The Open Range Record: Wyoming's Independent News Source
The Open Range Record is an independent Wyoming news outlet delivering original reporting on Wyoming politics, the Wyoming Legislature (House and Senate), state government, investigative reports, ranching and rural life, frontier history, faith, and opinion columns.
Latest Wyoming news and reporting
- The Open Range Record Surpasses 1.5 Million Views
Behind the number are the people who make the publication possible: a dedicated staff, contributing writers and readers who care about Wyoming’s future--Wyoming people writing stories that are important to Wyoming - Pollak: Sheridan Deserves Facts, Not a Coordinated Political Smear
Harry Pollak responds: - Fmr WYGOP Chair Frank Eathorne Endorses Bextel for Governor
Eathorne says in the video, as Bextel joins him on camera. "She is a Constitution Party gubernatorial candidate. I'm voting for her because I am a principled Republican, and I know you want to save Wyoming". - Wyoming Business Council Strikes Out Again: ~$3M Building Sold for $75K
The city sought the Wyoming Business Council grant in 2019 to preserve the 1917 building at 502 South Main Street and return it to productive use. Its application described a downtown anchor that could house a restaurant, offices, or small businesses. The $2,9... - "Washington Monument Syndrome" Wyoming Style with Prop 1
By parading volunteer firefighters and sheriff deputies in front of local media cameras while leaving administrative line items untouched, county machines are executing a textbook case of malicious compliance: give us every dollar we demand, or the fire statio... - Better Deception: Better Wyoming's Misleading Politics
The Cheyenne screening, particularly with its post-film “action steps,” was therefore more than a presentation of a documentary. It also served as an opportunity for political education and organizing around a contested understanding of library policy. - Letter: Profit Sharing Could Work for Proposition 1
It's a strategy. Smart folks can work the details to provide the elegance needed in the Legislature and LSO. Either way, we can work this out so everyone wins. - The Wyoming Power and Data Center Tipping Point?
The Corporations Committee meets in Casper next week on election integrity, business-formation fraud, and a proposed $10 million to $14 million upgrade for the Secretary of State’s office. Half of the committee's legislators that were most inclined to scrutini... - Sweetwater Co Tourism Claims Wyoming Residents Don't Pay Lodging Tax
There is a factual reason to oppose this tax: it adds to the cost of taxable lodging for Wyoming families and workers. Whether a ballot measure creates a tax or renews an existing one, residents deserve to know the expense they would be approving. Calling it a... - Pacific Typhoon to a Snow Drift: How the Tropics Could Deliver Wyoming’s First Snow
A decaying Western Pacific typhoon recurving into the polar jet stream is initiating a massive atmospheric wave, threatening to pull Arctic air through Canada and combine with a Pacific low to deliver Wyoming's first measurable winter weather next week. - Barlow Supported Recreational Marijuana, Claims He NEVER Did.
Residents could legally cultivate as many as 12 mature flowering marijuana plants at their residences. It also authorized marijuana edibles, concentrates, and other cannabis products, along with licensed retail establishments selling marijuana directly to cons... - *Updated* Trump Offers Diesel Relief. Wyoming Drivers and Retailers Lack Answers.
The order contains no explicit retailer reimbursement provision for that inventory. A broader tax suspension paired with inventory credits, or customer refunds for documented clear-diesel purchases, deserves consideration. Nebraska's state agricultural refunds... - They Hope You'll Forget This 50% Property Tax Reduction Vote
Establishment lawmakers who recorded "Aye" votes for the 50 percent no-backfill bill on February 4 now argue that the exact same 50 percent relief structure in Proposition 1 is an unworkable threat to public safety, county roads, and municipal budgets. - Policy is a "damn gong show:" Barlow on Pot, Taxes and Public Lands
People think about public policy as a pendulum swinging, like politics. Well, we've turned it into a damn gong show. Everybody's making a lot of noise. What we're doing is not durable. [With] the next lawsuit or the next administration, then you're going the o... - There's a Data Center Bubble. Is Cheyenne Seeing It?
Across the country, the speculative frenzy is unraveling. Over 300 bills targeting data center regulation have hit state legislatures. State power grids like the Electric Reliability Council of Texas have paused massive interconnection queues. But, not in Wyom... - Pavey: It's Not About the Tea, It's the Taxes
Homeowners have been adjusting their budgets for years. They’ve paid more for groceries, utilities, insurance, and taxes. The government can go through its books with the same care it expects from the people paying those bills. - Lange: The Money Behind The Mailers May Surprise You
The dizzying array of pass-through PACs and charitable funds probably has you so confused that you are ready to stop reading. If you do, the operation has accomplished its objective. It is designed to scramble the circuits of even the most dogged investigators... - Iverson: Ertman's Preposterous Response
Ms. Ertman asks us to read the entire record. Agreed. Include his favorable votes. Include his explanation. Include the costs of his policies. And when reading his testimony, keep going to the conclusion. That is where Barlow told Congress he wanted Wyoming an... - The Math Behind Proposition 1: Fact Checking the Panic
In Hot Springs County, for instance, public discussions arose after officials had to trim $1.2M dollars from local budget projections. Research into county revenue sources revealed that the required reduction lined up directly with the loss of expiring federal... - WYGOP 2025 Resolution Prevents Party From Supporting Barlow
The Wyoming Republican Party’s August 2025 resolution says it will withdraw all support from elected officials who fail to support the legislation it seeks. - As AI Use Explodes, Political Labs Move to Fence in the Compute Boom
On one side, advanced AI tools offer everyday individuals the ability to build software without needing millions in corporate backing. On the other side, establishment political figures and tech executives are calling for increased federal oversight, safety pa... - It’s Not Just Iran: Why Wyoming Is Still Paying High Gas Prices
If supply tightens in one place, fuel can often be brought in from somewhere else. The Rockies do not have that luxury. There is no tanker waiting off the coast of Thermopolis. - Wyoming Lawmakers to Weigh Nine Technology Bills at September Meeting
Rather than treating privacy only as a consumer-protection issue, the measure would classify personal data as intangible property and create four levels of protection based on the sensitivity of the information. - Cole: The Ongoing Outrage of the United Nations
How can one explain the U.N. selection of Iran to a four-year term on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women? Or selecting Cuba to serve on the U.N. Human Rights Council? This is simply outrageous! - Driskill's Private Meeting with Prometheus and Radiant Lobbyist
Less than three weeks after a narrow primary victory, former Wyoming Senate President Ogden Driskill reportedly met privately in Hulett with a Prometheus Hyperscale executive and a lobbyist who represented Radiant Industries before a legislative committee. Dri... - Lange: End the Circular Firing Squad with Runoff Elections
No matter whom you supported, if you are led by your better angels, you should want to know if your candidate can garner a majority rather than slide into office with a mere plurality. The best way to end this biennial bellyaching is to have a runoff election. - Media Silence in Thayne as WYGOP Expands Court Wins
The contrast between the substantive policy actions taken in Thayne and the media blackout highlights an ongoing disconnect in state political reporting. Throughout the spring and summer, legacy outlets dedicated extensive coverage to party disputes and proced... - Editorial: President Trump Can't Veto the First Amendment
Trump can dispute a story, produce contrary evidence, and demand a correction. If it’s defamation, test it in court. Throwing out three news outlets because he thinks they’re fake news is wrong. - WY Vehicle Registration Taxes Drive Down New Car Sales
Because Wyoming's tax formula permanently anchors every assessment to the vehicle's original factory sticker price rather than its current market value, rapid auto inflation over the past decade has created a severe mathematical disparity between older and new... - Federal Legislation and Gillette Fuel Plant Reframe Wyoming’s Nuclear Landscape
As Congress considers measures to reduce administrative delays for nuclear licensing, Wyoming communities and industry stakeholders continue to assess the specific scope, material inputs, and regulatory requirements of proposed nuclear developments. - Cowboy State Daily Makes False Claims About Iverson
Miller knew before his appearance on the CSD show that the claims he was going to make weren’t, at the very least, substantiated. He said so himself. - Manufactured Panic and Regulatory Capture? Inside the Push to License and Control AI
Industry watchdogs argue that establishing a federal regulatory body, essentially an FDA for artificial intelligence, serves the commercial interests of dominant technology firms at the expense of independent innovation. - School District Silences Critics By Silencing Everyone
“I will be asking the board to take into consideration suspending the public comment period at board meetings while the policy committee completes its review of our public participation policy.” - Western Declares the War on Coal Over. Wyoming Still Has the Law He Voted For.
There is an inconvenient piece of Wyoming history missing from Western's victory lap. While Cyrus Western triumphantly declared that the war on coal is over, he neglected to mention that the EPA’s rollback will not remove Wyoming’s own carbon-capture requireme... - Inside Connection: Reaching Women, Supporting Families, and Building Hope in Sweetwater County
The organization does not perform or refer for abortions. Its website says staff will discuss parenting, adoption, and abortion with clients while providing pregnancy confirmation, ultrasounds, and information about their options. - Letter: Who Are We?
Vetter writes: In the end, the August primary is not all that surprising. Many government-dependent interests rallied resources to elect politicians who represent Big Government across Wyoming to keep the contracts, influence and monies flowing. - Wyoming's "Business Development" Loop
In a free market, businesses compete with their own money under rules that apply equally. In Wyoming’s state-directed system, public officials use taxpayer money and government programs to lower costs, open doors and share risk for selected projects. - Wyoming Officials Push Data Center Development Amid National Investment Pullback
Wall Street pullbacks, scrapped projects, and a trillion-dollar debt bubble in the AI data center market raise serious questions about Wyoming's aggressive push to attract hyperscale computing facilities. - Letter: We Need a Brake on This Crazy Train
Sorry, there's not ten Rush Limbaugh type conservative ballots cast for every democrat ballot. Everybody's a republican of any and all stripes. It's fashionable and where the power is. Thus, Wyoming's term 'republican' is swiftly becoming meaningless. - Who Was the Alpine Education Foundation Trying to Elect?
The Aug. 18 message did not simply remind recipients to vote. It named three candidates and highlighted their support for the charter school and a "family-friendly Alpine." Whether the message was legally attributable to the foundation, and whether it violated... - The Muni: Top 5 Municipal Courses to Play This Fall
A municipal course isn’t Augusta National with lower green fees. It isn’t supposed to be. When the irrigation system needs work at a wealthy private club, a member can write a check. When a municipal course needs the same repair, it has to be in the budget. - Wyoming Conservatives Coalescing Around New Governor Candidate To Defeat Left-Leaning GOP Nominee
Bextel supports tax reform to protect property owners and “hold government accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent” according to her website. She would withdraw Wyoming from the federal refugee resettlement program and end policies allowing illegal immi... - Letter: Iverson Got it Wrong, "Wyoming Conservatism" is Conservatism
Those realities do not make every government program conservative. They do mean that Wyoming policymakers cannot simply ignore economic realities in order to satisfy an abstract definition of limited government. Sometimes governing requires government to do so... - Anatomy of Beef: Inside the Cartel and the Push for Local Processing
A deep look into the structural consolidation of the Big Four meat packers, the federal push to bypass industrial monopolies through direct-to-consumer sales, and the policy friction over rising foreign beef imports. - Lange: I'm Not Buying the Hype About DOJ Observers
I think that the citizens of Wyoming are tired of being used as extras in B-movie agitprops. We’ve seen this flick playing in Colorado since globalist millionaires flipped it from a reliably red state to a Rocky Mountain bastion of blue. - "Wyoming Conservatism" Is a Knock-Off Stetson That'll Never Be the Real Thing
Wyoming may have its own landscape, its own industries, and its own political temperament. It does not have its own laws of logic, dictionary, or brand of conservatism. - Lange: God Still Knows How to Perform Miracles
God used the very forces of nature to assist Washington in a feat that has been dubbed the “Miracle of Brooklyn Heights.” Even when the dawn threatened to expose the operation to the watchful British, that soupy fog persisted until the last boat was underway.... - Bextel Launches General Election Bid, Offering Wyoming Conservatives Another Choice
For Bextel, the central issue is larger than any one vote. She argues that Barlow’s overall record is more closely aligned with establishment and Democratic priorities than with the limited-government principles regularly promoted by the Republican Party. - Barlow’s Spokeswoman Leads Group Backed by Obama Campaign Veterans
Fitzgerald is the direct link between Barlow’s campaign and a network of former Barack Obama campaign and administration officials. For a candidate claiming to be a Wyoming Republican, that connection deserves far more attention than it has received. - Sheridan County Officials Deny Press Access
In what was supposed to be a meeting about transparency of government, Sheridan County’s audit was done without the video or photographic scrutiny of the press. - Barlow Can't Deny His Own Record on Medicaid Expansion
Barlow voted repeatedly to advance Medicaid expansion numerous times, sponsored his own expansion bill, and authored an expansion amendment. These are simply Barlow's votes. - Lange: Honoring the Founding Means Accountability to God
No system, no process, no protocol can ever replace the individual who stands before the God of Creation and who asks the whole world to judge his or her actions in the light of commonly accessible truth. - Cole: Perhaps It’s Time to Think WAY Outside the Box
So, what can be done? Here comes a completely outside the box idea. Hold onto your hats! What if a statewide effort were to convince conservative Republicans to vote for the Democrat candidate for governor, Mr. Casner? Before you stop reading, just take a mome... - Sheridan County’s 5% Hand-Count Audit Set for Saturday
Saturday’s hand count will provide the first test in Sheridan County of the Legislature’s new 5% audit mandate. With Arzy calling for a random selection, attention will now fall not only on whether the hand count matches the electronic results, but also on how... - Letter: Even 7th Graders Know Socialism is a Bad Idea
Students argued in favor of capitalism. They worked hard for their grades--they proved to themselves that they would benefit from their efforts. Even if they liked their classmates and wanted what was best for them, they were unwilling to work for the good of... - Letter: Senate File 82 WIll Raise Costs and Not Verify LLCs
SF-82 would do little to verify the legitimacy of LLCs, would raise the cost and complexity of forming and maintaining them relative to other states, and would heighten legitimate privacy concerns, all while Wyoming’s economy is already struggling. The practic... - Wyoming Education Association Bankrolls Movement to Reject Property Tax Relief
We have permanent funds, mineral wealth, investment income, and a constitutional mandate that the Legislature must meet. Growth in those other sources, combined with prudent budgeting, is how a low-tax state has long delivered essential services. - Sheridan Commishes Vote Not to Endorse Renaming of Peak after SGT Krinkee
There is no question that Krinkee deserves to be remembered. The debate was over whether Sheridan County’s highest point should carry only his name when the county has produced other men and women who also left their families, answered the call of duty and nev... - Wall: When Your Candidate Loses: The Mathematics of a Divided Vote
Primary elections encourage factions. General elections test whether those factions can become coalitions. Wyoming has just finished an intensely divided primary, and there has undoubtedly been a lot of frustration, celebration and anger in many different corn... - Reid's Endorsement That Never Was
The Election Day text was not an isolated misunderstanding. Whether the message originated directly with Rasner’s campaign or someone else, it relied on the same cultivated association Rasner had repeatedly used: place his name beside a prominent conservative,...
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