I attended the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce’s pre-legislative breakfast on Thursday morning. The Chamber offers a great forum for our local legislators to let us know what their focus will be during the upcoming budget session and for the public to ask for their stance on issues of importance. Kudos to our Chamber of Commerce for providing this opportunity!

The first question from the public was one asking what the legislators’ feelings are regarding the Superintendent of Public Education’s rejection of 3.8 million dollars that would help fund the summer nutrition program for food insecure school children. One of our legislators, who never misses a chance to tout his Christian credentials said that, in his experience, 80% of the people he witnessed coming in for supplemental food programs do it “professionally”. Perhaps his bias against poor people is showing? He also said that we, i.e. Wyoming, “just can’t feed everyone.” That doesn’t sound very Christ-like to me. 

I’m assuming that this is the stance of the rest of the “Freedom” Caucus. They also voted down Medicaid expansion even when they were shown that it would be an economic benefit to the state, as well as to the lower income people whose health outcomes would be improved with preventive medical care. I guess they just think poor people don’t deserve a hand up.
This “Freedom” Caucus is also hell bent on forcing women to carry every pregnancy to term, even if it’s the product of a rape, has fatal fetal abnormalities, or threatens the woman’s health. Or perhaps, she just flat cannot afford to feed and raise another kid. The statement ”We just can’t feed everyone” clearly shows that some in our legislature are not “Pro-life”. They truly are just pro-fetus and pro-controlling women.

According to the Wyoming Food Bank and the Food Group, there is a definite need for assistance with supplying food to hungry school kids. Wyoming is rated as the 10th most “food insecure“ state in the nation. I find it appalling that we cannot rise above politics and make sure no kid goes to bed hungry in this wonderful state.

Barbara Chase

February 10, 2024