In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we sit down with Representative Tomi Strock (House District 6) to reflect on the key outcomes of the legislative session and the issues shaping conversations across the state.  From efforts to rein in government spending to long-overdue school funding recalibration, Representative Strock shares her perspec...

Wyoming has always prided itself on independence, resilience, and opportunity. But beneath the surface of strong communities and abundant natural resources, there's a growing challenge that threatens the state's long-term prosperity: we're losing our educated, ambitious young people. We hear a lot about "brain drain." Graduates leaving for bigger c...

by Evan Blauser Medicare's History and Background At the height of the President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" and "Great Society", the idea of paying in advance for senior's medical costs was presented and passed by the 89th Congress in 1965, and Medicare came into fruition. Since their inception, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security hav...

On March 17th staff member Robert Nelson had the opportunity to sit down with KGAB host Glenn Woods. They discussed topics based on education such as Wyoming's education budget and the upcoming work of the recalibration committee. They also discussed the recent legislative session and it's most engaged legislators. 

Ever wonder what it's like to testify in front of a committee? Watch as our very own Robert Nelson testified to the Wyoming House Education committee last January. 

After months of review and mammoth change, the Wyoming legislature sent Governor Mead's budget back to him for his signature. When the governor sent it back – signed – it had more line item vetoes than ever before. The nature of Governor Mead's line item vetoes in the Wyoming budget bill created a couple of underlying themes. According to Governor ...

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free. PJ O'Rourke Choosing to expand Medicaid is like deciding to marry for the sake of a dream honeymoon when disillusionment is the likely outcome. Fortunately, seven members of the Joint Appropriations Committee rescued Wyoming from a looming and ill-conceived ...

When politicians justify handing out public dollars for private benefit, they use the word investment to spin this spending into something more palatable to voters. However, state directed spending in the economy is nothing more than economic central planning in disguise. To stop the growth in central planning in Wyoming, we must bring the state's ...

During Governor Mead's Business Forum in Cheyenne in November 2015, Dr. Robert Behn from Harvard University presented his theory on the budget cut challenge in the lead up to a discussion by a panel of legislators. Wyoming legislators must decide how to deal with a 25 percent reduction in revenue, a $155 million deficit in the education account for...

The state of Wyoming earmarks tobacco settlement funds to certain programs — and guess what. The programs cost more than the revenue they receive. As you might expect, the knee jerk reaction to this is to raise tobacco taxes to cover the shortfall. But let's take a closer look. The Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund was set up after a 1998 settlement be...