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ELECTION 2020-WYOMING-HOUSE

Democrat from Ryan Park running for Wyoming U.S. House seat

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A man who has split his time between Wyoming and teaching overseas is running for the state’s lone U.S. House seat. Forty-four-year-old Carl Beach is so far one of two little-known Democrats competing for the job in Wyoming. Also running is Carol Hafner, of South Dakota, who ran for Alaska’s U.S. House seat in 2018. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Beach has taught over a 20-year period in places including Germany and Thailand. Beach presently calls the Medicine Bow Mountains enclave of Ryan Park home. Two-term incumbent Rep. U.S. Liz Cheney is so far unopposed in seeking the Republican nomination.

WYOMING SCHOOL-OFFENSIVE FLYERS

Wyoming school defends withholding report judge ruled public

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming school official is defending his decision to withhold an investigative report that a judge has ruled is a public record. The judge ordered the release of the report into bullying and harassment at a Cheyenne junior high school, where racist and homophobic flyers were posted last year. School District Superintendent Boyd Brown said Tuesday he worries the release of the report could prevent students from coming forward or participating in such investigations in the future out of fear that their information could be released to the public. The judge plans to black out the names of people in the report before it is made public.

WILD HORSE PLAN

Agency taking public comment for Wyoming wild horse plan

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) — The federal Bureau of Land Management is holding a public comment period concerning a draft resource management plan for wild horses in southwest Wyoming. The Rocket-Miner reported the draft could lead to the removal of 74% of the wild horses in four herd management areas, including all of those in the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop area. The bureau’s High Desert District is also holding a public comment period for an associated draft environmental impact statement. Public comments are scheduled to be closed for both drafts April 30.

WYOMING SCHOOL-OFFENSIVE FLYERS

Judge orders release of report on offensive school flyers

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming judge has ordered the release of a school district’s investigative report after racist and homophobic flyers were posted at a Cheyenne junior high school. The report details the investigation into claims of bullying and harassment at the school beyond the March 2019 flyers. The Laramie County judge's order sides with news organizations and an open-government advocacy group that had argued the report is a public record. Officials with Laramie County School District No. 1 argued unsuccessfully the report was attorney-client privilege and should be protected from public release. The judge plans to black out people's identifying information before he releases the report.

WYOMING LEGISLATURE

Wyoming legislators consider 1st special session since 2004

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming lawmakers are considering holding their first special legislative session since 2004. The session would be held to decide what to do with $1.25 billon in federal stimulus money coming to the state, and to confront other issues brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports It’s not clear how lawmakers would convene a session. Gov. Mark Gordon has the ability to call an emergency session to convene outside of the Capitol, which would allow lawmakers to meet via a virtual format. The Legislature also has the constitutional power to call itself in, but that route requires the session be held in Cheyenne.

CASPER KILLING-STAND YOUR GROUND

Court upholds murder dismissal in test of self-defense law

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of a murder case that became a test of the state’s expanded self-defense law. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the court on Monday sided with Jason T. John. John was accused of fatally shooting Wesley Willow nine times with an AR-15 rifle during a confrontation at John’s trailer home in August 2018. A new law at that time provided immunity from prosecution for a person who acted under the “stand-your-ground” and “castle doctrine" principles. The high court ruled that a lower judge applied the wrong standard in dismissing the case, but that John was immune under the new laws, anyway.