December 14, 2020 From the Casper-Star Tribune Topping the long list of profound challenges we’ve all faced in 2020, we’re now witnessing a coordinated national-level campaign to undermine our basic, essential faith in our country’s system of elections. Some elected leaders at the highest levels — people charged with upholding the U.S. Constitution and standing up for the truths we …
News
Opinion: The problem of public access during a pandemic
December 9, 2020 From Chris Merrill for WyoFile If there was ever a more important time for government transparency and public access and participation at the Wyoming Legislature, I can’t think of it. Since July, the state’s already lean budget has been cut by an additional 15% — with health, education and family services taking the biggest hits. Those cuts, so easy …
Faithless Electors
November 30, 2020 Faithless Electors is part of ESPC’s How Does the Process Work? Series You’ve read about the process to nominator the Electors who select the President. You’ve read about all the key dates in the Electoral College in 2020. Now we want you to know about “faithless electors.” What are they? Or, who are they? According to the …
Nominating Electors
November 30, 2020 Nominating Electors is part of ESPC’s How Does the Process Work? Series The Electoral College is a unique method for indirectly electing the president of the United States. It was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution and modified by the 12th and 23rd Amendments. The Electoral College consists of a total of 538 members, one for each U.S. …
The Electoral College in 2020
November 30, 2020 The Electoral College in 2020 is part of ESPC’s How Does the Process Work? Series We wrote about the election, your ballot, and the process of casting that ballot in our “Unpacking Your Ballot” series pre-election. But there is just as much to talk about post-election. Lately, there has been a *lot* of talk about the Electoral …
After the Voting Ends: Canvassing & Certifying
November 30, 2020 We’re kicking off a new series How Does the Process Work? with information about what happens *after* you vote in a presidential election. Thanks to the great team at the National Conference on State Legislatures, we’re able to bring you in-depth information about the entire process. Check out other parts of the series on the Electoral College …
ESPC’s Position on Delaying the 2021 General Session
November 23, 2020 On November 24, the Wyoming State Legislature’s Management Council will decide whether to postpone the upcoming legislative session—which is scheduled to begin on January 12—until later this spring. As part of that discussion, they’ll consider this recent memo from the Legislative Services Office detailing the staff’s recommendations for postponing the session. Today we sent out a reminder …
Why Transparency Matters
November 20, 2020 Transparency experts on our latest People’s Review: LIVE! had a lot to dig into as they talked about how to ensure Wyomingites aren’t being shut out of the legislative process at a time when COVID-19 is changing the way lawmakers hold meetings and how citizens can participate. Panelists kicked off the discussion with the November 19 Legislative …
Shut Out? Ensuring Public Access to Lawmakers—Even in a Pandemic
November 17, 2020 LARAMIE, Wyo — As part of its monthly People’s Review: Live! online series, the nonpartisan Equality State Policy Center will host a panel of transparency experts to discuss the importance of ensuring the public can observe and have access to lawmakers during the 2021 General Session. “As the Legislature makes plans to meet at the Capitol for the upcoming …
Tell Revenue Committee: Cuts Alone Won’t Save Us
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has just announced an additional round of cuts to the state’s already lean budget. Since July, Wyoming’s spending has been reduced by 15 percent—with significant hits to key health, education, and family services. Those reductions translate to real lives impacted: much needed services no longer available, jobs lost, paychecks gone. The governor’s announcement makes this week’s meeting of the Joint Revenue …