Vote for lawmakers who want to address Wyoming's key issues

As you prepare to cast your votes for state lawmakers in Tuesday’s primary election, stop and ask yourself one key question: Will this person work hard to solve Wyoming’s main problems, or are they too focused on hot-button national issues?

There are related questions, of course, including:

• Does this person even understand the main issues that Wyoming residents care about?
• How long have they lived in the state, and have they taken the time to get to know longtime residents and the state’s culture?
• If they haven’t been in the Cowboy State long, why did they move here? Was it because their previous state didn’t fit their political beliefs and they’re trying to shape Wyoming into their ideological utopia?
• Even if they’re a Wyoming native, do they really have the state’s best interests at heart?
• How willing do they seem to be to work with fellow legislators in order to achieve results for Wyoming residents?
• Have they either sent out or failed to speak out against attack mailers during their campaign? Do those mailers seem to accurately reflect what you know about the person being attacked?
• Did they pay you a personal visit, and, if so, did they take the time to listen to your questions and concerns?

All of these questions have become increasingly important as the state Legislature grows more ineffective. Fingers have been pointed in a lot of directions, but the bottom line is that too often, valuable time is spent debating topics that don’t impact 99% of the state’s less than 600,000 residents.

Looking for quality health care for your low-income family? Sorry, but Wyoming’s lawmakers don’t have any answers for you. But if you’re concerned about a random transgender child using the wrong bathroom in your kid’s public school, you can bet state legislators have debated the issue.

Want state leaders who will help communities address the growing problem of lack of affordable housing? They’re likely harder to find than those eager to shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the University of Wyoming.

Hoping to elect a state senator or representative who truly cares about you and your family, even if you aren’t a member of their political party or think the same way they do? You’d better do your homework.

That’s because the trend in recent years has been to elect people who value gamesmanship over practicality. Most are members of the House Freedom Caucus or are senators who agree with its positions on issues ranging from abortion access to DEI programs to LGBTQ+ rights. Many are what we used to call “carpetbaggers,” people who call themselves “political refugees” from states that weren’t as extreme as they wanted them to be.

The problem for longtime Wyoming residents is that these folks view the large square state with the lowest population in the country as an easy target. They see a place where they can move in, spend a relatively small amount on a campaign for state-level office, convince their future constituents that they have their best interests in mind and get elected.

At the same time, likeminded Wyomingites see an opportunity. As some outside influencers, including those with deep pockets, seek to have an impact on Equality State politics, they’re jumping at the chance to join them.

The results speak for themselves. When was the last time you received a flyer in the mail or an email from an elected official asking you to show up and share your thoughts about the future of water in the state? How often do you hear from your senator or representative, other than when they’re asking for your vote? Do you think the people trying to unseat them will do any better? If so, vote for them.

As we said here a couple of weeks ago, it’s time for all of us to stop focusing on the topics we see and hear on CNN, Fox News, social media and political podcasts. Instead, we need to educate ourselves about the issues that affect our daily lives, then ask our current and would-be politicians what they plan to do to solve those problems.

If they say, “I’ll have to research that a little more,” then return to the national hot-button issues, it’s time to tune them out and turn our attention to someone else. If Wyoming is going to diversify its economy, attract companies that pay a living wage and address the lack of affordable housing, we need to stop allowing ourselves to be bullied, and start voicing our opinions loudly and clearly.

And since many of these state legislative seats will be decided Tuesday, there’s no time to waste. Before you cast your vote, make sure you’re voting for people who truly want to work hard for you and your neighbors.