ACTION ALERT:
Two events are taking place in Northwest Wyoming that you should be aware of:
August 2-3: the Wyoming Legislature’s Revenue Committee will be meeting for a scheduled session at Days Inn in Thermopolis. The topic is the state’s budget for the next two years. The Legislative Services Office in Cheyenne confirm this session is open to the public. After each topic the committee is considering, they open it up to public comment and input before going on to the next topic.
The committee is deciding how to trim the state budget in light of an expected $300M shortfall. We encourage you to be there to listen and comment. The list of House and Senate members who are on the committee can be found HERE
July 27-28: The ENDOW Executive Council is scheduled to meet in Cody Thursday and Friday, July 27-28.
(ENDOW: Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming). For those interested in attending, the meeting will take place in the Cody Auditorium. The Council will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on July 27th. Then from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 28th. Please see agenda ATTACHED HERE for public comment times. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be live broadcast on the ENDOW Facebook page. > – https://www.facebook.com/ENDOWyo.
This special Governor’s Council is investigating barriers to economic diversification, including:
- Broadband and Cell Service
- Apprenticeship/Mentorship/Internship
- Access to Capital
- Develop the Entrepreneur Ecosystem
- Healthcare
- Air Service
- Community Amenities
Discussion will center around the above-identified barriers that the Council sees as critical to address in the short-term in order to realize mid- and long-term economic diversification objectives. They hope to define the problem by asking the following questions: Are there market, legal/regulatory, infrastructure, technology, or behavioral/educational challenges?
We encourage the public to attend, listen, and provide input to this important discussion.
Tell your senators to change the SCOTUS nominee, not the rules
Republicans must not change long-standing Senate rules to approve the nominee for Supreme Court. Instead of changing the rules to force confirmation of an unpopular nominee, Republicans should change their nominee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee met Monday April 2 and approved Neil Gorsuch’s nomination out of committee and dispatched it to the floor. Actual debate on Gorsuch begins in the Senate on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell files a “cloture petition” to end debate on Gorsuch. By rule, cloture petitions require an intervening day before they’re up for a vote. So a vote to end debate on Gorsuch likely comes Thursday. If enough Senators vote against ending debate, McConnell has vowed to change the rules of the Senate in order to push through the SCOTUS nominee, even though there are not enough votes in support of Gorsuch.
McConnell’s rule change (known as the ‘nuclear option’) would lower the bar from 60 senators needed to break a filibuster to 51, and Republicans currently control the chamber with a 52-48 margin. This would change the Senate rules forever, just to confirm a Supreme Court nominee that does not have full support of the Senate.
Further reading from the right and left:
Politico: Who is Neil Gorsuch. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/who-is-neil-gorsuch-bio-facts-background-political-views-234437
Baptist News Global: Gorsuch views on religious freedom. https://baptistnews.com/article/gorsuchs-one-sided-view-on-religious-freedom-worry-some-while-conservatives-express-support/?gclid=CIqP1KqSi9MCFRRgfgod1ZQFWA
FOX News: What is the nuclear option. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/03/what-is-nuclear-option-roadmap-to-how-gorsuch-confirmation-could-play-out.html
CNN: The Senate is about to change forever. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/03/politics/senate-neil-gorsuch-filibuster-nuclear-option-change-forever/index.html
ACTION ALERT: Cheney plans to support the House bill known as the American Health Care Act
The House votes on Repealing the ACA (Obamacare) Thursday March 23rd 9:00am (EDT)
Representative Liz Cheney has announced she will vote for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and for its replacement with the AHCA (the proposed GOP plan) We must hold her accountable for her decision to throw health insurance into disarray, while she and her family enjoy a generous government-sponsored plan.
The proposed plan, the plan Cheney favors, makes deep cuts to Medicaid. If you have a family member in a nursing home, you should be very concerned. It will also mean huge increases in premiums for people over 60 or in poor health. We have written about the House Plan before in some detail .
Today and tomorrow, call and urge her to reconsider. On Friday, call Cheney’s Office and tell her how you feel about her vote.
Rep. Cheney contact information:
WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE
416 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2311
Fax: 202-225-3057
EMAILS: https://cheney.house.gov/contact
SHERIDAN OFFICE
45 East Loucks St.
Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: 307-673-4608
Fax: 307-673-4982
CHEYENNE OFFICE
2120 Capitol Ave., Ste. 8005
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Phone: 307-772-2595
Fax: 307-772-2597
CASPER OFFICE
PO Box 44003
100 East B Street, Room 4003
Casper, WY 82602
Phone: 307-261-6595
Fax: 307-261-6597
Town Hall Meeting with State Legislators Tuesday March 14 in Powell
A town hall meeting with David Northrup (HD 50-Powell area), Dan Laursen (HD25-Powell area), and Ray Peterson (SD19-Cowley area) is scheduled for March 14.
Northwest College Yellowstone Building auditorium
7PM, Tuesday March 14
Powell WY
Senate, congressional reps in Powell March 2nd
Representatives for Sens. Mike Enzi, John Barrasso, and Rep. Liz Cheney, will hold listening sessions at the Cody City Hall at 8:30 to 9:30 and Powell City Hall from 10:30 to 11:30 on March 2nd.
Area residents are encouraged to visit with them to discuss issues and views regarding the federal government.
Government Watch: National Legislation
GovTrack.us tracks the United States Congress and helps Americans understand what is going on in their national legislature.
Use GovTrack to research and track legislation in the United States Congress, including Members of Congress, bills and resolutions, voting records, and committee activity.
GovTrack.us is a completely independent entity which is wholly owned by its operator and receives no funding in any form from outside organizations. They have no financers, sponsors, investors, or partners, nor do they have any affiliation or relationship (financial or otherwise) with any political party, government agency, or any other outside group or persons.
GovTrack was created in 2004 by Joshua Tauberer originally as a hobby. Today it is a project of Civic Impulse, LLC, his company.
See the website at www.GovTrack.us
Government Watch: State Legislation
Alert: February 23, 2017
Notable news from the Wyoming Education Association
HB236 (School finance-omnibus education funding), which passed out of Senate Education Committee on Tuesday with MORE cuts, today passed the Appropriations Committee 5-0. Now the bill goes to the Senate floor!
Contact your Senator now, and ask them to reinstate the original language of HB236 prior to the cuts made Tuesday by the Senate Education Committee. These cuts would equal approximately $85 million for the 2017-2018 school year, and $105 million for the 2018-2019 school year.
These proposed deeper cuts by the Senate Education Committee would mean the loss of hundreds of education jobs in Wyoming. Wyoming students would suffer greatly! Students will receive less one-on-one time; programs and activities would be cut.
Contact your Senator now, and ask them to stop destroying our education system in Wyoming!
http://wyoea.org/files/2017/01/Legis-Bills-Tracking-Chart-2017-2-24-17.pdf
The Wyoming Education Association has posted a summary of 2017 Legislative Bills they are tracking. Follow the link above to view the bills, their status, and summary of each. Access their full webpage at http://wyoea.org
Tell your state Senator to support HB276 – Vote happens Feb 16
You have an opportunity to express your support for good government and transparency in the Wyoming State Legislature. Please contact your Senator to let them know you support HB 276 – Recording legislative and other meetings.
Currently, it can be difficult for citizens to track activities during the interim between legislative sessions, when meetings occur across the state and happen during business hours. HB 276 would help to address these challenges by posting recordings of interim legislative meetings online, making them equally accessible to everyone. Furthermore, the archives of these recordings will be a powerful resource to inform future conversations with legislators.
The Wyoming Outdoor Council, supports this bill because it helps the public to access these important public policy discussions!
HB 276 will be heard tomorrow morning in the Senate Corporations Committee at 7:30 a.m. We hope you will join us in support of this bill! Reach out to the committee and then to your own Senator tonight or early tomorrow morning, if you can.
My apologies for this late notice—sometimes we find out about these meetings with a tight turnaround. Let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Steff Kessler, director of external relations
The Wyoming Outdoor Council
Contact info for Members of Congress – both State and Federal.
Find the people who claim to represent you. Build relationships with them and let them know what you think about the issues they face.
These are links to our US Senators and Representative’s official webpages. Read them. Bookmark them. Notice if they have offices and staff in your town. Bookmark these names and addresses because you must start calling and writing to them.
– https://cheney.house.gov Representative Liz Cheney began her first 2-year term in 2017. She will have to run again in 2019.
– http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/ Senator John Barrasso began his current 6-year term in 2012. He is up for re-election in 2018
– http://www.enzi.senate.gov/public/ Senator Mike Enzi began his current 6-year term in 2014. He is up for re-election in 2020.
In addition here is a link to a PDF list of all Wyoming State Representatives and Senate Members. Find the people who represent your district and note their addresses and phone numbers. You should be calling them too.
– http://legisweb.state.wy.us/…/App_Th…/LSO/PDFContactInfo.pdf
OUR VOICE FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS NEEDS TO BE HEARD IN CHEYENNE TODAY!
February 8, 2017
Notable news of the day –
SENATE VOTES TO CUT $91+ MILLION FOR 2017-18 SCHOOL YEAR!
During second reading of the Senate Budget Bill (SF 1), the Senate adopted an amendment that would cut $91+ million from the 2017-2018 school year.
This type of blanket cut is without rational basis, therefore doesn’t meet the Constitutional mandate set by the Wyoming Supreme Court.
Contact your Senator now, and ask them to bring a third-reading amendment to reinstate these unprecedented cuts. You have until 5 p.m. Thursday to contact your Senator.
Monday Feb 6: Senator Enzi’s Cody Office
Photo above: The Wyoming Rising members at Senator Enzi’s Cody Office delivering a petition
Our next action will be the delivery of a petition to Senator Enzi opposing the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary. We will be gathering at 10 a.m. TOMORROW (Monday Feb 6) at Enzi’s office on the 2nd floor of the Sheridan Building in downtown Cody (the building with the white buffalo on the sidewalk). The more the merrier !
Week Three Update
There are now so many issues to face that we might need to bundle our messages. Use the following script ( customize to reflect your urgent concerns).. Continue to call every day.
“Good Morning, may I please speak to (fill in the blank) (leave messages with the secretary if you do not get through.)
For calls to DC:
“Please support and protect, The Arts, Planned Parenthood, The Environment and The Affordable Health Care Act. I am against Pruit, Sessions, and Devos, and putting Bannon on the National Security Council. Thank you for listening to my concerns. ”
Senator Enzi (202) 250-1879
Senator Barrasso (202) 224-6441
Representative Cheney (202) 772-2595
For calls to Cheyenne:
“Please support and protect public education, public lands, clean water and air, funding for alternative energy, a woman’s right right to manage her own pregnancy, and equal rights for LGBT people.”
Senator Hank Coe (307) 587-4655
Representative Scott Court (Cody) (307) 250-8540
Representative David Northrup (Powell) (307) 272-0617
Representative Dan Laursen (Powell) 754-9805
Week of Jan 30–Feb 3.
Cabinet Nominees to be confirmed
This week, Senate hearings to confirm Trumps Cabinet nominees are scheduled. Two in particular are of concern to Wyoming citizens. Please call Senators Barrasso and Enzi in protest of these nominees.
Scott Pruitt
Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt has been nominated to be administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Pruitt’s career reflects an extreme antagonism to the very agency the president wishes him to head. Mr. Pruitt’s Senate confirmation hearing was marked by him misleading senators, refusing to disclose energy companies from whom he solicited donations, and evading questions that prompted a scathing rebuke from environment committee senators.
Read this article from the Natural Resource Defense Council: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/john-walke/trump-epa-nominee-answers-senators-contempt-and-extremism?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=socialmedia
Betsy DeVos
Billionaire and lobbyist Betsy DeVos is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education. DeVos has no professional experience in public schools, but she has lobbied for decades to expand charter schools and taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and religious schools. She has said her mission for education is, “… to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”
Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/betsy-devos-christian-schools-vouchers-charter-education-secretary
Get to know your Members of Congress – both State and Federal.
Find the people who claim to represent you. Build relationships with them and let them know what you think about the issues they face.
These are links to our US Senators and Representative’s official webpages. Read them. Bookmark them. Notice if they have offices and staff in your town. Bookmark these names and addresses because you must start calling and writing to them.
– https://cheney.house.gov Representative Liz Cheney began her first 2-year term in 2017. She will have to run again in 2019.
– http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/ Senator John Barrasso began his current 6-year term in 2012. He is up for re-election in 2018
– http://www.enzi.senate.gov/public/ Senator Mike Enzi began his current 6-year term in 2014. He is up for re-election in 2020.
In addition here is a link to a PDF list of all Wyoming State Representatives and Senate Members. Find the people who represent your district and note their addresses and phone numbers. You should be calling them too.
– http://legisweb.state.wy.us/…/App_Th…/LSO/PDFContactInfo.pdf
March 9, Governor Mead held a noon ceremonial signing of the Wyoming Indian Education for All legislation. Great Western at 1318 State Street invites all who wish to drop by to celebrate this event through March, with treats and free media. M-F 9-5 and Sat. 10-4. The Park County Archives displays its new holdings as it adds more Contemporary Indian Awareness media to its collection.