Wyoming State Representative J.R. Riggins joins us to talk about the upcoming budget session and his work on the House Revenue Committee. Riggins is back at the Legislature after heart surgery last year, and this is his first full budget session. Time is tight and decisions matter for Wyoming taxpayers. We talk about his bill to cut vehicle registr...

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...

Wyoming's workforce is changing, but many state hiring practices have not kept pace. Across public agencies, degree requirements are often used as a default screening tool, even for positions where the work can be performed just as effectively through experience, certifications, military service, or on-the-job training. In a state with a large rura...

In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we sit down with Jordan Davidson, Government Affairs Director for Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), to unpack major developments in federal marijuana policy — including President Trump's recent executive action to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.  Jordan brings a rare combination of polic...

The report finds that while Wyoming has a favorable tax climate and an emerging nuclear supply chain, building a uranium enrichment facility would require massive investment, state subsidies, and acceptance of significant environmental and liability risks. Although potential economic benefits could reach billions in investment and hundreds of ...

Silicon Valley investors, tech giants, and political allies are pushing to accelerate a new wave of "advanced" nuclear reactors, even as some companies—like Oklo—face major safety and licensing failures at the NRC. The article highlights a growing effort to weaken federal oversight in hopes of fast-tracking experimental reactors that have never bee...

This op-ed was offered to major Wyoming media outlets but not selected for publication. By David Flemming, Wyoming Liberty Group Wyoming appears on the verge of giving $100 million to BWXT for a nuclear manufacturing facility. Governor Gordon is expected to make a decision on December 15. This is likely the&n...

In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we sit down with Curtis Schube, Executive Director of the Council to Modernize Governance and co-author of a groundbreaking report from the National Center for Energy Analytics. His work takes a deep dive into an overlooked but increasingly urgent question: What happens when wind and solar facilities reach the ...

Summary: Wyoming Energy Authority has proposed a $100 million grant to support BWXT's planned TRISO nuclear fuel manufacturing facility in Gillette, WY. 1. Private Property RightsDoes this policy remove institutional barriers, so that individuals or businesses may more easily use their land, property and labor in ways that do not vio...

Wyoming Liberty Group, in collaboration with attorney and researcher Stephen R. Klein of Barr & Klein PLLC, has released a new policy study titled "No One's 'Buying' Wyoming Elections: A Candid Look at a Decade of Campaign Finance Disclosure." The study examines every Wyoming statewide and legislative race from 2016 through 2024 to answer a que...

by: Wyoming Liberty Group On August 14, at the second 2025-2026 interim meeting of the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee of the Wyoming Legislature, the members considered some draft bills from the Legislative Service Office that would amend the Wyoming Public Records Act. The committee also heard public testimony t...

by Wyoming Liberty Group What does Yucca Mountain, about a hundred miles west of the bright lights of Las Vegas, have to do with us in far-away Wyoming? A lot, as it happens. Long ago, Yucca Mountain in Nevada was proposed as the site of a permanent site to store nuclear waste, below the surface, in what is called a deep geological repository stora...

We're celebrating a huge milestone—100 episodes of Eye on the Issues!  For this special edition, host Mike Garofalo sits down with our very own President and CEO, Mandy Ludtke, for an inside look at the Wyoming Liberty Group's work and vision for the future.  Since launching Eye on the Issues in 2023, we've covered everything from school ...

In this special episode, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder joins us to talk about the biggest issues facing education in our state. From major court battles over school funding and education choice to the state's push for stronger career and technical training, Superintendent Degenfelder shares her perspective on where ...

by Wyoming Liberty Group President Trump is going all-in on nuclear power. That was the overriding message when the president recently put his signature to one of his latest moves. There was no need to read the tea leaves. The White House declared its clear intent with this announcement: "President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Usher in a Nuclear...

In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we sit down with Jenny Schucker—founder of Academy of the Winds, a Montessori school in Lander—to unpack the fallout from the recent judicial halt on Wyoming's Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Jenny shares how the ESA freeze has impacted her school's enrollment and budget, and more importantly, the families l...

In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we speak with Diane D'Arrigo of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS). This organization has worked with communities and policymakers on nuclear waste issues since the late 1970s.  This conversation explores how radioactive waste is generated through nuclear power, the types of materials it l...

Summary:  26LSO-0073v0.6 allows nuclear reactor manufacturers in Wyoming to store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) on-site, but only if the fuel is generated as part of the manufacturing process. While the bill attempts to limit what kind of fuel can be stored, the language is vague, allowing the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (N...

by Wyoming Liberty Group A nuclear accident isn't the only way a power plant can unintentionally cause radiation exposure that can harm you. Just the process of mining uranium—the essential ingredient in nuclear power—can be problem enough. The history of uranium mining in Wyoming—and radiation exposure—has proven that. Why is this important? Well,...

Summary: SF186, as considered in 2025 but not passed, allows nuclear reactor manufacturers in Wyoming to store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) on-site, but only if the fuel is generated as part of the manufacturing process. While the bill attempts to limit what kind of fuel can be stored, the language is vague, allowing the federal Nuclear Regulatory Comm...