Latest news with #Cheyenne
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New election laws going into effect in July
CHEYENNE – Regulating Wyoming's elections was arguably one of the top priorities for the state Legislature in this year's legislative session, with dozens of election-related bills filed for consideration. However, only a fraction of these bills made it to the governor's desk. One of them, House Bill 79, 'Bond elections-voter threshold requirement,' was vetoed by Gov. Mark Gordon. Another bill, HB 156, 'Proof of voter residency-registration qualification,' was allowed to become law without his signature. While Gordon agreed only U.S. citizens and Wyoming residents should be allowed to vote in the state's elections, he had significant legal concerns about the bill. 'Because I believe in adequate checks to ensure only qualified electors can vote, I am allowing this bill to become law, despite the likelihood that it will invite litigation,' Gordon said in a March 21 statement. Here is a breakdown of new election-related laws that will go into effect, starting July 1. Proof of residency, citizenship Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, former chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, was the primary sponsor of HB 156. It sets a new residency requirement to vote in Wyoming, requiring a person to be a bona fide state resident for at least 30 days prior to Election Day. Voters must prove state residency and U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and the bill is effective starting with the August 2026 primary election. It also gives the secretary of state rulemaking authority over which forms of identification to prove Wyoming residency and U.S. citizenship are accepted. Secretary of State Chuck Gray's office held a public comment period on the new voter registration rules from May 5 through June 20. His office held an in-person and virtual public comment event earlier this month at the state Capitol, where all attendees expressed support for the rules change. The Equality State Policy Center recently filed a lawsuit in United States District Court for the District of Wyoming challenging HB 156. The lawsuit claims HB 156 violates both state and federal law and threatens to deprive legitimate Wyoming voters of their right and freedom to vote. In response to the litigation, which names himself and all 23 of Wyoming's county clerks, Gray said it is a 'meritless attempt' by the far left 'to undermine the common-sense election integrity measures Wyomingites want.' Ban on ranked-choice voting Rep. Joe Webb, R-Lyman, was the primary sponsor of HB 165, 'Ranked choice voting-prohibition.' His bill prohibits ranked-choice voting in all Wyoming elections. This method of voting allows the electorate to rank candidates by order of preference. The cast ballots are tabulated in multiplied rounds, with the elimination of each candidate until a candidate with the most votes is declared a winner. Election funds Starting July 1, only public funds can be used to pay for the costs of elections. Gillette Republican Rep. Christopher Knapp's HB 228, 'Prohibition on private funds for conducting elections,' prohibits county clerks and other officials responsible for conducting elections from accepting 'any donation in the form of money, grants, property or personal services from an individual or nongovernmental entity' related to funding election processes. Federal funds used to conduct elections, donated meals to election workers and the use of private real property as a polling place are exempted under this bill. HB 337, 'Prohibiting foreign funding of ballot measures,' places restrictions on foreign national contributions to ballot measure campaigns. Wyoming is now the 10th state to put these restrictions in place, according to Ballotpedia. Any political action committee or group/organization pushing a statewide initiative or referendum is now required to file a statement 'related to funding from prohibited foreign sources,' under HB 337. Foreign nationals are considered a prohibited funding source under this bill. Other election laws In order to form a new political party, the deadline to file a petition with the secretary of state's office changed from June 1 to May 1 under Senate File 166, 'Political party formation-amendments.' The petition can be circulated no earlier than March 1, instead of April 1, of the year preceding the general election. Finally, Cheyenne Republican Rep. Ann Lucas' HB 318, 'Maintenance of voter lists,' creates specific maintenance requirements of voter lists in regard to driver's licenses and identification cards. There is already an agreement in current law between the secretary of state and Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) to match voter registration data with driver's licenses to verify voter registration. Lucas' bill requires using this information to determine a voter's citizenship, if the voter subsequently received a driver's license from another state or any other evidence that makes a person ineligible to vote. WYDOT is required to provide a monthly list of all people who have indicated a noncitizen state when obtaining their driver's license or ID card to the secretary of state. The secretary of state is allowed under the bill to utilize the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify the citizenship of registered voters in Wyoming. The bill also authorizes investigative powers to the secretary of state and county clerks to lawfully investigate if evidence shows the voter moved to another state and, based on results, mail notice of intent to cancel that person's voter registration in Wyoming.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kraken relocates US headquarters to Wyoming's crypto-friendly city
Kraken relocates US headquarters to Wyoming's crypto-friendly city originally appeared on TheStreet. Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has officially moved its U.S. headquarters to Wyoming. The decision was primarily based on Wyoming's strong and future-oriented regulatory environment. This move is a significant endorsement of Wyoming's crypto-friendly regulatory landscape, which encompasses over 30 laws specifically tailored to the cryptocurrency sector, as per the company's blog. "Wyoming has built the country's most comprehensive and technically coherent legal framework for digital assets," Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said in a statement. "Our global headquarters is now officially in Cheyenne, affirming our commitment to U.S.-based crypto innovation," he added. Wyoming has been at the forefront of regulating digital assets, with legislation that treats crypto as property, establishes a fintech sandbox for testing, and protects users from disclosing their private keys. Join the discussion with WendyO on Roundtable. Kraken has been involved with the state since at least 2021, when it gave a $300,000 grant to the University of Wyoming for crypto education. The company continued to promote cryptocurrency in the state by sponsoring the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede and co-hosting the state's first-ever Blockchain Symposium last year in Jackson Hole. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a long-time advocate for Bitcoin and digital asset policy, said she was excited about the development. "Kraken's decision to move to the Equality State underscores Wyoming's innovative approach," Lummis said. Kraken stated that, while it remains a globally distributed and remote-first company, the company's deeper physical presence in Wyoming reflects the favorable policy environment the state is creating, as well as the pro-crypto leadership from the state. This also further positions Wyoming as the de facto capital of American crypto regulation. Kraken relocates US headquarters to Wyoming's crypto-friendly city first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 20, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
About a third of all LCSD1 staff losses from Cheyenne's South High
CHEYENNE — A Cheyenne high school freshman saw half of his teachers quit over the course of the 2024-25 school year, according to his mother, Heather Dodson. Dodson told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle the unexpected loss of his teachers disrupted her son's ability to learn. As a result, she removed her child from math class and enrolled him in summer school. 'It's really impacted his education. He's a bright student,' Dodson said. 'But it's a constant daily struggle to get him engaged, to turn in his work, when you don't have consistency.' Since last August, South High has lost nearly 40 members of its staff, according to data from Laramie County School District 1 obtained by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Certified staff, which includes classroom teachers, nurses, counselors and specialists, made up around 70% of this turnover. 'My son said, 'They just look dead,'' Dodson said. 'Not just teachers, from what I hear, it's the support staff, as well.' Teacher recruitment and retention is not an issue isolated to Wyoming's largest district, said South High math teacher Dan Marcum. It's an issue happening in schools across the state and the country — and 'it's getting worse,' he said. 'It's getting harder and harder for people to want to go to the classroom,' Marcum said. 'The nature of education has changed tremendously in the 40 years that I've been in the classroom.' With the rise in behavioral issues and student apathy toward learning, new teachers are entering the profession unprepared, Marcum said. Excessive cellphone use in the classroom, coupled with chronic absenteeism, makes it difficult for teachers to keep their students engaged in the lessons. 'If I were now thinking about (going into teaching) … I might be looking elsewhere,' Marcum said. LCSD1 teacher turnover Superintendent Stephen Newton told the WTE in an emailed statement there were 115 resignations and retirements across the district, as of May 28. However, he noted this is a 'sharp decline' from the total three years ago. In the 2022-23 school year, the district saw 161 resignations and retirements by certified staff. In the 2023-24 school year, that number was 131, according to Newton. 'Every year, LCSD1 employees leave the district for a variety of reasons,' Newton said. 'Although we cannot speculate about the reasons people resign, it appears this is a nationwide issue, as there are fewer people who choose to go into the field of education.' Newton listed several trending concerns from teachers, including: * Workload and time demands, especially regarding planning and assessment expectations. * Student behavior and the need for more consistent support and resources to manage classrooms effectively. * Concerns about compensation and benefits in relation to the cost of living. * Desire for greater input into decision-making and curriculum implementation. District administration is conducting exit interviews and reviewing recruitment and retention strategies in response to this issue, Newton said. The LCSD1 Board of Trustees is examining compensation and workload concerns, as well as advocating at the state level for more resources, he added. 'Recruiting and retaining high-quality educators is a top priority for LCSD1, and like many districts across the state and country, we recognize this is an ongoing challenge,' Newton said. 'We are competing in a tight labor market, especially in hard-to-fill areas such as special education, math and science.' He and other district administrators are open to hearing the concerns of teachers and support staff, Newton said, and continue to find ways to better support educators in the classroom. 'They don't value me' South High teacher Tascha Burton is a fifth-generation teacher who has taught English in LCSD1 since 2003, primarily in the South triad. She told the WTE her passion for teaching runs deep, but recent action taken by the Wyoming Legislature has made her feel undervalued as a teacher. 'I know that I'm not worthless,' Burton said. For more than two decades, Burton has educated generations of Cheyenne families. She's stayed in touch with several of her former students, educated their children, attended their weddings and written letters of recommendation. But the lack of pay raises and increased pressure from the Legislature has made her question if she wants to stay in the profession. For 18 years, Burton also taught at Laramie County Community College two nights a week so she could support her children. 'We haven't had a good raise in 20 years,' Burton said. 'Two years ago, the raise was about $158 a month for me, but my mortgage went up $154.' The last 'huge' pay hike Burton received was in her second year teaching for the district, when she received a $10,000 raise. Other raises have been small, or ones she'd earned by earning two master's degrees. 'Our health insurance costs are going up in July, but our raise doesn't come into effect until September,' Burton said. 'I don't even know if our raise is going to cover the increase of our health insurance.' She thought about applying for another job over the spring and was ready to create a resume. However, when Burton attended a local soccer game, she drove back home in tears. 'I'm not ready to leave my students, and I love my colleagues,' Burton said. 'I think the Legislature wants to get rid of public education. … That's what their actions show me.' This year, state lawmakers passed the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act. This law expands the current education savings account program by increasing per-student spending from $6,000 to $7,000 to attend a private K-12 school program, including homeschooling. Approximately $30 million from the state's general fund was appropriated toward this program. 'They want to fund people who want to educate in their home, or they want to fund people who want to send their kids to private schools,' Burton said. 'And the message in that is, 'We don't value you as a public educator.'' State actions impact teachers In the recent legislative session, Wyoming lawmakers successfully repealed gun-free zones in most areas of the state, including public schools. Last year, a new parental rights bill passed by the Legislature created additional duties for K-12 school districts related to parental notification and consent. Marcum said these new laws have caused 'a stress point for a lot of teachers.' He personally struggles with the new gun policy 'a lot.' As a parent, Marcum doesn't think allowing concealed carry in public schools is 'the right approach.' During the LCSD1 board meeting on Monday, teachers union representatives recommended an option to hold parent-teacher conferences virtually. 'I was glad to see the (Cheyenne Teachers Education Association) bring it up,' Marcum said. 'I honestly feel that I'm going to have an unequal balance of power now, if I'm in a parent meeting.' Burton said the parental rights bill has created a burden for her in the classroom, requiring her to tell a parent if a student discloses their sexual orientation or gender identity. She views that as a betrayal of that student's trust. 'I've had students write essays and come out to me before,' Burton said. 'But under the new law … I would have to contact their parents, and that doesn't seem fair, to have someone trust me and then feel like I'm betraying their trust.' Students are disengaged Marcum and Burton said chronic absenteeism and excessive cellphone use are major disruptors in today's student learning environment. Marcum noted there's been an increase in the number of school activities and programs that are pulling students out of the classroom. As a result, they're falling behind in their classwork, and the pressure is on teachers to keep them up to speed. Students with extreme behavior issues also tend to be the same ones with chronic absenteeism, he said. Teachers are held responsible to find 'creative ways' to engage these students and keep them at a proficient learning level. 'It's just an overwhelming challenge,' Marcum said. 'Our administration is not really fully grasping the challenges, I think, that a lot of teachers are having to deal with.' Burton said there's more pressure from administrators on teachers to keep students engaged. 'I feel like there's a bigger push for us to entertain our students,' she said. Both teachers told the WTE they need better support from the district to ban cellphone use in the classroom. Students no longer try to sneak their phone out during instruction time, they said. But it's an ongoing battle between the teacher and the student to give it up. Marcum described the district's current cellphone policy as a 'word salad' that's 'not really workable.' Cellphones are considered to be a 'portable electronic device' in the LCSD1 student handbook. The policy recognizes the 'educational value in utilizing' these devices and leaves it to 'the discretion of the classroom teacher or a building administrator.' Students with an individualized education program (IEP) that requires this device are exempt from this policy. 'The district policy … is open to interpretation,' Marcum said, adding that cellphone use policies vary from school to school. These inconsistencies make it difficult for teachers to restrict the use of cellphones in their classroom. 'The general policy should be something that's easily implementable and consistently implemented at all schools,' Marcum said.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Cheyenne sites to be studied for potential new passenger rail station
CHEYENNE – As conversations of passenger rail service returning to Colorado's front range progress, Cheyenne continues to prepare for how it may be able to tack onto the north end of the proposed railway service. On Friday, members of the Cheyenne City Council heard a presentation from Quandel Consultants, which has partnered with the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization in identifying a potential site for a new passenger rail service station in Cheyenne. Of six potential locations and plan that have been tossed into the mixer, only two remain. Randy Grauberger, a senior rail consultant for Quandel, broke those two down for the city's governing body Friday afternoon. Grauberger said he could see Cheyenne becoming a rail service hub, potentially. This is rooted in conversations of several different passenger rail projects across the country involving Cheyenne. This includes the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail service which, if realized, would connect Pueblo, Colorado, to Fort Collins, Colorado, via Denver on a BNSF Railway line. That same line runs north through Casper and Billings, Montana, via Cheyenne, which could be possibilities for passenger rail service if the project extends. Grauberger described two other projects on Union Pacific lines that could connect Salt Lake City to the Minneapolis area via Cheyenne and Rapid City, South Dakota, and another line down to Denver from Cheyenne via Greeley, Colorado, also from Salt Lake City. 'That puts Cheyenne as a hub, almost, for passenger rail service if you get Front Range Passenger Rail and then three different Amtrak routes also coming through, again, there's no certainty that those will occur, but they have been identified in a federal plan.' With momentum growing for these projects and significant federal funding available, Grauberger outlined two potential sites for Cheyenne to plant its roots back into passenger rail service, saying he recalls the last passenger rail car in Cheyenne dating back to around 30 years ago. Reed Avenue Rail Corridor In the heart of the city's West Edge revitalization efforts, Grauberger proposed two alternatives for the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Site. One option, which he called the 'steam plant' alternative, would see a stretch of new rail constructed 30 feet to the west of the existing BNSF tracks running through the corridor north of 20th Street, penetrating through the historic steam plant. passenger rail station 2 Diagram A Grauberger said this alternative would require renovating the steam plant, which is not included in the estimated $26.7 million to $28.2 million price tag, based on the valuation of the U.S. dollar in 2023. Indicated by a brown rectangle in Diagram A, the single-level station itself would be north of the existing steam plant, indicated in light blue, and offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. The pink line denotes passenger access where cars or buses could drop passengers off at the station, and the yellow rectangle to the west would be a two-story parking structure. However, this plan poses the highest budget risk, Grauberger said, as it would involve an uncertain steam plant renovation and acquisition of seven parcels of land. He proposed an alternative that is slightly less expensive, does not involve a steam plant renovation and only requires the acquisition of three parcels of land. This alternative has a similar concept but instead of running through the steam plant, the rail car would load or unload passengers at the same station site and then park in a stub track to the west of the existing BNSF line if there were any oncoming freight traffic. Grauberger said there are typically only two or three freight trains per week utilizing this section of BNSF track. A stub track is a spur track or siding that dead-ends, meaning it will sit parallel to the line and pull back onto the main track when it is ready to service passengers. Diagram B indicates the stub track would line up near the east side of the steam plant and go south nearly to Lincolnway. Passenger rail station 3 Diagram B This alternative leaves the possibility for the steam plant to be renovated privately as part of the Reed Avenue beautification efforts. Grauberger said this alternative would cost an estimated $24.1 to $25.1 million, also using estimates based on the value of the U.S. dollar in 2023. 'A lot of the support was the fact that everybody's excited about Reed Avenue corridor, with or without a passenger station, but they felt that with the station that even just provides extra energy and excitement for a renovated Reed Avenue corridor and all the other exciting things that the city is anticipating,' he said. Old Happy Jack Road The second location is the more expensive of the two sites but also poses the lowest budget risk due to its location and the fact it would not require parcel acquisition as the city already owns the land. This would be a little further to the west at the intersection of Missile Drive and Old Happy Jack Road. Indicated in diagram C, the new platform is shown in the thin orange line parallel to the existing BNSF track. As in the other diagrams, the brown rectangle would be where the new station is, and the pink line would be for vehicle pick-up and drop-off access. passenger rail station site 1 Diagram C The thicker orange line would be an extension of Grant Avenue, connecting Old Happy Jack Road to Missile Drive, and the gray triangle to its east would be single-story parking. Grauberger said that while there is less development in this area, it would accommodate some of the development to its south as multiple hotels have opened in the area recently in the Old Hitching Post Urban Renewal Area. However, the land here is uneven and would require some earthwork and a two-story train station. As a result, the price tag for this site is estimated to cost $30.9 million in 2023 estimates. Similar to the other station option, it would also offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. Additionally, this location would require an elevator for accessibility to the second story. Next steps The timeline for this project is currently unclear. Grauberger said that if the Front Range Passenger Rail project is approved, it could be connected to Fort Collins by 2029. He estimated it could take an additional four years after that to get a connection to Cheyenne. In total, this project would require municipal and county collaboration as well as working with the Colorado state government and the federal government to finalize planning and secure funding sources. Quandel provided five recommendations to the Cheyenne City Council moving forward: * Site the station as close as practical to downtown Cheyenne; * Continue to study and develop Old Happy Jack Road and Reed Avenue Corridor sites; * Stay engaged with the Front Range Passenger Rail District and submit an application to enter the Cheyenne Extension into the FRA Corridor Identification and Development Program; * Continue to stay in communication and share information with BNSF, UP, and Amtrak; and * Stay engaged with FRA and Amtrak as the FRA moves any Long Distance Service Study recommendations forward.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Kick off the summer with Cheyenne Frontier Days
Enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Xtreme Bulls and a Cheyenne Frontier Days concert of your choice from the full lineup! This contest ends on June 1.
