Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Wednesday, January 8th. I'm Reilly Strand, in for Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom brought to you by Visit Casper.

Visit Casper invites you to come enjoy the Casper International Film Festival, January 31 through February 2. A broad range of films from local and international filmmakers will be shown. Learn more and get your tickets at visitcasper.com.

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A federal bill called the "Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act of 2025" that would strip federal funding from organizations that allow males to compete in girls' and women's sports has resurfaced as the new Republican-led Congress convenes. Sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis along with nearly two dozen others, the bill would also specify under Title IX that boys' and girls' categories in sports are based on biological sex.

"State lawmakers have been dealing with a federal administration that was unfriendly to them, and within Congress that was gridlocked, and so the state has been kind of waging its own in this issue. And this is completely new for them, because it's the first time that A, they're dealing with a transgender issue, but B, with... a friendly environment from on high."

If the bill passes federally, it could simplify the work of the Wyoming Legislature, which has grappled with transgender issues regularly for the past three years.

Read the full story HERE.

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Gov. Mark Gordon and the Freedom Caucus held two separate press conferences Tuesday. Cowboy State Daily's Leo Wolfson reports that Gordon was somewhat cryptic when asked what he expects from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, but didn't mince words about how he thought the Freedom Caucus took the majority seats in the Wyoming house.

"He said a lot of their success is due to out of state groups funding them. This is in reference to the fact that they are working under the state Freedom Caucus network. However, it should be pointed out that the vast majority of people who donated to the Freedom Caucus during the 2024 primary campaign were Wyoming residents, but the state of Freedom Caucus network does pay the salary of the Freedom caucuses state director. So there's kind of truth on both sides there."

Later Tuesday, the Freedom Caucus held a press conference where it said its main priority is unity in the upcoming legislative session.

"There was about 20 members of the Freedom Caucus on hand, roughly. Quite a few of them were freshmen lawmakers that we didn't really know were official Freedom Caucus members until this press conference on Tuesday, they were outlying their they were outlining their legislative priorities for the upcoming session in more detail…But what really caught my attention about the press conference is that they're stressing a desire for unity within the entire legislative chamber."

Wolfson says this marks a difference in the caucus's previous approach, which sometimes mocked legislative leadership in the past.

Read the full stories HERE &

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