Wyoming News & Current Events | Public News Service

In PacifiCorp's 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, the company's nine majority-owned coal plants all had retirement or assumed end-of-life dates by 2042. In its 2025 plan, only one plant has a retirement date. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 17, 2025

Fossil fuel company plans for fewer renewables, gets boost from WY Legislature

In Wyoming, electric utility PacifiCorp's draft 2025 plans show a shift away from renewable energy additions compared with last year, according to a …

The Food Bank of Wyoming served people across 97,903 square miles and in all 23 counties in 2024, according to the organization's impact report. (Adobe Stock)

Four-state collaborative seeks to improve food access in Native nations

Food-bank organizations teamed up in four states, including Wyoming, to launch the 104° West Collaborative in 2021 to better serve their …

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the uninsured rate among American Indians and Alaska Natives under age 65 decreased 12 percentage points since passage of the Affordable Care Act, from 32.4% in 2010 to 19.9% in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Open enrollment is over, but tribal members can still get health coverage

Open enrollment for health insurance from the online marketplace is over, but Wyoming experts are reminding tribal members that they qualify to …

According to the 2025 Conservation in the West Poll, 81% of Wyomingites supported allowing oil and gas companies the right to drill only in areas where the likelihood of production is high. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: 74% of Mountain West MAGA supporters approve of U.S. Forest Service

In its 15th annual Conservation in the West poll, the State of the Rockies Project this year found support for conservation by some of the highest …

In 2024, AARP awarded a total of $45,000 in Community Challenge grant funding to four Wyoming communities. The City of Evanston installed outdoor game tables downtown. (Downtown Evanston)

2025 Community Challenge grants open to WY communities

AARP is taking applications for its 2025 Community Challenge grants and Wyoming's state chapter encouraged nonprofits and municipalities to apply…

Methane mitigation jobs offer median wages as high as $127,000 in the manufacturing sector and $145,000 in the service sector, according to a new report from the Environmental Defense Fund. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming ripe for growth in methane mitigation industry

Drilling and mining activities can lead to leaked methane, a gas responsible for 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions and experts said capturing …

More than 48% of Wyoming is public land, owned and managed by the federal government on behalf of U.S. residents. Several state bills this session were written to try to decrease the percentage. (Adobe Stock)

WY bills seek to limit federal ownership of state's public lands

Wyoming is one of several Western states where some lawmakers arguing states should have more control of the federally managed public lands within the…

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1992 and 2021, 64% of public pension revenues came from investment earnings and 25% from employer contributions. Employee contributions accounted for about 11%. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Most Americans want pension-driven retirement plans

Whether it's pressure from inflation or health-care costs eating away at savings, a reliable "nest-egg" is still hard to reach for many Americans…

Family caregivers on average are spending 26% of their income on caregiving activities, according to a 2021 AARP survey. (Adobe Stock)

WY AARP hosts tele-townhall on expected caregivers tax credit

Advocates for family caregivers are expecting federal lawmakers to propose a tax credit for the group, after President Donald Trump said on the …

The Tax Foundation estimates that the standing tariff on China, and the proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, would shrink economic output by 0.4% and increase taxes by $1.1 trillion between 2025 and 2034. (Adobe Stock)

Experts have consumer tips on navigating tariff scenarios

States such as Wyoming could see unique effects under President Donald Trump's approach to tariffs. Uncertainty lies ahead, but one expert says …

Among Wyoming Republican voters surveyed, 86% believe state funding should be provided to public school systems to prevent cuts in services to existing students and to prevent tax increases to local taxpayers, according to a poll from the Wyoming Education Association. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: 68% of Wyoming Republicans oppose universal school vouchers

A Wyoming bill to expand a school voucher program passed the House last week, despite a new survey showing most Republican voters in the state oppose …

A historic greenhouse sits at the High Plains Arboretum outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, where varieties of crops were engineered between 1928 and 1974 to survive the harsh high plains environment. (Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

A big future for WY historic arboretum hinges on state legislature

Lawmakers could salvage plans to restore a historic Wyoming arboretum after the legislature cut initial funding from the supplemental state budget…

President Donald Trump's proposed $79 billion in higher tariffs would result in an average annual tax increase of $625 for the average U.S. household, according to estimates from a Tax Foundation report. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Trump’s proposed tariffs could cost Wyomingites, Americans

New research details the major impacts for Americans if President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs take effect. A Tax Foundation report finds tariffs …

Chronic Wasting Disease was first detected in Wyoming in 1985. According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, as of 2023, the disease had been identified in 92% of the state's mule deer herds and 49% of its elk herds. (Adobe Stock)

After Wyoming's new feedground management plan, CWD elk death 'hits home'

A dead elk found east of Pinedale tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease earlier this month, marking the first such death inside a Wyoming …

Wyoming's House Bill 62 would amend the crimes of prostitution and solicitation to include acts of sexual contact. The state remains one of few in the country to approve criminalizing child survivors of trafficking, according to Shared Hope International. (Adobe Stock)

WY energy industry has opportunity to track down human traffickers

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and educators are training workers in key industries to recognize and report the crime…

Wyoming ranked 43rd in the nation for youth mental health in 2022. Lawmakers are struggling to agree on the role schools should play. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming lawmakers debate school’s role in youth mental health

In Wyoming, lawmakers are split on the role schools should play in improving children's mental health, although experts said they are pivotal…

The Yellowstone cutthroat trout and the Westslope cutthroat trout are both threatened species. Projects along Wyoming's Hoback River could help. (Neal Herbert/NPS)

Federal funding to help restore WY's Hoback River native fish habitat

Wyoming agencies will receive about $1.25 million in federal funding to help reconnect native fish migration routes on the Hoback River. The money …

Wyoming lawmakers in 2024 passed several bills for property tax relief, including for homeowners, veterans and senior citizens. (Adobe Stock)

Big tax talk expected in WY general session

One topic expected to make a big splash during Wyoming's general legislative session is property taxes at many levels. First on the agenda for the …

The Equality State Policy Center said it is watching bills on fair elections in Wyoming, including House Bill 102, which would change the method of attorney general selection from appointment to statewide election. (Adobe Stock)

Several 2025 WY bills could erode voting rights

The Wyoming Legislature's General Session starts Tuesday and voting-rights advocates in the state are watching several proposals they worry could hind…

Grand Teton's Kelly parcel, now owned by the National Park Service, starts the Path of the Pronghorn, the longest land migration route in the lower 48. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Teton park acquires addition after widespread, multiyear effort

The 640-acre Kelly parcel has been in limbo for decades. It sits within the bounds of Grand Teton National Park but has long been owned by the state …

Some 4.1% of Wyoming workers are employed in arts and culture industries, a rate higher than all neighboring states, according to a University of Wyoming report. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming arts scene could get AmeriCorps support

A Wyoming arts hub is surveying organizations across the state to see if a potential new AmeriCorps program could help fill gaps in arts and humanitie…

Wyoming's territorial government was the first to recognize women's right to vote. The state has ranked in the bottom 10 in the U.S. for the proportion of women in the state legislature every year since 2009, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Women’s suffrage adds luster to WY Capitol’s historic status

Wyoming's State Capitol building has been a National Historic Landmark since 1987 and last month, the Department of the Interior updated the …

Among recently surveyed Wyomingites, 88% support constructing wildlife crossings across major highways intersecting with known migration routes, though only 48% consider the loss of wildlife and fish habitats an extremely or very serious problem, according to the 2024 State of the Rockies Project poll. (Danita Delimont/Adobe Stock)

Wyoming gets mixed scores on 2024 conservation report card

A new scorecard from the Center for Western Priorities points to Wyoming's success as a western state balancing conservation goals and economic growth…

According to the March of Dimes, 15.4% of Wyoming women did not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of home last year, compared to a U.S. average of 9.7%. (MANUEL/Adobe Stock)<br />

Another birthing center closes, WY maternal health struggles continue

Evanston Regional Hospital is discontinuing its labor and delivery services next week, citing a "steady decline of demand." It is the fourth Wyoming …

Robert Dickson, medical director for the Washtenaw County Tuberculosis Clinic in Michigan, told KFF Health News the tissue donation regulatory environment is a major public health concern. (Ulia Koltyrina/Adobe Stock)

Ex-eye donation bank workers say pressure, lax oversight led to errors

By Madelyn Beck for WyoFile and Rae Ellen Bichell for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Wyoming News Service reporting for the…

Federally employed firefighters hope to see a permanent pay bump to replace the pay increases granted in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Federal wildland firefighters need permanent pay bump

As the federal government works this week to avoid a shutdown, federal wildland firefighters are waiting to see if their recent pay increase will …

U.S. power companies are sitting on a stockpile of coal equivalent to the entire volume expected to come from Appalachia in 2025, according to a new analysis from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. (Adobe Stock)

Analysis: U.S. coal stockpiles could cut demand from Powder River Basin mines

A new analysis of federal data shows that U.S. power plants are sitting on a huge stockpile of coal, much of which came from the Powder River Basin…

In 2021, there were 72% fewer detention admissions of youths on delinquency charges across the country than in 2005. Still, Wyoming incarcerates youth at a much higher rate than any other state in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

WY has highest rate of juvenile incarceration, rejects federal funding to help

Wyoming has the nation's highest rate of juvenile incarceration, and is one of only two states refusing federal funds to help. In 2021, nearly 270 …

More than 5.3 million people across the United States enrolled in a Marketplace health insurance plan during the first part of open enrollment, from Nov. 1 through Dec. 4, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Adobe Stock)

Health insurance marketplace enrollment deadline is Sunday

Open enrollment for health insurance is underway, and in Wyoming, the number of enrollees so far this year is just below last year's rate. Experts …

About 70% of the 40,000 acres burned by wildfires across Wyoming in 2024 were on private or state lands, Gov. Mark Gordon said in a budget speech Monday. (Adobe Stock)

Gordon seeks $130 million more for WY wildfire mitigation budget

In the Wyoming governor's new supplemental state budget, the biggest line item by far is wildfire recovery. Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday gave a …

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Elon Musk, Joe Rogan spread misinformation on agriculture

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Wyoming News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabo…

About one-third of the world's habitat for Greater sage grouse is located in Wyoming. (Kerry Hargrove/Adobe Stock)

Some stall, others push to pass new federal sage grouse plans

Final federal plans for Greater sage grouse habitat in Wyoming and other western states were met with criticism last month but some said the overdue p…

Only 6% of Native young people living in cities feel represented by state and national decisionmakers, according to the Center for Native American Youth, compared to 18% of those living on reservations. (Adobe Stock)

Survey: The term 'Indigenous' grows in popularity among Native youth

A new survey of Native American teens and young adults highlights a growing preference for the term "Indigenous" rather than being referred to as "Ame…

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, mule deer were uncommon in the early 1900s. Their populations surged in the 1950s and 1960s, peaked in 1991, but are now seeing historic lows. (M. Leonard Photo/Adobe Stock)

State agency hosts talks across Wyoming on declining mule deer

After a devastating recent winter, the already-struggling mule deer population in Wyoming took a big hit and the state's wildlife agency is …

Roughly 5% of adults in the U.S. experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and symptoms last about 40% of the year. (Adobe Stock)

Psychiatrist: Don't ignore grief of loss during holidays

The holiday season often brings Wyoming families together in celebration and warmth but for some, the absence of a loved one -- whether through death…

Wyoming caregivers provide an estimated $910 million in economic value to the state, according to AARP Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

AARP expands 'Care for Caregivers' course to more WY communities

November is National Family Caregivers Month and AARP Wyoming is working to meet rising demand for caregiver resources. About 58,000 Wyomingites …

The Wyoming Family Alliance Action's 2024 school board candidate questionnaire asked candidates how much they agree with this statement:

Some WY school board elections echoed national politics

School boards are nonpartisan, but a recent trend in Wyoming shows far-right candidates are bringing national politics to local elections. Public …

Immigrants made up 4.7% of Wyoming's workforce in 2022, according to the American Immigration Council, and paid $151 million in taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Immigrants’ rights training in Jackson this weekend

Immigrants and the agencies that help them are preparing for what could happen when President-elect Donald Trump returns to office. In Wyoming…

Some wins, but more needed for Native artists in WY

A great way to observe National Native American Heritage Month is to support Native artists but some in Wyoming said there are barriers to their expos…

The rise in food costs has slowed in the last year, but prices are still up about 20% from four years ago. (Adobe Stock)

Expert weighs in on holiday grocery budget

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, many Wyomingites are starting to budget for the holidays. When it comes to the cost of food, there's …

According to MSCI, 97% of nickel, 89% of copper, 79% of lithium and 68% of cobalt supplies in the U.S. are located within 35 miles of Native American reservations. (Adobe Stock)

Federal agendas aside, tribes have a lot to offer in 'energy evolution'

President-elect Donald Trump's agenda for "energy dominance" could majorly impact leaders in the sector, including the state of Wyoming and the …

In 2022, total arts and culture compensation in Wyoming topped $1.3 billion, just behind the health care and social assistance industry and the real estate and rental industry, according to a new report. (Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress Collection)

Report: Arts a significant contributor to WY economy

A new report quantifies the contribution of Wyoming's arts and culture sector to the state's economy and shows it is significant. Wyoming in 2022 …

Since 2002, there has been a single case of voter fraud in Wyoming, in which a convicted felon from Alaska managed to cast votes. He was sentenced to two to four years in prison. (Adobe Stock)

Lacking proof, WY official warns of noncitizens voting

Wyoming's secretary of state is asking county clerks to report non-citizens who try to vote, although cases of that - or any other - kind of election …

According to a new University of Wyoming study, nearly 38% of Wyomingites think anyone who wants to vote by mail should be allowed to do so. (Adobe Stock)

WY survey: Voters have more faith in county-level vote counting

Early voter turnout in Wyoming has been high leading up to Election Day, and a survey shows most think local vote counting will be reliable. …

PacifiCorp has committed to retiring just 27% of its coal use by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PacifiCorp has 'room to improve' on clean energy commitments

A new report grades utilities based on their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels. The Sierra Club has graded utilities on their …

According to KFF, roughly 96% of Wyomingites who enrolled in health insurance through the marketplace received an advanced premium tax credit. (Nina Lawrenson/Adobe Stock)

Wyoming 211 connects callers with health insurance help and more

A Wyoming helpline connects callers to a variety of health and human services, including help with health insurance during open enrollment. Olivia …

This election, 16 Democrats are seeking statehouse seats in Wyoming, a drop from a running average since 1998 of 37, according to WyoFile. (Adobe Stock)

WY Democrats ask voters to 'come home'

The number of Wyoming voters registered as Democrats is at a low point and there are few candidates with the party on the ballot. As Election Day …

The ratio of early childhood educators in Wyoming to children ages 0-5 is nearly 12 to 1. (Adobe Stock)

WY child care programs lack support, close 'almost weekly'

Pandemic-era federal aid for early childhood educators expired last month and Wyoming lawmakers this year failed to pass a bill which could have helpe…

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