As of January 2025, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, consisting of “America First” Wyoming Republican Party members, has assumed a majority control of the state’s House of Representatives. The caucus has promised to pass a flurry of bills supporting President Trump’s agenda, as well as correcting issues that they see as problematic for the state of Wyoming. One of these main issues focused on by the caucus is the existence of DEI programs in state-funded programs, something that they wish to eliminate. In addition to this, they want to define sex for government data collection, as well as eliminate any funding that Wyoming provides for investment funds that support a move away from fossil fuels.
On Jan 13, HB-0147 “Prohibition of Institutional Discrimination” was introduced to the Wyoming House. The bill consists of several key points, stating that, “no governmental entity shall: Engage in any diversity, equity, or inclusion program or policy; engage in institutional discrimination, or require instruction promoting any institutional discrimination.” The bill shortly thereafter was passed on to the Wyoming Senate for consideration on Jan 21.
In addition to this bill, the House also passed HB-0032 “What is a Woman Act,” which mainly aims at redefining sex as it pertains to government data collection statistics. The bill, which was passed on the 20th, defines a female as, “a person who has, had, will have or would have had, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes eggs for fertilization,” and a male as, “a person who has, had, will have or would have had, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes sperm for fertilization.” The bill has received some controversy from several organizations in the state of Wyoming, who accuse the act of targeting transgender rights in the state.
Another bill advanced to the Senate is HB-80. While less culture-war oriented, the bill has still sparked a slight amount of controversy as it effectively removes any Wyoming state funding for investment funds designed to have the world move beyond the use of fossil fuels. While this does make sense from an economic perspective given Wyoming’s increasingly resource-based economy, largely founded on the extraction of these fossil fuels in various forms, critics claim that the switch may be inevitable, regardless of Wyoming’s action on it.
The recent legislative actions of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus mark a significant, but somewhat expected shift in the state’s political landscape, reflecting a strong push toward policies aligned with Trump’s broad “America First” movement. Their effects will remain to be seen, but as the University of Wyoming is a publicly funded institution, they will continue to affect the University in measurable aspects.
