The extraordinary pace of the Session has almost drawn to a close.

First, the good news. I am thrilled to report that HB 92 Abortion Prohibition-Supreme Court Decision passed through the House (43-16) and through its first reading in the Senate. This “trigger bill” would properly position Wyoming for the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court. When that happens, it would trigger a mechanism that automatically returns protection for the unborn to the status of Wyoming law before 1973.

In a very exciting development, we partnered with pro-life advocates to bring Rebecca Kiessling to Wyoming as an internationally known spokeswoman for those conceived in rape. Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming arranged a press conference with her and bill sponsors. In her testimony before the Senate Labor Committee, Rebecca gave powerful testimony explaining that in the horrible circumstance of rape, we should punish the guilty party, not the innocent. This bill is proceeding through the Senate. We need you to contact your Senator and ask that they pass this vital bill.

But we also have two very sober reports for you.

First, the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” overwhelmingly passed the Senate with 25 out of the 30 Senators voting Aye.  Sadly, the Speaker of the House “pocket vetoed” the bill by keeping it on his desk and not allowing it to be sent to a committee. This bill has broad support from across the population. It isn’t considered Left or Right, Democrat or Republican. It simply protects the opportunities of our young ladies to play on a fair playing field, earn scholarships, and know that Wyoming understands the biological differences between boys and girls. Be assured, we will be bringing this very popular bill back and we are confident that, with new pro-family representatives elected this year, we will not be stymied by House leadership again.

Secondly, after passing the Senate, the Civics Transparency Act likewise was killed in the House.  The Civics Transparency Act is a bill designed to help parents see if theories such as Critical Race Theory or the radical ideas of the Sexual Revolution are present in their children’s classrooms. Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming stands for the principle that schools serve families rather than the other way around. Sadly, when the Speaker of the House designed the House Education Committee, he placed several of the most liberal members in the House on the committee to kill good bills like this. The bill died 5-4 in the Education Committee. We want to thank the sponsors and supporters for their hard work. Until we elect legislators who care more for families than for the education industry, we will continue to see good education policy die.

The powerful news is that all of the bills that FPA supports have passed with large margins when they are given a fair chance to be heard. While we will continue to push against procedural barriers, public support is strong and growing. We will continue to advocate for women, children, and families as the session draws to a close.

Sincerely,

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

With the news echoing around the globe of the brave and defiant stand of the people of Ukraine as they battle for their lives and liberties, it is easy to overlook the very real battles and victories taking place closer to home.

Tuesday was “Crossover Day” in the Wyoming Legislature. Crossover is the point at which a bill that starts in the House of Representatives must be all the way through the process in the House and have “crossed-over” to the Senate or it dies (and vice versa with bills starting in the Senate).

At this point, we are happy to report several wonderful victories!

It is amazing to think that we are just a little over a week away from the end of the 2022 Session of the Wyoming Legislature! So much is happening, and changes take place hourly in Cheyenne.

Know that we are working hard on your behalf, and thank you for the prayer and support during this very busy time!


Nathan Winters & Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming Team

Last week Family Policy Alliance focused on getting eight essential bills out of committee and onto the floor by Friday night. Our constituents coordinated with other family advocates to contact committee members and encourage favorable action. It was time well spent.

The “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” (SF 51) was most openly contested. Progressive lobbyists packed the hearing room in an attempt to run out the clock. But by Wednesday morning, it passed out of committee to join six others that cleared the hurdle.

By Thursday, the focus shifted to working with House and Senate leadership to bring these bills to the floor by Friday’s adjournment. Nathan Winters, Director of Wyoming’s FPA, helped the bill-sponsors to negotiate with decision-makers and shepherd their bills through the process. His advice was invaluable. Many citizens also contacted the leadership and asked for a fair hearing.

Through these joint efforts, “Abortion Prohibition-Supreme Court Decision” (HB 92) was presented to the House and passed its first reading on a solid voice vote. This is, perhaps, the most important pro-life legislation of the year. It anticipates the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. If it does, HB 92 will return Wyoming’s abortion statutes to protect “every member of the human race,” in keeping with Article I, Section 2 of Wyoming’s Constitution.

“Visitation Rights” (HB 27) and “Child Endangering-Controlled Substance Use While Pregnant” (HB 85) were also heard by the full House and easily passed their first readings. HB 27 would prohibit health care facilities from isolating their patients indefinitely to the detriment of emotional and spiritual health. HB 85 protects the unborn child from child-endangerment in the womb.

Only “Human Life-Prohibiting Discriminatory Abortions” (HB 149) died in the speaker’s drawer. On the Senate side, the education bill “Civics Transparency Act” (SF 62) is poised to go to the House.

“Fairness in Women’s Sports” (SF 51) and “Prohibiting Chemical Abortions” (SF 83) were not heard by the time of adjournment on Friday. But surprisingly, leadership is indicating that they may yet be heard on Monday. The two most important and contested bills (HB 92 and SF 51) need your strong support to advance this week.

We anticipate attempts to amend HB 92 to insert “rape and incest exceptions.” Before Roe, Wyoming did not have these exceptions—for good reason. They have never been proven to help women heal from their trauma, but they can add insult to injury. We can educate ourselves on these realities through the resources of the Elliot Institute, which has worked with victims of assault for decades.

SF 51, Fairness in Women’s Sports, is absolutely needed in Wyoming since neither the WHSAA nor the NCAA protects them. It is both sane and necessary to protect women and girls from unfair competition, injury, and indignity.

The Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming Team

Today is a deadline for several important pieces of legislation and we need your help to show support. If these bills are not passed through the Senate or House today, they will die due to an important legislative deadline called “crossover” (when a bill crosses from the Senate to the House or from the House to the Senate).

Three pro-life bills are waiting to be heard, two in the House and one in the Senate. Also waiting in the Senate is a very important bill that protects our young ladies while they play sports.

Please email your legislators on these 4 crucial bills, reach out to them today!


Nathan Winters
Executive Director

Wednesday morning was an extremely active day in the Wyoming Legislature. Five of our Pro-Life, Pro-Family bills were discussed in different committees, and all five passed. Your response has been a tremendous help to the process. Here is a brief discussion of what happened.

Three pro-life bills made it through committee:

Also, two important bills passed the Senate Education Committee today. The first ensures that young ladies have the opportunity to play sports without fear of boys running them over and taking their scholarships away. The second bill allows parents to see the lessons plans of teachers, especially when Critical Race Theory and other Marxist ideas are introduced to their children.

If you have not emailed your legislators on these 5 crucial bills, reach out to them today!


Nathan Winters
Executive Director

 

HOUSE BILLS

HB0037 Juvenile Justice Data Reporting. [Oppose]
 – 02/22/2022 House 3rd Reading: Laid Back  [Action: watch to see what happens]

B0083 Protection of Parental Rights-Application. [Support]
 – 02/22/2022 No Action Reported; still holding on the House General File [Action, if you haven’t e-mailed your Representative, there is time to indicate your support for this bill]

HB0085 Child Endangering-Controlled Substance Use While Pregnant[Support]
– 02/17/2022 Introduced in the House and Referred to H01 – Judiciary (46-13-1-0-0)
– 02/22/2022 No Action Reported [Action: still time to e-mail the Judiciary committee members to urge their support]:

House Judiciary Committee Members

Reason: This bill would de facto recognize the legal status of the “child” in the womb as a living person entitled to protection under the law. Research has consistently shown that the improper use of narcotics and other controlled substances harms unborn children in a variety of ways. Parents should protect their children, not harm them—even in the womb. In essence, this is a type of child endangerment.
 

HB0092 Abortion Prohibition—Supreme Court Decision [Support]
– 02/17/2022 Introduced in the House and Referred to H10 – Labor (42-17-1-0-0)
– 02/22/2022 No Action in Committee Reported [Action: still time to e-mail the Labor committee members to urge their support]:

House Labor Committee Members:

Analysis: Legal analysts on both sides of the aisle have known for decades that Roe v. Wade was one of the Supreme Court’s most unsound decisions. It is only a matter of time before it is overturned. That time could happen already this year. Whenever it happens, sound law based on Wyoming’s Constitution (and not on “penumbras formed by emanations”) needs to be in place. Wyoming’s Constitution states, “In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal” (Art. 1, Sec. 2). Please support HB 92 which reasonably protects the life and liberty of both mother and child.

 

SENATE BILLS

SF0051 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. [Support]
– 02/21/2022 Senate Education Committee Meets at 08:00 AM in the State Capitol Room W110
– 02/22/2022 – Email the Committee to ask them to support SF0051!

Senate Education Committee Members:

Analysis: Athletics, along with arts and sciences, are part of a well-rounded education of body, mind, and spirit. Fifty years ago, Title IX recognized this and leveled the playing field for women to give them the opportunity for equal education. Biological males in women’s sports put women on the bench and muscle them off the podium. Physiological differences in stature, bone density, and musculature also create safety issues on the playing field. Sexual differences make for anxiety in locker rooms and on overnight trips. Equal educational opportunities for women calls on us to recognize all these biological differences and create fair spaces for them to excel in athletics.

Claims have been made that preventing trans-females from participating in women’s sports MAY cause them to commit suicide. The converse may equally as well be true: Biological females who have spent their lives preparing to compete at a high level only to have all their hopes dashed because they have to compete against biological males MAY just as well commit suicide. Any suicide by either group is a tragedy, but protecting one numerically smaller group at the expense of a numerically larger group is morally, ethically and logically unsound. A “win-win” situation must be found to prevent either group from such drastic responses to disappointment. This bill is a FIRST step, but not the only step.

SF0054 Licensed Professional Counselor Compact. [Oppose]
– 02/21/2022 Senate Labor, Health & Social Services  – 07:30AM – Capitol Extension W006
– 02/22/2022 No Action Reported from Committee [Action: still time to e-mail the Labor committee members asking them to oppose passing it]:

Senate Labor Committee Members

Analysis: While the need for more licensed Counselors in Wyoming is very real, this interstate Compact gives away too much power that Wyoming might otherwise have over counselors from outside the state—particularly those providing counseling over the internet or via other telehealth mediums. The discipline of counselors found to be leading children or adolescents astray with LQBTQ or other ultra-liberal suggestions is largely up to the state they were licensed in—not Wyoming. Imagine a counselor licensed in San Francisco “counseling” your child via Zoom over their cell phone and trying to convince them to change their gender–all without you knowing about it! This, of course, is not proper or legal, but taking action against that counselor involves convincing two states (Wyoming and California) as well as the Commission created to oversee the Compact that the counselor should be disciplined. The network used to authorize telehealth has already been tried by Wyoming and found to be problematic. We need more counselors, but not at the risk of endangering our children from out-of-state counselors with ideas that many parents do not agree with.


SF0103 Education-Limitations on Teaching Critical Race History-2 [Support]
– 02/15/2022 Bill Number Assigned
– 02/16/2022 Received in the Senate for Introduction
– 02/17/2022 Introduced in the Senate and Referred to S04 – Education (25-5-0-0-0)
– 02/18/2022 Senate Education Committee: Recommend Amend and Do Pass (5-0-0-0)
– 02/18/2022 Placed on Senate General File
– 02/21/2022 Senate Committee of the Whole: Passed
– 02/22/2022 Senate 2nd Reading: Passed [Action: E-mail your Senator and ask he/she to support the bill on its third reading]

Thanks for taking action on these items and reaching out to our legislature!

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

Dear Wyoming Family friends,

The 2022 Wyoming Legislative Budget session has launched. After the first week, eight bills that directly impact Life, Religious Freedom, and Family Values have made it through the introduction process. Over the next three weeks, our team will keep you informed on the passage of these bills through the legislative process and will ask for your help in reaching out to your legislators along the way.

SF0051 Fairness in women’s sports act.

Athletics, along with arts and sciences, are part of a well-rounded education of body, mind, and spirit. Fifty years ago, Title IX recognized this and leveled the playing field for women to give them the opportunity for equal education.

Biological males in women’s sports put women on the bench and muscle them off the podium. Physiological differences in stature, bone density, and musculature also create safety issues on the playing field. Sexual differences make for anxiety in locker rooms and on overnight trips.

Equal educational opportunities for women calls on us to recognize all these biological differences and create fair spaces for them to excel in athletics.

SF0062 Civics Transparency Act.

Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Countless parents have been alarmed to learn about false and harmful ideas being taught to their children. This bill puts legal authority in the hands of parents to meaningfully monitor the curriculum and the policies of their local school district. It requires the publishing of material and activities used to teach your children. The benefits of this requirement far outweigh the costs to the administration.

The bill also amplifies current law requiring that the historical evils of racism be explicitly taught to future generations. And to explicitly teach that “it is wrong to be unfair to anyone or treat anyone differently due to their race or ethnicity.”

SF0083 Prohibiting chemical abortions.

The abortion pill regimen is among the most invasive and dangerous drugs ever to be put on the market. Its known side effects include severe bleeding, infection, retained fetal parts, and death. The abortion industry, working in concert with Big Pharma, is actively working to shift the burden of risk to women. This is designed to make money from frightened women, and to advance a political agenda. These have no place in responsible, modern medicine. The FDA is totally unmoored from the democratic legislative process, answering only to the bureaucracy tilted toward Big Pharma. Making the abortion pill an over-the-counter drug has radical implications for women’s health and safety, especially as it pertains to intimate partner violence, sexual abuse and sex trafficking, accurate patient assessment, and more.

HB0027 Visitation rights.

With the advent of the Covid crisis, countless hospitals and long-term care facilities made the unilateral decision to prioritize so-called medical sterility over every other consideration of human care. As a result, thousands of patients were deprived of spiritual and emotional care from family, friends, and clergy. These decisions, often made in boardrooms thousands of miles away, gave no avenue for reasonable accommodation, or even for upholding the Patient’s Bill of Rights. Many patients died lonely and many died of loneliness. Wyoming can never permit this to happen again. It has been fully demonstrated that we need a law to prevent this abuse of power.

HB0083 Protection of parental rights-application.

Wyoming law already requires that before the state or any of its agencies can infringe on parental rights, it must prove a “compelling state interest” and do so “in the least restrictive way.” Please support HB 83 because it clarifies that this “strict scrutiny” standard applies both to the judicial and non-judicial judgments of the state, as well as to all domestic relations.

HB0085 Child endangering-controlled substance use while pregnant.

In March of 2020, a Torrington judge dismissed charges against a mother who knowingly abused her child by ingesting illicit drugs while pregnant. The defense alleged that pregnant women are not yet mothers and that unborn children are not yet persons. The state’s prosecutor failed to respond to the motion! This case demonstrates the need for HB 85. While reasonable Wyomingites have every reason to expect that children are protected from abuse in the womb, HB 85 would put the language in statute which would remove any doubt.

HB0092 Abortion prohibition-supreme court decision.

Legal analysts on both sides of the aisle have known for decades that Roe v. Wade was one of the Supreme Court’s most unsound decisions. It is only a matter of time before it is overturned. That time could happen already this year. Whenever it happens, sound law based on Wyoming’s Constitution (and not on “penumbras formed by emanations”) needs to be in place. Wyoming’s Constitution states, “In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal” (Art. 1, Sec. 2). Please support HB 92 which reasonably protects the life and liberty of both mother and child.

HB0149 Human life equality-prohibiting discriminatory abortions.

Sex, Race, Color, National Origin, and Ancestry should never be the reason for ending a person’s life. There is already a nationwide ethical and medical conversation about the propriety of abortion for the sake of a woman’s health. No civil society should bypass the needs of the woman and allow abortion based on undesirable traits of the child.

Watch for our updates and action alerts in the coming days as the legislature progresses through its schedule and considers these and other important measures.

Sincerely,

Nathan Winters, Executive Director
and The Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming Team

Friends,

We have an urgent request for your help.

On Monday, The Wyoming Senate Education Committee will vote to advance a bill that would allow biological girls to compete for sports scholarships on a level playing field. Senate File 51, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,  will protect the promise of Title IX for girls in Wyoming.

In recent weeks, we have seen stories about an Ivy League man dominating women’s swimming events. He has broken women’s records and taken the place of deserving women on the winners’ platform – all because he retains advantages as a biological male, even after receiving hormone treatment. Stories like this one have shown up at all levels of women’s sports. Many parents across the country are now rightly concerned for their daughters’ sports scholarships and educational opportunities.

We in Wyoming can stand up for our girls by standing for Senate File 51. Please send an email to your Senator urging them to vote “Yes” in Senate File 51 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.

You can help ensure the playing field is level for girls’ sports by sending a message to your senator today  – it only takes a moment in our Action Center.

Now is the time to speak up to protect girls’ sports in Wyoming!

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

Those who stand for a state where families thrive, religious freedom flourishes, and life is cherished have 6 reasons to rejoice after the legislative session ended.  Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming tracked 20 separate pieces of legislation, both good and bad, through the Legislative session this year. Thankfully, most of the damaging legislation was stopped and 6 bills have received their final signature from the Governor. One bill still remains on the Governor’s desk awaiting his endorsement.

Bill Number Subject FPA-WY Position Status of the Bill (Committee)
HB 085 Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Image For SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
HB 253 University of Wyoming-ban on funding for abortions For SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
SF 034 Born Alive-Infant Means of Care For SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
SF 087 Voyeurism Amendments For SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
SF 096 Homicide Amendments For SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
SF 130 Charter Schools For Governor’s Desk

 

The session was very successful, and it has been wonderful to watch a number of new legislators stand strong for biblical values. In the coming weeks we will provide you details of how the legislators stood on Life, Liberty and Family Values.

Thank you again for your support and it is a blessing to partner together to encourage the historic values that made our nation great in the halls of Wyoming government.

Sincerely,

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

A powerful bill protecting live babies has passed the Legislature! Senate File 34 (Born-Alive-Infant Means of Care) is an important bill that affirms a simple truth: babies born alive after an attempted abortion deserve the same right to medical care as any other infant.

Last year, a similar bill passed with supermajorities in both houses of the legislature, yet the Governor vetoed the bill at the last minute.

This year, the bill was slightly modified and resubmitted as Senate File 34 (Born Alive Infant-Means of Care). It passed with even more votes than last year!

This year, 26 of 30 Senators and 48 of 60 Representatives voted to pass the bill. This was a gain of 3 votes in the Senate and 4 votes in the House of Representatives.

But now we need your support. We need you to email the Governor of Wyoming and ask him to endorse Senate file 34 (Born Alive-Infant Means of Care). It only takes a minute at our Action Center. Click here to send a message now!

Let’s make sure that this time, the bill becomes law.

Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming’s mission is and will always be to defend the lives of the most vulnerable among us. We will continue to advance citizenship where life is cherished, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and God is honored.

Thank you to every state legislator and the numerous people from across Wyoming who worked tirelessly on this legislation. Last year’s veto only showed us even more the need for us to stand alongside and partner with elected officials that also choose to defend the lives of the most vulnerable. And now, we prayerfully hope that with your help the Governor will choose to sign this bill. Please send the Governor a message today.

 

Thank you for standing with us!

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

 

P.S. Now is the time to contact the Governor. Please do so today! After you’ve sent him a message, you can also call him at (307) 777-7434.