When elected officials vote on bills involving the protection of children, parental rights, and registered sex offenders, the people they represent deserve more than a vote; they deserve an explanation. Over the last two legislative sessions, Senator Evie Brennan cast several votes on child protection legislation that have left many Wyoming parents asking why.
Before writing this article, The Open Range Record sent Senator Brennan a detailed list of questions covering those votes and gave her five days to respond, but she did not. This article documents the questions that were asked, the public record, and the opportunity she was given to explain her decisions to which many in Wyoming have been wanting answers.
A Pattern of Votes
Among the bills Senator Brennan was asked about:
- HB0010, restricting minors’ access to sexually explicit materials in libraries.
- HB0083, creating a presumption against awarding custody to certain sex offenders.
- SF0088, restricting where registered sex offenders may live near childcare facilities.
- HB0092, prohibiting registered sex offenders from holding certain public offices.
For each bill, the same basic question was asked: What concerns led you to vote the way you did? If there were problems with the language, what were they? Would you support a better version?
Parents across Wyoming deserve an explanation of what happened to SF0133. Senator Brennan introduced the bill, successfully guided it through the Committee of the Whole, and had the votes to keep it moving. Then, on February 7, the bill was laid back, and again on February 10. And then she laid the bill back again on February 11. By the time the constitutional deadline on second reading passed, her own bill was effectively dead.
Was there a legal concern or a political deal? Pressure from leadership or a change of heart? All these questions were asked of Brennan, and they are fair questions because the only person who knows the answer is Senator Brennan.
Questions About Ethics and Transparency
Public records show that Senator Brennan’s husband, Nathaniel James Brennan, is a lifetime registered sex offender in Wyoming and is also listed on Florida’s sex offender registry based on the Wyoming conviction. Court records from Laramie County describe the underlying criminal case involving a child under the age of fourteen. That doesn’t automatically mean Senator Brennan did anything wrong. But it does raise legitimate questions when a legislator votes on bills dealing specifically with registered sex offenders.
We asked whether she believed those circumstances presented any ethical considerations, if she ever discussed recusal or disclosure with the Legislative Service Office, legislative leadership, or legal counsel, and if anyone had ever attempted to use that information to pressure or influence her legislative decisions.
Accountability Matters
Every legislator has the right to vote however they believe is best. But when bills involve protecting children, strengthening parental rights, or placing additional restrictions on registered sex offenders, constituents deserve to hear the reasoning behind the decisions being made in their name.
If Senator Brennan chooses to answer these questions in the future, we will gladly publish her response in full. Until then, readers are left with the public record. In the end, this isn’t one senator but Wyoming’s children.
Wyoming continues to debate bills involving child protection, parental rights, sexually explicit materials available to minors, and restrictions on registered sex offenders. At the same time, national organizations evaluating child protection laws have ranked Wyoming at or near the bottom in overall legal protections against child sexual abuse and exploitation. That should concern every parent, regardless of political party.
When legislation affecting the safety of children comes before the Legislature, Wyoming families deserve more than a roll-call vote. They deserve transparency. They deserve honest explanations. And they deserve lawmakers who are willing to answer difficult questions.