In a historic first, sitting Governor Mead narrowly avoided being censured at the state Republican Party's convention. The proposal was advanced by those upset with his support of the Common Core education standards and his having signed SF104, redefining the duties of the Superintendent of Education, which the Wyoming Supreme Court found unconstitutional.
The fact that a sitting governor would even be faced with such a motion, let alone that it would receive so much support from party activists, shows how split the state's GOP presently is. It's been noted over time that the demise of the Democratic Party in Wyoming might serve to develop rifts in the GOP, which has no effective opposition. It seems clear now that there is a deep divide between what is sometimes referred to as "Tea Party" elements in the party and more traditional conservative and moderate elements.
Showing posts with label Wyoming history in the making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wyoming history in the making. Show all posts
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Wyoming History In The Making: Chess moves at the department of education, Apriil 8-9, 2014
Earlier this week Wyoming's Attorney General announced that the State would be willing to stipulate to the unconstitutionality of all of SF104 save for five relatively minor matters, and also allow Superintendent Cindy Hill to return to work while these were being litigated out. The following day Hill, who has been complaining that the Governor's office has been blocking her efforts to return to work declined, thereby keeping her own self from returning to work. Late yesterday the Governor's office reacted with surprise.
I must say that while I generally abstain from commenting on these matters, her decision was exactly what I predicted. It's also a mistake as it lends credence to her opponents feelings that she's an unyielding absolutist. The remaining issues are indeed minor and she could have resumed her duties nearly immediately.
Of course she's also presently a candidate for the Governor's office, and by remaining out of office she's free to campaign. I don't know that this figures into her reasoning, I doubt it, but it will undoubtedly occur to others who will point it out, to her detriment, later on.
It's also evidence of the growing split in the State's GOP, which is now sharply divided in some county's between Tea Party supporters and the traditional GOP. Recently two counties censured Governor Mead, an extraordinary event in the State's history. Only the fact that the state's Democratic Party is so weak as to be nearly a non player in most elections will keep this from being a factor in the general election, but it is suggestive of a maxim that when a political party has no real opposition, it begins to split into more than one party itsefl.
I must say that while I generally abstain from commenting on these matters, her decision was exactly what I predicted. It's also a mistake as it lends credence to her opponents feelings that she's an unyielding absolutist. The remaining issues are indeed minor and she could have resumed her duties nearly immediately.
Of course she's also presently a candidate for the Governor's office, and by remaining out of office she's free to campaign. I don't know that this figures into her reasoning, I doubt it, but it will undoubtedly occur to others who will point it out, to her detriment, later on.
It's also evidence of the growing split in the State's GOP, which is now sharply divided in some county's between Tea Party supporters and the traditional GOP. Recently two counties censured Governor Mead, an extraordinary event in the State's history. Only the fact that the state's Democratic Party is so weak as to be nearly a non player in most elections will keep this from being a factor in the general election, but it is suggestive of a maxim that when a political party has no real opposition, it begins to split into more than one party itsefl.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Wyoming History in the Making: Hill Bill Special Legislative Session dead for now
The bill to extend the legislature's stay in Cheyenne into a Special Session died today when the bill failed to be acted on in time, in part because leadership chose to let it die rather than act in what they regarded as haste.
So, for now at least, no Special Legislative Session is on the immediate horizon.
So, for now at least, no Special Legislative Session is on the immediate horizon.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Febaruary 28: Wyoming Supreme Court rejects Hill rehearing
The Wyoming Supreme Court, in a 3 to 2 decision, rejected the Petition of the State of Wyoming to rehear its recent decision in the case filed against it by Cindy Hill. This leaves the existing decision standing, sending this matter back to the District Court for entry of an order. If the statute is not amended, which it appears likely to be, this will return Hill to her prior duties.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wyoming History in the Making: 2014 Legislature now likely to go into special session.
It now appears to be a near certainty that the Legislature shall convene a special session, immediately following the termination of the budget session, this year.
All special sessions are historic events. This one may be particularly notable as it arises in such unusual circumstances. The expressed goal of the special session, should it occur, would be to pass new legislation to fix the bill that resulted in changes to the state's education department, and more specifically to the role of the elected head of that department. The Supreme Court found the statute passed last year to be unconstitutional and the Governor's office has authorized a petition for a rehearing. The Legislature now seems disinclined to wait for the results of the rehearing. Whether the Legislature will also consider a bill of impeachment for Cindy Hill remains an open question.
All special sessions are historic events. This one may be particularly notable as it arises in such unusual circumstances. The expressed goal of the special session, should it occur, would be to pass new legislation to fix the bill that resulted in changes to the state's education department, and more specifically to the role of the elected head of that department. The Supreme Court found the statute passed last year to be unconstitutional and the Governor's office has authorized a petition for a rehearing. The Legislature now seems disinclined to wait for the results of the rehearing. Whether the Legislature will also consider a bill of impeachment for Cindy Hill remains an open question.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Wyoming History In The Making: Enzi out raised Cheney in the last quarter.
A recent article in the Casper Star Tribune reveals that Mike Enzi's campaign raised more money than Liz Cheney's in the last quarter, prior to her dropping out of the race. And not only is that the case, but her campaign was, by that time, deficit spending. Of those contributing in the last quarter, only 48 were from Wyoming, while over 400 were from out of state. Enzi did take PAC money, while Cheney, who said she would not, did not.
This is the second of a recent set of articles I've read in which analyst looked at Cheney's campaign as to why it seemingly failed. The most surprising one was in The New Republic. Typically these articles never really seem to grasp Wyoming politics and come to what seem to me to be erroneous conclusions. TNR's author seemed to think that Cheney had put Enzi in a bad spot by expecting, the author maintained, Enzi not to run and that Cheney would simply be an inevitable choice. Once he ran, Wyomingites, the author maintained, were offended by the cheekiness of the assumption. The most recent article in the Tribune quotes some analyst stating that the Cheney funding misfortunes were not a factor in her dropping out. I suspect neither of those points were correct.
Rather, what I think is obvious from inside the State is that Cheney never seriously had a chance, but failed to recognize that. Enzi is a popular politician. Moreover, there was never any real reason to feel that Cheney had any widespread support. This is not to say that she lacked support completely, that would not be true, but it was never widespread.
She seems to have overestimated what the Cheney family name would mean, which perhaps is not surprising but shows a level of disconnect with the State. Wyomingites can be enthusiastic about some candidates, but generally they tend to focus in on their effectiveness or perceived effectiveness and often don't really have any genuine love for the candidates themselves. For that reason, I suspect that Dick Cheney's place in the State is a little more subtle than outsiders, including Liz Cheney who really basically amounts to an outsider, suspect. Dick Cheney rose to the House from Wyoming under fairly unique circumstances and ultimately that worked out very well for him, but it might not mean that people ever held him up personally as somebody that they hugely admired. That he was successful was something that people admired, but I don't know that people ever strongly thought of him as a "native son" as outside pundits like to portray. With Liz Cheney her long residence outside of the State, her being a Virginia lawyer married to another Virginia lawyer, and her need to demonstrate that she had roots in the state, which had to be demonstrated through her mother rather than her father (Dick Cheney is not from Wyoming, but Nebraska, coming here as a teenager) tended to point that out.
My suspicion is that once the tale of the tape started to come in funding wise, and it became obvious that Enzi was out pollling her and was going to continue to do so, she made the wise choice and dropped out, but in a manner that keeps her options over, should her political fortunes later look a bit better.
This is the second of a recent set of articles I've read in which analyst looked at Cheney's campaign as to why it seemingly failed. The most surprising one was in The New Republic. Typically these articles never really seem to grasp Wyoming politics and come to what seem to me to be erroneous conclusions. TNR's author seemed to think that Cheney had put Enzi in a bad spot by expecting, the author maintained, Enzi not to run and that Cheney would simply be an inevitable choice. Once he ran, Wyomingites, the author maintained, were offended by the cheekiness of the assumption. The most recent article in the Tribune quotes some analyst stating that the Cheney funding misfortunes were not a factor in her dropping out. I suspect neither of those points were correct.
Rather, what I think is obvious from inside the State is that Cheney never seriously had a chance, but failed to recognize that. Enzi is a popular politician. Moreover, there was never any real reason to feel that Cheney had any widespread support. This is not to say that she lacked support completely, that would not be true, but it was never widespread.
She seems to have overestimated what the Cheney family name would mean, which perhaps is not surprising but shows a level of disconnect with the State. Wyomingites can be enthusiastic about some candidates, but generally they tend to focus in on their effectiveness or perceived effectiveness and often don't really have any genuine love for the candidates themselves. For that reason, I suspect that Dick Cheney's place in the State is a little more subtle than outsiders, including Liz Cheney who really basically amounts to an outsider, suspect. Dick Cheney rose to the House from Wyoming under fairly unique circumstances and ultimately that worked out very well for him, but it might not mean that people ever held him up personally as somebody that they hugely admired. That he was successful was something that people admired, but I don't know that people ever strongly thought of him as a "native son" as outside pundits like to portray. With Liz Cheney her long residence outside of the State, her being a Virginia lawyer married to another Virginia lawyer, and her need to demonstrate that she had roots in the state, which had to be demonstrated through her mother rather than her father (Dick Cheney is not from Wyoming, but Nebraska, coming here as a teenager) tended to point that out.
My suspicion is that once the tale of the tape started to come in funding wise, and it became obvious that Enzi was out pollling her and was going to continue to do so, she made the wise choice and dropped out, but in a manner that keeps her options over, should her political fortunes later look a bit better.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Wyoming HIstory In the Making: "Hill" Bills intorduced, and one passes Senate. February 13, 2014.
Two bills seeking to address the situation by the Wyoming Supreme Court's ruling that the restructuring of the state Department of Education was unconstitutional have been introduced, and one has passed so far.
One bill simply seeks to reverse the prior bill, essentially restoring the situation to the status quo ante. The other, however, the one that passed, seeks to form a committee to study the decision, in anticipation of a potential Special Legislative Session, passed the Senate.
One bill simply seeks to reverse the prior bill, essentially restoring the situation to the status quo ante. The other, however, the one that passed, seeks to form a committee to study the decision, in anticipation of a potential Special Legislative Session, passed the Senate.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Wyoming History in the Making: January 6, 2014, Liz Cheney drops out of U.S. Senate race.
Liz Cheney dropped out of the primary campaign for the U.S. Senate citing a health concern within her family. While some rumors indicate that one of her children has developed diabetes, always a serious disease and a particularly worrisome one in children, no official news has disclosed what that concern is.
Cheney, the daughter of former controversial Vice President Dick Cheney, mounted a controversial historic challenge of popular incumbent Mike Enzi. Seeking to find a ground to stand against Enzi, she tacked to the right of Cheney in a campaign which drew a lot of attention, but at the time of her withdrawal was clearly failing.
While an internal party challenge to a sitting incumbent member of Congress from Wyoming isn't unusual, one that is such a serious effort is. It is undoubtedly the most expensive such effort ever mounted in the state, and it started stunningly early. While Cheney failed to gain enough adherents by this stage to make her primary election likely, she did polarize the GOP in the state, which seems to be emerging from a long period of internal unity, and which also seems to be beginning to move away from the Tea Party elements within it, much like the national party is. This could be the beginning of an interesting political era within the state or at least within the state's GOP.
It also served to bring up distinct arguments about who is entitled to run in Wyoming, with Liz Cheney's campaign apparently badly underestimating the degree of state identity born by many Wyomingites. Voters appeared to not accept Cheney as a Wyomingite based upon her long absence from the state and appear to have also misinterpreted Wyoming's long re-election cycle for her father as a species of deep person admiration, rather than an admiration of effectiveness. Late in the campaign she was forced to introduce television advertisements which did nothing other than to point out her family's connection (through her mother, her father was born in Nebraska and spent his early years there) to the state and which were silent on her career as a Virginia lawyer married to a man who is still a Virginia lawyer.
All in all, this early primary effort will likely remain a fairly unique historical episode in the state's history, but potentially one with some long term impacts.
Cheney, the daughter of former controversial Vice President Dick Cheney, mounted a controversial historic challenge of popular incumbent Mike Enzi. Seeking to find a ground to stand against Enzi, she tacked to the right of Cheney in a campaign which drew a lot of attention, but at the time of her withdrawal was clearly failing.
While an internal party challenge to a sitting incumbent member of Congress from Wyoming isn't unusual, one that is such a serious effort is. It is undoubtedly the most expensive such effort ever mounted in the state, and it started stunningly early. While Cheney failed to gain enough adherents by this stage to make her primary election likely, she did polarize the GOP in the state, which seems to be emerging from a long period of internal unity, and which also seems to be beginning to move away from the Tea Party elements within it, much like the national party is. This could be the beginning of an interesting political era within the state or at least within the state's GOP.
It also served to bring up distinct arguments about who is entitled to run in Wyoming, with Liz Cheney's campaign apparently badly underestimating the degree of state identity born by many Wyomingites. Voters appeared to not accept Cheney as a Wyomingite based upon her long absence from the state and appear to have also misinterpreted Wyoming's long re-election cycle for her father as a species of deep person admiration, rather than an admiration of effectiveness. Late in the campaign she was forced to introduce television advertisements which did nothing other than to point out her family's connection (through her mother, her father was born in Nebraska and spent his early years there) to the state and which were silent on her career as a Virginia lawyer married to a man who is still a Virginia lawyer.
All in all, this early primary effort will likely remain a fairly unique historical episode in the state's history, but potentially one with some long term impacts.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
New Feature: Wyoming History In The Making
In addition to continuing to post items on individual episodes of Wyoming's rich history here, we will are also starting a new feature in which we'll note something of significant present historical interest.
This is a bit tough, we realize, as many, many stories turn out to be hugely historically significant without that being realized at the time. When the Chinese and Japanese fell into war in 1932, for example, who would have appreciated the extent that this would play into the global tragedy of World War II, or that it would lead to the fall of the Nationalist government in 1947, giving rise to Red China. It turned out to be enormously significant, but at the time it was probably most viewed as a big, but not earth shaking, tragedy.
Anyhow, we'll try to note some stories from time to time that we think will at least have some historical value. That is, they'd be the type of thing you would expect to find on this website in some future daily entry.
This is a bit tough, we realize, as many, many stories turn out to be hugely historically significant without that being realized at the time. When the Chinese and Japanese fell into war in 1932, for example, who would have appreciated the extent that this would play into the global tragedy of World War II, or that it would lead to the fall of the Nationalist government in 1947, giving rise to Red China. It turned out to be enormously significant, but at the time it was probably most viewed as a big, but not earth shaking, tragedy.
Anyhow, we'll try to note some stories from time to time that we think will at least have some historical value. That is, they'd be the type of thing you would expect to find on this website in some future daily entry.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
December 3
1762 France ceded to Spain all lands west of the Mississippi.
1866 Nelson Story and his hands arrive in the Gallitin Valley thereby completing the first cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The drive in its final stages was completed against order from the Army, after he passed Ft. Phil Kearney, due to Indian hostilities. His men engaged in fights with the Indians along the way. The result of his efforts was the establishment of a successful Montana ranch a good four years prior to another drive of this type.
1867 The first soldier to be interred at the Ft. D. A. Russell Cemetery was.
1877 Former Wyoming Territorial Governor John Campbell appointed American Consul at Basel, Switzerland.
1888 Ella Watson applied for the WT brand. Her application was rejected.
1890 School was canceled in Rawlins due to insufficient water for the school's boiler. Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.
1899 A fire at Ft. Washakie destroyed three buildings. Ft. Washakie was still an Army utilized installation at that time, as well as being the seat of government for the Wind River Reservation, which it still is.
1901 US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a speech to the House of Representatives asking the Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".
1916 The Cheyenne State Leader for December 3, 1916. Carranza sets to take on Villa and Teachers take on booze.
On Sunday December 3, readers in Cheyenne were perhaps a bit relieved to find that Carranza's forces seemed to be rallying, perhaps meaning that National Guardsmen at the border wouldn't be finding Villistas crossing back over into the United States.
At the same time, teachers came out in favor of Prohibition.
That doesn't really surprise me, and indeed strikes me as natural. I'm not a teetotaler but its rather obvious that alcohol creates a flood of societal problems, quite a few of which teachers have to deal with daily.
Along those lines, it amazes me that in our current era we've not only come to regard the concerns that lead to Prohibition as being quaint and naive, but we're out trying to legalize ever intoxicant we can. Related back to the concerns of the teachers in 1916, just this past week a 19 year old died in this town of, it appears, complications due to the ingestion of an illegal drug. It would seem that the intoxicants that are legal now are quite enough really.
1918 December 3, 1918: Americans in Germany, Wilson to Europe, Women out the workplace door.
1919 December 3, 1919. The Carlisle News Hits the Press.
It was a sad end, as we related yesterday.
And already it was noted his wound was not fatal.
And so this phase of the story concluded.
1924 Oil strike near Lovell.
1944 It was reported that a serviceman from Tensleep had asked for his mother to send coffee. Attribution, Wyoming State Archives.
1979 A Western airlines 737 bound for Sheridan landed by mistake at Buffalo.
2014 Colorado's Governor Hickenlooper apologized to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for Colorado's actions leading to the November 29, 1864 Sand Creek Massacre.
1866 Nelson Story and his hands arrive in the Gallitin Valley thereby completing the first cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The drive in its final stages was completed against order from the Army, after he passed Ft. Phil Kearney, due to Indian hostilities. His men engaged in fights with the Indians along the way. The result of his efforts was the establishment of a successful Montana ranch a good four years prior to another drive of this type.
1867 The first soldier to be interred at the Ft. D. A. Russell Cemetery was.
1877 Former Wyoming Territorial Governor John Campbell appointed American Consul at Basel, Switzerland.
1888 Ella Watson applied for the WT brand. Her application was rejected.
1890 School was canceled in Rawlins due to insufficient water for the school's boiler. Attribution: Wyoming State Historical Society.
1899 A fire at Ft. Washakie destroyed three buildings. Ft. Washakie was still an Army utilized installation at that time, as well as being the seat of government for the Wind River Reservation, which it still is.
1901 US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a speech to the House of Representatives asking the Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".
1916 The Cheyenne State Leader for December 3, 1916. Carranza sets to take on Villa and Teachers take on booze.
On Sunday December 3, readers in Cheyenne were perhaps a bit relieved to find that Carranza's forces seemed to be rallying, perhaps meaning that National Guardsmen at the border wouldn't be finding Villistas crossing back over into the United States.
At the same time, teachers came out in favor of Prohibition.
That doesn't really surprise me, and indeed strikes me as natural. I'm not a teetotaler but its rather obvious that alcohol creates a flood of societal problems, quite a few of which teachers have to deal with daily.
Along those lines, it amazes me that in our current era we've not only come to regard the concerns that lead to Prohibition as being quaint and naive, but we're out trying to legalize ever intoxicant we can. Related back to the concerns of the teachers in 1916, just this past week a 19 year old died in this town of, it appears, complications due to the ingestion of an illegal drug. It would seem that the intoxicants that are legal now are quite enough really.
1918 December 3, 1918: Americans in Germany, Wilson to Europe, Women out the workplace door.
Col Charles Howland and staff, Germany, December 3, 1918. Note the Chaplain, far left.
12th Division at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, December 3, 1918. Part of the National Army, it wold be demobilized by the end of January 1919.
The news of the day was pretty typical for the immediate post war. One item to note, however. Strikers employed by a railway in Ohio were demanding that the railway fire its women employees. Chances are that the women were wartime hires and the men wanted them to go, now that the war was over, and their conscripted colleges would be returning. The railway apparently had ignored a prior promise to let them go.
And Wilson's troubles with some members of Congress were becoming more and more evident.
1919 December 3, 1919. The Carlisle News Hits the Press.
Banner headlines appeared in the local press on this day in 1919.
It was a sad end, as we related yesterday.
And already it was noted his wound was not fatal.
And so this phase of the story concluded.
1924 Oil strike near Lovell.
1944 It was reported that a serviceman from Tensleep had asked for his mother to send coffee. Attribution, Wyoming State Archives.
1979 A Western airlines 737 bound for Sheridan landed by mistake at Buffalo.
2014 Colorado's Governor Hickenlooper apologized to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for Colorado's actions leading to the November 29, 1864 Sand Creek Massacre.
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