Dawn Marquardt
Articles by Dawn Marquardt
- 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... - 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... - 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. - 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... - 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. - Marquardt: Does "Grassroots" Actually Mean Grassroots?
Campaigns can buy television commercials, mailers, consultants, and digital advertising. What they cannot simply purchase is someone who believes enough to cook the food, set up the chairs, open a building, drive across the state, knock on a door, put up a sig... - Marquardt: Three Voter Pools — And Megan Degenfelder Has a Foot in Two
Megan Degenfelder appears to be trying to build her winning pool one scoop from the right and one scoop from the left. And that leaves the questions: Are there enough voters in the middle, and enough she can peel from both sides to win? Or are there enough vot... - Driskill's "Conservation" Machine and $1M of Your Money
$1 Million of your money: By the time the Driskill family land entered one of the largest conservation structures in northeastern Wyoming, Ogden Driskill was not some rancher stumbling through unfamiliar paperwork. He was one of the men who helped build Wyomin... - Beyond the Mailer: A Closer Look at House District 48
Campaign mailers and candidate forums are valuable sources of information, but they represent only part of the public record. Legislative history, public documents, and the candidates’ responses often provide additional context that helps voters evaluate the i... - The Barn Part 2: Barlow's Statement and His Record, Do They Match?
If he wants voters to believe the break was rooted in principle, then principle ought to come with specifics. Which priorities changed? Which alliances crossed the line? Which lawsuits or ideologies made him walk away? His statement does not say. - Devils Tower Land Swap: How Ogden Driskill Acquired State Land at the Base of the Tower.
Wyoming State Trust Land belongs to the people of Wyoming, and when politically connected insiders benefit from deals involving that land, scrutiny is not optional; it is the job of the public. Especially in the shadow of Devil's Tower. - Protect Wyoming: Exclusive Audio Reveals Group's Agenda
When a public-lands PAC complains about “rich a**holes from Teton County,” attacks conservative lawmakers as threats to Wyoming, and then uses the same kind of conservation-access language favored by wealthy political operators, voters should notice the contra... - Senate Leadership Violated Agreement Nethercott Signed, Refuses to Investigate
If no rule was violated during the pizza incident, an investigation would clear the air. If a rule was violated, an investigation should have exposed it, but refusing to vote does neither. - Bextel Seeks Constitution Party Nomination As Conservatives Look For A Stronger November Strategy
Former Teton County GOP committeewoman says she is not running against Brent Bien or Megan Degenfelder, while the Constitution Party of Wyoming frames her campaign as a serious conservative alternative in the general election. - "The Buck Does Stop With Me:" Degenfelder's Convention Conversation
As the conversation turned to responsibility inside the Wyoming Department of Education, Degenfelder said the sentence that now frames the whole controversy: “The buck does stop with me. No matter what an employee does.” - JD WIlliams' Not So Welcoming "Welcome" Speech
Williams’s speech did not sound like it was aimed only at voters who have checked out. It sounded like a criticism of where party is heading — and who is now steering it. For months, establishment Republicans have hammered the Freedom Caucus and grassroots con... - Board Application Raises More Questions for April Marie Morganroth
Another charge of forgery has been added to the 20 others Morganroth is already facing. It stems from what appears to be the same allegedly fraudulent letter she submitted elsewhere. This charge raises questions about a board application Morganroth submitted t... - "Protect Wyoming" is Really Protecting an Agenda
"Protect Wyoming" co-founder Zach Lentsch supported Bernie Sanders in 2018. His political action committee, under the guise of fairly evaluating legislators on public lands, created a scorecard with a predetermined outcome--to penalize conservatives and reward... - Mike Yin Says Ignore the Scorecards. Wyoming Voters Should Ask Why
When Mike Yin tells Wyoming voters to back away from the scorecards, maybe the question is not whether the scorecards are too harsh. Maybe the better question is why so many people in power are suddenly nervous now that voters are reading them. - It's a Liberty Issue: Brent Bien in Kemmerer
After nearly three decades in the Marine Corps, he said returning home to see government restrictions and shutdowns was the moment he decided Wyoming needed a different course. - The Wyoming Gentry Would Like the Peasants to Calm Down
That is what this really is: Not a defense of conservatism, not a lesson in civic virtue, and not a concern for the health of the republic. It is establishment panic with a panache for bending the rules. - Degenfelder HAS NOT Contacted All Families in Document Release
The public statement issued by the WDE leaves out affected families, and at least one of them has not, as of April 3, even spoken to anyone from Degenfelder’s office. - Degenfelder's Office Exposes Confidential Student Information...TWICE
WDE said the error “was quickly identified, corrected within the online folder containing the produced documents, and communicated to recipients the day after the matter was brought to the department’s attention.” But this isn’t accurate. The WDE released the... - Profiles: Chip Neiman
Chip Neiman is the 64th person to serve as Wyoming Speaker of the House. Though, if you talked to him outside of the state house, he wouldn't strike you as being 3rd in line to the governor's chair. You'd meet a plain spoken rancher with deep Wyoming roots. - Marquardt: Define it How You Want, It's Not Conservatism
That is the problem with the rhetoric coming out of the Sweetwater County’s elite contingent: It is not rooted in a consistent standard; it is not rooted in equal application. And often, it is not even rooted in the Wyoming Republican Party platform. Instead,... - Jake Went Looking for Budget Panic. Pendergraft Gave Him a Reality Check.
Cowboy State Daily host Jake Nichols tried to press Representative Ken Pendergraft on “drastic cuts” - and wound up reinforcing the limited-government case instead. - Marquardt: Let's Try This Again Gail
When a public commentator regularly argues against policies aligned with those principles while still presenting themselves as a conservative voice, it is fair for readers to examine that tension. Symons suggests that ideological politics demands everyone belo... - Marie Hamilton: The Names, The Resume and the Criminal Arrest
But the public record surrounding that name Marie Hamilton tells a longer and more complicated story. The earliest official records reviewed by The Open Range Record appear in Arizona under the name April M. McClellan and April Marie McClellan - When It Hits Home: Rep. Joe Webb Speaks About the Cost of Politics
"Webb’s remarks made clear that the damage from the public controversy had already reached far beyond the Capitol walls. Rather than respond with anger, Webb told colleagues he and his family had chosen a different path." - Capitol Security Video Surrounding Check Incident Deleted
Whether the security footage requested was overwritten by the Capitol’s security system or if it was intentionally deleted, the result is the same. Those records do not exist anymore. One thing is certain, this is a staggering breach of government transparency... - Teton, Lincoln County GOP Attempt Censure of Bextel, Fail Overwhelmingly
Once the meeting began, several individuals who had signed the Teton petition reportedly said they believed they were signing a request simply to hold a meeting to fill vacant party positions, not specifically to pursue a censure resolution. - Week 1 in Review: Viral Votes, Procedural Gates and an Ethics Storm
The legislative week goes by quickly. Here's a quick review of some of the bigger happenings in Cheyenne. - Empty Seats: Several Lawmakers Marked Absent After SF123 Debate
Legislative sessions are long, and lawmakers often balance official duties with other commitments during the Legislature’s 20-day budget session. But the departures came on a night when legislative deadlines were approaching, and several bills still awaited ac... - HB178 Fills Senate Gallery with Union Members
"HB0178 would prohibit public employers from collecting union dues or political contributions through government payroll systems. Under current systems, some public employees authorize automatic deductions from their paychecks that are routed to labor organiza... - Two Speeds at the Capitol: As Senate Slow-Walks House Bills to Death, House Finishes Work
Several lawmakers say the Senate has been moving House bills slowly through first reading, a procedural step that can effectively prevent them from advancing before the cutoff. - HB69 Update: Sen Case Re-inserts Conflicted 90 Acre Transfer
The House had amended the bill to remove the 90.87-acre housing parcel. The Senate has now restored it, bringing the bill back to nearly its original footprint. HB0069 is now positioned on second reading in the Senate. - Who is Gail Symons, Really?
"You cannot accuse others of ideological rigidity while consistently advancing one side of every ideological fight. You cannot call reform “dangerous” while dismissing skepticism as “bogeyman politics." - A Morning With the Speaker
"Good hearts exist on both sides of the aisle. And sometimes, in the middle of the loudest storms, it’s the quiet gestures that steady you." - Who Decides and When: Two Transparency Bills Fail
"The debate is not about whether Wyoming should pursue advanced nuclear energy. It is about when the public is brought into decisions that carry long-term consequences." - Wylie Posts to Image of HB0001 with Caption, "...Burnin' Down the House"
"While debate stretched on — and while the introduction clock ticked down — the image circulating online paired the state budget with “Burning Down the House.” - We Could Have More Non-Partisan Elections
Under the bill, candidates for these offices would no longer run as Republicans or Democrats on the ballot. Instead, they would be nominated through nonpartisan primary elections. - Opening Day Rhetoric Meets Procedural Reality at the Capitol
Several high-profile bills failed to meet that threshold, killing them outright without hearings, debate, or public testimony. - HB0017 Would Expand Power of Blockchain Committee
The bill would expand the committee's mission to include oversight of “emerging technologies,” a broad and undefined category - HB0027 - Changing Who Decides in Disputes and When
For communities facing growth pressure, infrastructure strain, or annexation disputes, the bill changes who decides—and when. Early filers gain an advantage, particularly developers anticipating annexation. - Barlow's Non-Profit Bought His Lamb with Your Money While a Senator and Board Member
EPP publicly listed Eric Barlow as a founding board member and Secretary until his resignation in December 2025. During that same period, EPP promoted Gourmet Lamb of Wyoming, operated by Eric and Kelly Barlow, as a local rancher supplier. - Recalibration, Responsibility, and the $88 Million Story
"Recalibration is politically painful. But ignoring it for fifteen years is what brought the courts into the room." - Senate Corporations Kills HB86: Chairman Case Questions “Animus” and Process in Weston County Fallout
"The most revealing exchange came when the conversation turned toward the strained relationship between the Secretary of State and the Governor. During testimony, the committee chairman speculated that the bill may stem from a lack of collaboration between the... - Who Decides and When: Recreation Levies and the Lack of Taxpayer Choice
Should people be required to fund something indefinitely without ever being asked if they support it? HB0127 says they should at least be given that opportunity. - A Moment of Clarity in a Divided House: Leadership, Accountability, and a Line Crossed
"Speaker Neiman didn’t speak like a man delivering a prepared statement. He spoke like someone carrying the weight of it." - Reflections on Adoption, Loss, and the Dignity of Human Life
"Every one of us began the same way as vulnerable, unseen, and dependent on someone else’s courage. Each of us was once given the chance to live." - HB10 Advances After Heated Debate; Rep. Williams Explains Vote
“I’m going to vote yes on this bill — not for the folks at home, because they don’t think there’s a need for it — but for all of you in the state where this is an issue. It’s not an issue in my neck of the woods.” - Legislative Watch: One Year After the School Finance Lawsuit, Recalibration Still Stalled
"On the House side, HB0110, the house recalibration measure, failed the 2/3 introduction threshold February 9, 2026 by a vote of 41-21" - Matt McGinnis: The Latest to Enter the WY House Race
McGinnis describes himself as a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman, and he makes strong support for the Second Amendment a core part of his campaign. He opposes federal gun restrictions and frames gun ownership as part of Wyoming’s heritage and a practical realit... - Larsen and His "Residential" State-Health Land Transfer
"Across Wyoming, “affordable housing” has increasingly been used to justify land transfers, infrastructure spending, and public-private partnerships, often without binding definitions or enforceable outcomes." - The Wyoming System Voters Never Voted For
Many of the organizations shaping economic development and tax policy in Wyoming operate in the space between government and private industry. They are not elected; they are not accountable to voters. Yet they exert enormous influence over which projects move... - The Canyon Road Story: How a Development Promise Turned into a Public Bet and Why the Questions Won’t Go Away
By mid-2023, Jackson vanished from public view. There was no public explanation, no formal separation, no amendment removing him from Canyon Road’s structure. He simply disappeared, and Canyon Road moved on. - Faith, Family, and Freedom: A Prayer for a Nation in Crisis
Charlie spent his life calling us back to faith, back to virtue, back to the family. And now his earthly voice is silenced. But truth cannot stay buried. His message still rings out, perhaps louder now than ever before. - Oak Ridge vs. Bar Nunn: Who Gets the Waste?
But when it comes to taking in other people’s spent fuel, Oak Ridge’s history says something loud: no. - Part 1 – The Tulsa Townsite, County Cash & the Lincoln Star ISD
Chief of Staff Stephen Allen endorsed the plan, calling it “an innovative way to pursue the infrastructure and create the ISD that will push the infrastructure.” This was the first breadcrumb, nearly a year before Tulsa’s name came into the conversation. - Wyoming Unveiled: Wasting Water, Wasting Wyoming
Cheyenne made headlines this month when The Blaze reported that a new, unclaimed data center project could consume billion gallons of water per year and twice the electricity used by the entire state. - All Roads Lead to Wyoming: The Nuclear Blueprint No One Told You About
From corporate land grabs to quietly signed deals, this is the real story behind why all eyes are on Wyoming. - Prostituting Wyoming: A Front Row Seat at the Minerals Committee
On Wednesday, July 30, I sat in the Joint Minerals Committee meeting expecting a straightforward discussion on spent nuclear fuel and Radiant Industries. What I witnessed instead was the slow, calculated unraveling of public trust.