vasiliymeshko/Wikimedia Commons)

Conservation Groups Decry Trump Admin's 11th-Hour Oil, Gas Moves

This article was updated with corrections on Dec. 31, 2020. GILLETTE, Wyo. -- Conservation groups are sounding the alarm as the Trump administration …

In Wyoming, 54 wolves were killed this year in trophy hunting season, with from 10 to 20 killed in livestock conflicts, out of a total population of 300. (Pixabay)

Advocates: Wolves Could Help Stave Off Disease in Elk, Deer

JACKSON, Wyo. -- The first case of chronic wasting disease in elk reported by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has reopened debate on current …

One in six Wyoming residents currently does not know where his or her next meal will come from. (Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies)

Food Bank "Leans In" to Meet Growing Demand Across WY

EVANSVILLE, Wyo. -- Food banks in Wyoming and across the nation are seeing unprecedented demand in the wake of economic fallout from the coronavirus …

Wolves are considered a keystone species whose presence on landscapes helps regulate deer and elk grazing and improves ecosystem health. (Jospeh Almendarez/Pixy)

Groups Challenge Wolf Delisting, Point to Lack of Scientific Evidence

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Western wolf advocates have filed official notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its decision to …

By the time all votes are processed and officially certified, the United States could top 150 million voters in the 2020 general election, which would be the largest turnout of eligible voters since 1908. (League of Women Voters of California)

WY Group Working to Make Sure All Votes Count

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the ACLU has filed 14 lawsuits to ensure that all eligible voters in Wyoming and …

A 2011 AARP survey shows 90% of adults age 65 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. (Marzena P/Pixabay)

Weighing the Costs of Cutting Home-Care Services

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming lawmakers wrestle with a staggering $750 million budget deficit, the state's largest advocacy organization for people …

A Wyoming law currently requires public pensions for firefighters, teachers and other public-sector workers to be 100% funded before any cost-of-living increases can be approved. (Pixabay)

Public Retirees Want WY Lawmakers to Follow OK Lead on Inflation Adjustment

Correction: Vicki Swenson is the president of Wyoming Education Association-Retired, rather than the past president of Wyoming Education Association…

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WY: Civic Engagement & Voting