by Charles Katebi The Department of Veterans Affairs is the perfect example of socialized healthcare. The federal government owns all the hospitals, employs all the staff, and leaves patients to languish and sometimes die on waitlists. A year after news broke that VA hospitals kept veterans waiting months to see a doctor, including in Wyoming, the ...

As the minerals boom turned to bust, so did the revenue supporting big government in Wyoming. Now our politicians have a choice. Should they: cut spending back to a level Wyoming taxpayers can afford;use revenues hoarded in savings accounts to continue spending at ever higher levels until savings run out, or;give money to private companies to magic...

The opponents of the Transfer of Public Lands (TPL) from the federal government to the states use several arguments against the proposal. Two of them are: The states can't manage their public lands.The states will sell off the public lands for development. Really? Tell that to Adirondack Park in upstate New York. Adirondack Park was set up by the N...

Wyoming Voters Say Individuals Make Better Spending Decisions than Government Introduction The Wyoming government depends overwhelmingly on the minerals industry to fund its activities. The minerals industry, however, is a source of cyclical revenue; when revenues rise, so does government spending and hording. When revenues fall, politicians look t...

by Charles Katebi Contrary to the claim of Obamacare's supporters, patients have too much access to healthcare. When insurers cover most of our bills, we're encouraged to take every test and procedure our doctors recommend, regardless of their value. Obamacare has made this problem even worse by banning out-of-pocket fees for many services. The pus...

The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) enables a number of programs that funnel tax dollars to private companies. When the WBC asked the State Loan and Investment Board for a $1.35 million grant for a Wyoming town to benefit a private company, McGinley Orthopaedic Innovations, the Board rubber stamped it, as expected. This is but one example of a corpo...

Governments everywhere favor some companies over others by showering them with other people's money. In Wyoming, the constitution forbids legislators from giving tax dollars away directly, but this hasn't stopped indirect giveaways. One giveaway is called Public Purpose Investment, or PPI. Although sold on the basis of its supposed benefits, these ...

by Wyoming Liberty Staff Our founding Fathers understood the importance of an independent executive branch of government. The Cheyenne City Council however, is preparing to ask citizens to vote on a City Charter amendment that would create an appointed administrator to replace the independent, strong mayor for most executive functions. The appointe...

by Tom Rose During my research into non-judicial approaches to promoting good juvenile behavior, I discovered a tool which is currently very popular nationwide. Is this an appropriate tool in Wyoming? The findings are mixed and I'll share what I found on both sides of the issue. The tool is a behavioral contract and it is being used in schools and ...

by Charles Katebi When we walk into a hospital, we have access to a cornucopia of different tests, procedures, and specialists. What we will hardly ever see is how much all of this costs. When insurers pay most of the bill, patients have no incentive to find the best deal, and hospitals are more than happy to keep their cost hidden. Now a revolutio...

by Tom Rose As we have been exploring together in recent weeks, the proposed decriminalization of status offenses in Wyoming will be positive change for our juvenile justice system. This needed change will also leave several problem behaviors in justice limbo. From truancy to tobacco and alcohol consumption the status offense behaviors are dangerou...

As dreams of palaces turn into nightmares, Wyoming's Capitol renovation project muddles along to fiscal disaster. After paying millions to design and architectural consultants and having state employees work on the project for more than a year, the committee has decided it's time to hire someone to manage the project. But instead of hiring someone ...

by Tom Rose Last week I wrote about some trends in truancy laws and how truancy fits into the status offense decriminalization issues for Wyoming. Although most legislators with whom I speak about status crimes and other juvenile justice issues are well informed, I still run into people who are unaware that Wyoming regularly jails status offenders ...

by Charles Katebi Governor Mead is by no stretch of the imagination a visionary government reformer. However, he took a big step towards expanding healthcare access in Wyoming by signing the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact into law. This will allow out-of-state physicians to practice medicine in Wyoming and lower healthcare costs for patients....

by Wyoming Liberty Staff In her big speech on economic policy on July 13, Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton outline a vision for expanding the American welfare state. At 17:45 into the video, Mrs. Clinton summarizes her entitlement agenda: Fair pay and fair scheduling, paid family leave and earned sick days, child care are essential t...

by Tom Rose In a recent Law Commentary article out of Texas, Research Associate Jason Snead of the Heritage Foundation highlights an anticipated change in Texas' truancy laws. According to the article, Texas has prosecuted over 100,000 juveniles for Class C misdemeanors merely for truancy. Although my own research completely contradicts Mr. Snead's...

by Wyoming Liberty Staff Ever since Colorado decided to legalize marijuana there has been an increasingly intense discussion in Wyoming over whether or not the Cowboy State should go the same way. Some people have (for unclear reasons) confidently, consistently, told us that it can never happen here. However, as I explained last year, whenever ther...

by Wyoming Liberty Staff The United States Supreme Court unanimously struck down a town's sign regulations in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona because the regulations violated the First Amendment's free speech guarantee. In so doing, the Court reminded Americans and their local governments that First Amendment free speech rights are foundational to...

by Wyoming Liberty Staff When the Colonies broke away from King George III and his British Empire, the driving force was to unshackle everyone, rich or poor, from the tyranny of an authoritarian monarchy. It is often, and rightly so, noted that American independence created an era of unprecedented entrepreneurial freedom. This in turn resulted in l...

More than 50 years ago Bernard DeVoto uttered perhaps the truest statement ever made with respect to the public lands and the rural West; the actual western view of the place of the federal government, DeVoto explained, is: "Go away and give us more money." Robert H. Nelson, Our Languishing Public Lands, Policy Review, February & March 2012. Th...