Our membership continues to grow and we have gained statewide recognition for our advocacy.
Our goal is to have an impact on public policy, to inform our neighbors and preserve our community’s integrity. The Wyoming Rising leadership team welcomes your involvement. You may choose to pay membership dues, make a cash or in-kind donation, serve on an organizing committee, attend Wyoming Rising meetings and events, follow our online communications, or engage in a combination of these. Regardless of your preferred role, we need and appreciate your help! You may donate and/or join HERE.
Year in Review
During 2022, Wyoming Rising organized and sponsored several events, we shared information about actions and volunteer opportunities that can make a difference in our world. We continue to publish a monthly newsletter, track the Wyoming Legislature, and encourage our community to campaign for their favorite candidates. Here’s a look at the many ways Wyoming Rising is making a difference in our community.
January through March
We continue to publish guest editorials in the Cody Enterprise, reprinting them here on our website:
https://www.wyomingrising.org/2023/02/06/have-courage-step-up-speak-out/
We tracked the bills throughout the 2022 Wyoming Legislative Budget Session and shared that info through our website and newsletters. We published northwest Wyoming legislator’s contact info and encouraged our community to write, call, and visit with our elected leaders.
Our team was active in advocating for Medicaid expansion.
https://www.wyomingrising.org/2022/01/10/tips-for-writing-to-your-local-legislators-about-medicaid-expansion/
In February, the first of our 2022 billboards went up in February in Cody with the pro-vaccination message: “With Freedom Comes Responsibility To Our Families and Communities.”
Billboard #5: Responsibility to Community
May through August
Our billboard campaign continued with another message: “With Freedom Comes The Responsibility To Treat Each Other With Respect.”
Billboard #6: Respect
We published ways to participate in updating the Park County Land Use Plan, the first update since 1998. We shared information from the newspapers and the county with our community.
Two members of our Leadership Team, Phyllis Roseberry and Renee Tafoya, spoke at the Park County Commissioners meeting to present the “other side” of a proposal by the group known as “The Sons of Freedom.” That group requested permission from the Commissioners to test the accuracy of voting machines by conducting a hand re-count of the more than 17,000 ballots cast in the 2020 election in Park County. Wyoming Rising’s stance is that the questioning of election integrity is a nationwide misleading narrative and a real threat to the strength of, and trust in, our democracy. The Commissioners seemed to perceive that proposal as reasonable, but Wyoming Rising pointed out that our County elections are safe, and that a recount would sow distrust in our local elections and inject false narratives into our media and community. We oppose allowing a recount which would provide legitimacy for controversial views. Ultimately, the recount was denied.
September through December
Our members were active with weekly canvassing for their favorite candidates for Wyoming House and Senate.
Wyoming Rising hosted a Red/Blue workshops in Cody and Powell. 5-8 Republican-leaning citizens (“Reds”) and 5-8 Democratic-leaning citizens (“Blues”) gathered for a day of structured conversations. These workshops invite local leaders from different ages, professions and political affiliations. The invited participants are equally balanced between Republicans and Democrats, they’re encouraged to discuss their viewpoints without being defensive or persuasive. The workshops also take participants through training and activities designed to help them learn how to discuss viewpoints and understand differing viewpoints.
https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/braver-angels-brings-their-brand-of-political-discourse-to-wyoming,43595?
We printed and mailed postcards to 1663 households in Cody and 1114 households in Powell advocating for quality education for our children. We recommended several candidates for school board and provided voter information about where and when to register and vote.
We worked with Healthy Wyoming to organize for expanding Medicaid which would provide healthcare access to 24,000 of our uninsured neighbors. This included direct lobbying by our members as well as sharing information and legislator’s contact info on our website. We participated in statewide planning to prepare our efforts during the 2023 Legislative session.