Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, July 2nd. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by Cheyenne Frontier Days. Ten days of rodeo thrills, Xtreme Bulls, live concerts, carnival rides, western heritage, and unforgettable cowboy spirit in Cheyenne, Wyoming! Don't miss the 129th Daddy of 'Em all July 18-27th.

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A transgender woman flagrantly violated a newly implemented Wyoming law Tuesday, which restricts people to the restroom corresponding to their birth sex in public buildings. And… nothing happened.

27-year-old Rihanna Kelver, and Kelver's former English teacher, Nikki Bondurant, announced to a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer stationed at a desk near the restroom that Kelver would be entering the restroom and checked to make sure no one else was in there. Kelver then entered and exited the restroom, with no consequences.

But Cowboy State Daily's Matthew Christian reports that the consequences would, actually, be the responsibility of the state government.

"There's no penalty for a person who, quote, unquote, violates the law, but there are penalties for governmental entities that don't enforce the law, and they can be sued. I if you're in a restroom and a transgender person walks in there and you are uncomfortable, then you can sue the governmental entity and say, Hey, I was uncomfortable. This violated my rights to privacy. So it's really more against the government."

In the case of Kelver's protest, Bondurant's efforts to clear the bathroom beforehand removed potential plaintiffs, which therefore removed the law's enforcement mechanism.

Read the full story HERE.

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The University of Pennsylvania vowed Tuesday to erase top swimming records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas three years ago, and apologize to female athletes that were displaced by Thomas.

The announcement surfaced on the same day Wyoming's new ban on transgender athletes participating in women's collegiate sports competitions took effect. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland spoke to State Senator Wendy Schuler, who said Tuesday's decision by the University of Pennsylvania marks, quote, "a great victory for our women and girls."

"She's always said that she's motivated by her own memories of being a female athlete before Title Nine… and feeling that title nine was this special safeguard for women, because it promised their ability to do sports without discrimination. And so Schuler, who's… largely responsible for the sporting the cross sex sporting bands we have now, said it's just such a relief. Whereas Sarah Burlingame, who's executive director of Wyoming Equality, she said, this should remind us of Stalin that you know, not only is the Trump administration doing these things, but demanding apologies and fealty along the way."

Also on Tuesday, Schuler's bill to expand the sports law to the collegiate level for Wyoming athletes took effect as law.

Read the full story HERE.

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The operator of a pair of Midwest power plants wants $22 million from BNSF Railway, claiming the power plants couldn't get their full orders of Wyoming coal.

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