Alberta joins U.S. states' energy pact

Alberta premier Danielle Smith has signed on to the 12-state Governors' Coalition for Energy Security.

Alberta joins U.S. energy coalition to secure North America’s energy future | True North Wire | Isaac Lamoureux:

November 17, 2024 - "Alberta has become the first non-U.S. [political entity] to join a United States energy pact featuring 12 states that had already signed onto the coalition. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Thursday, personally thanking Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu for inviting her, along with President-elect Donald Trump. Smith also thanked the other ten governors involved.

"Smith said that Alberta’s role in North American energy security is vital as the largest crude oil and natural gas supplier to the United States. 

With 200 billion barrels of recoverable oil, 200 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, significant natural gas liquids and ample pore space for carbon capture, Alberta’s contribution is set to grow even further as we look to work with the Trump Administration and other U.S. partners to increase our pipeline capacity to our greatest friend and ally, the United States.... We are proud to collaborate with this coalition of allied states in advancing energy security, reliability and affordability for Americans and Canadians....

"Alberta currently accounts for 56% of oil imports into the United States, double Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq combined.

"Landry said that the pact’s members share the goal of enhancing and protecting energy security, which he said will lead to lower energy costs, increased reliability, sustainable economic development, and wise management of energy resources and the environment. '

“I welcome Premier Smith and the insights she will bring as the leader from a fellow energy-producing province that, like my state, is under a federal system of government where national imperatives are not always aligned with state or provincial interests,' said Landry.

"The United States is the largest trading partner with Alberta, having $188 billion in bilateral trade in 2023. Energy products accounted for more than 80%, approximately $133.6 billion, of Alberta’s exports to the United States in 2023....

Alberta is a global leader in emissions reduction technologies and clean energy solutions. 'The province has captured about 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through carbon capture, utilization and storage technology, and has the ability to support the U.S. in developing new infrastructure and supply chains for future energy markets in the areas of hydrogen, renewables, small modular reactors and others,” reads Alberta’s press release. 

"The newly renamed Governors’ Coalition for Energy Security listed its goals in the press release issued by the Governor of Louisiana[:] ... 'to ensure families and businesses have the right to choose the energy they need, to minimize permitting and other regulatory barriers, limit expensive energy mandates, focus on affordability and reliability of energy infrastructure, and to coordinate to positively manage energy resources and the environment,' reads the press release....

"Smith issued an additional statement on Friday, saying she won’t wait for the [Canadian federal] Liberals to strengthen energy trade.... \

Alberta’s energy sector is a cornerstone of North America’s prosperity and we’re ready to work with our partners in the United States, especially @realDonaldTrump, to ensure that remains true.... Alberta’s resources are critical to energy security, economic growth, and the strong ties between our countries. Together, we can build a future that benefits both sides of the border — because when Alberta succeeds, the United States thrives. Let’s power that future, hand in hand.

"The 12 signatory states included in the energy pact are Louisiana, New Hampshire, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Virginia."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/11/17/alberta-energy-coalition-us/

We can’t sacrifice U.S. friendship if Mexico is a trade irritant: Alberta premier | Power & Politics | CBC News | November 15, 2024:

Wyoming and Alabama to end mask mandates

Wyoming Becomes Latest GOP-Led State To Drop Mask Mandate | Forbes - Alison Durkee:

March 8, 2021 - "Wyoming will lift its statewide mask mandate on March 16 along with other restrictions on businesses including restaurants and bars, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Monday.... In addition to lifting the mask mandate, restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters will be allowed to resume 'normal operations,' Gordon said, with more details on the lifted orders to be announced later this week. Gordon’s office cited the state’s 'continually improving health metrics' as the reason behind the change, as well as the governor’s 'approach of balancing public health with protecting livelihoods.'

"The governor had previously lifted some restrictions in the state starting March 1, including on businesses like salons and barber shops, but the mask mandate stayed in effect. Wyoming imposed its mask mandate in December as Covid-19 cases in the state surged, and it requires people to wear masks indoors in businesses, government facilities, healthcare settings and on public transportation, with some exceptions. The state currently has social distancing guidelines in place for restaurants that do not restrict capacity, but directs tables to be spaced apart and requires people to be seated at tables or booths, among other social distancing recommendations....

"Wyoming follows Texas and Mississippi in dropping their mask mandates, which has sparked controversy and been decried by President Joe Biden as 'Neanderthal thinking.' Montana, Iowa and North Dakota have also lifted their mask orders in recent months. The rescinded guidance is part of a broader trend of states getting rid of various Covid-19 restrictions as cases have dropped following a holiday season surge and as more Americans get vaccinated. 

"The wave of reopenings, which public health officials have opposed, has been seen in both Republican and Democratic-led states: Connecticut’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont lifted the state’s capacity restrictions on businesses like restaurants and gyms last week, for instance, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday the state would raise capacity for indoor dining to 75% outside of New York City.

"Arkansas is poised to lift its mask mandate on March 31 if certain health metrics are met, and Alabama will follow April 9, after Gov. Kay Ivey extended her mask order last week for another month but said she will not extend it further. 

"A number of other Republican governors have been hesitant to follow suit and overturn their own mask mandates, however, with leaders in West Virginia, Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland and Massachusetts all signaling last week they had no intention to immediately revoke their orders."

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/03/08/wyoming-becomes-latest-gop-led-state-to-drop-mask-mandate/

Libertarian Burt elected to Wyoming state House

Libertarian Candidate Marshall Burt Wins Wyoming State House Race | Reason - Brian Doherty: 

November 4, 2020 - "The Libertarian Party (L.P.) had high hopes for a win in the Wyoming state House in two different races — and one of them came through. Marshall Burt has won in District 39 against Democrat Stan Blake, 1,696 to 1,420, according to Apollo Pazell, who was running the L.P.'s campaigns in the state. This is only the fifth time the L.P. has won a state legislative seat with a candidate running only under the Libertarian label. 

"In Wyoming's House District 55, Bethany Baldes, who in 2018 lost a state House race against an incumbent GOP majority leader by only 53 votes, lost to Republican Ember Oakley by only 32 votes, 2,058 to 2,026.

"In other L.P. races of note around America, Donald Rainwater, in a three-way race for governor of Indiana, has earned 13.1 percent of the vote with well over 90 percent of the results in. That is right in line with polling from last month, even though third-party results tend to fall precipitously from earlier polls when actual votes are cast. Rainwater came in ahead of Democrat Woody Myers in nearly two dozen counties around the state. Republican incumbent Eric Holcomb won reelection.

"In Arkansas, with 81 percent of the vote counted, the L.P.'s Ricky Harrington got 33.3 percent in his race to dethrone Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. (No Democrat was on the ballot.) Harrington won outright in two counties. In Pulaski County, which contains the state capitol of Little Rock, Harrington leads Cotton 59 percent to 41 percent.

"In Kentucky's Senate race, which Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won with 58 percent of the vote, Libertarian Brad Barron got 4 percent while losing Democrat Amy McGrath earned 38 percent.

"In Montana, L.P. gubernatorial candidate Lyman Bishop currently has around 3.5 percent with about 52 percent of the votes counted. That's more than 10,000 votes in a race where the declared winner — Republican Greg Gianforte — is presently ahead of Democrat Mike Cooney by about that many votes."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/11/04/libertarian-candidate-marshall-burt-wins-wyoming-state-house-race/

Wyoming Libertarians hope for breakout in 2020

Could Libertarians shake up Wyoming elections this year? | Casper Star-Tribune - Nick Reynolds: 

October 24, 2020 - "Wyoming, like the rest of the country, has a two-party problem. Despite the libertarian streak running through the state’s strong, conservative tradition, Wyoming has never elected a third-party candidate to the Statehouse, never nominated a non-Republican or Democrat to its two seats in Congress, and never boosted one to the governorship.

"The state’s third-largest political party, Wyoming Libertarians have been ... focusing their efforts more on retaining access to the ballot rather than winning it. In 1980, party activists fought tooth and nail to get presidential candidate Ed Clark on the ballot on his way to achieving less than 2% of the vote. Four years later, the party sued the state for access to the ballot and won and, two decades later, managed enough of a following to earn the major party designation it still enjoys today.... [H]owever ... the party has never gained a serious foothold in Wyoming politics, and even contemplated disbanding in 2015 due to a lack of members.

"But that was then. Five years later, the still-fledgling party of just under 1,600 members could be a disruptive force in this year’s election. In addition to fielding candidates for president, U.S. Senate and Congress this year, Libertarians will be on the ballot in six different Statehouse races this year, with several presenting credible chances at winning.

"In House District 55, Bethany Baldes — a Riverton resident who was narrowly defeated by longtime Republican lawmaker David Miller two years ago — is running a highly competitive campaign against Republican prosecutor Ember Oakley. In House District 47, Lela Konecny will take on Republican Jerry Paxton after he survived a taxing, four-way primary where he split the vote with three different challengers. In Sweetwater County, railroader Marshall Burt will take on train conductor Stan Blake in a House District typically dominated by union Democrats. And in Casper, several Libertarian candidates will take on moderate candidates like Sen. Charlie Scott and Rep. Pat Sweeney in districts that have demonstrated some division among Republican voters in the primaries over the last several years.

"'We’ve really gotten organized over the last year or two' said Shawn Johnson, the current chairman of the Wyoming Libertarian Party and a member of Casper’s City Council.... 'The last couple years we’ve organized elected party officers and really put our heads together to get some serious challengers around the state'.... Johnson said the national party has been taking an unprecedented step to provide resources to the party this year and potentially help establish a third-party presence here....

"As Democrats work to capture as many moderates as possible from the state’s Republican supermajority, Libertarians seek to tap into the state’s already massive wellspring of conservative voters who are potentially fed up with the current disarray of the Wyoming GOP, which has been plagued by infighting and anemic fundraising efforts over the past year. The Libertarian Party has also sought to avoid debates over hot-button social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage that have long been a lightning rod within the state GOP and exacerbated tensions among the party’s ranks....

"Among all the candidates running this year, Baldes is likely the most viable.... Urged to run as a Republican — and endorsed by several Republicans in the community — Baldes’ platform resembles that of many conservatives around the state. She is pro-gun and anti-tax and, in her bid to get to the Legislature, has called for reforms to the way government services are delivered, rather than raising taxes or cutting essential services under a system she believes is inefficient. Freedom from party leadership, she said, is essential in helping make that happen....

"Wyoming and the rest of the nation, its conservative coalition splintered, seems ripe for a change, Johnson said. He hopes the first step could take place here. 'Once people see that Libertarians can be elected to a partisan state office, I think that our numbers as far as party membership will increase quite a bit,' he said. 'Once people see that Wyoming is that catalyst for change, I think it can happen on a national level.'"

Read more: https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/could-libertarians-shake-up-wyoming-elections-this-year/article_66d5333d-b0e9-52bf-9a75-424effc87501.html

Former RI governor registers Libertarian

Make that four political parties for Lincoln Chafee - The Boston Globe - Edward Fitzpatrick:

June 4, 2019 - "Lincoln D. Chafee, the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who served as Rhode Island’s governor and as a US senator, is now a member of the Libertarian Party.

“'I bought property in Wyoming and registered to vote out there in my fourth party — I’m a Libertarian,' Chafee said Tuesday while in Providence. 'It’s what I’ve always been — fiscally conservative and socially liberal.'

The county clerk’s office in Teton County, Wyo., confirmed that Chafee, who lives in Teton Village, near Jackson, registered as a member of the Libertarian Party on March 11 of this year....

"The Chafee brothers are the sons of the late Republican Senator John H. Chafee, a former Navy secretary and governor.... Lincoln Chafee was appointed to the Senate when his father died in 1999, and he won a full term in 2000. He soon bucked the Republican Party, opposing President George W. Bush’s tax cuts and casting the only Senate Republican vote against authorizing the war in Iraq.

"In 2006, Chafee lost the Senate seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, and he left the Republican Party to become an independent in 2007. Chafee endorsed Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, and when Chafee ran for governor as an independent in 2010, President Obama withheld his endorsement from Democrat Frank T. Caprio....

"In 2013, Chafee joined the Democratic Party. But months later, amid low job-approval ratings, he announced he would not seek reelection. In 2015, he ran for president, seeking the Democratic nomination, but he failed to gain traction and withdrew from the race.

"Now, Chafee is a member of the Libertarian Party. 'They are against capital punishment, pro-choice, against war, strongly for the Fourth Amendment, no torture,' he explained. 'All these things that [America] has gotten away from.'

"So will Chafee, now 66, get back into politics at some point? 'I’m still on sabbatical,' he said."

Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/rhode-island/2019/06/04/make-that-four-political-parties-for-lincoln-chafee/JGGdRYjlFo65STHLq1JS7N/story.html
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Midterm results disappointing for Libertarians

The Libertarian Party Future, Perennially Out of Reach - Reason.com - Matt Welch:

January 2019: ""He's going to finish certainly no worse than second, and maybe first,' Libertarian Party (L.P.) 2016 vice presidential nominee Bill Weld enthused about Massachusetts state auditor candidate Dan Fishman in mid-October.... It looked like Weld might be onto something two weeks later when The Boston Globe took the highly unusual step of endorsing the L.P. candidate....

"Massachusetts voters declined the advice. When the smoke cleared on November 6, the would-be Libertarian auditor for the government of Taxachusetts finished not first, not second, but a distant third place, with a desultory 4.2 percent of the vote. The effort was enough to give the party automatic statewide ballot access for 2020 ... but not enough to stave off the national wave of nausea that afflicted many libertarians on election day.....

"About the only federal candidate prioritizing the budget calamity was Gary Johnson.... Running in the state he governed twice, and where he earned 9.3 percent of the presidential vote in 2016, ... Johnson was able to participate in debates and generate extensive media coverage. The first independent three-way poll in late August hinted at a shockingly competitive race: 39 percent for Heinrich, 21 percent for Johnson, and just 11 percent for Rich. And yet Election Day 2018 brought another Libertarian bummer:... Rich doubled up on Johnson, 31 percent to 15 percent....

"Political fear and loathing, it turns out, is no friend to independent and third-party candidates.... As we learned in 2016, when voters feel revulsion toward a candidate or party, they are likely to go for the alternative with the best chance to defeat the bad guy. In a high-turnout midterm like 2018, minor parties undershoot their polling projections by massive amounts.

"The most anticipated of the 22 Libertarian races for governor, for example, was rising party star Larry Sharpe in New York. An energetic, fast-talking campaigner with a preternatural talent for fundraising, Sharpe brought in an impressive $450,000.... He pulled just 1.6 percent, behind even Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins' 1.7. Yes, the L.P.  achieved state ballot access for the first time in history, but that low showing came as a demoralizing shock.

"'WTF is going on?' Wisconsin Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Phil Anderson messaged me on election night..... Anderson's pre-election polling average of 4.2 percent had collapsed to a barely visible 0.8 percent. Eight Libertarian candidates for governor were polling higher than the Democratic-Republican point spread on election eve; zero repeated the trick once the votes were counted....

"The three state legislators who had previously switched from Republican to Libertarian once in office — Nebraska state Sen. Laura Ebke and New Hampshire state Reps. Brandon Phinney and Caleb Dyer — all faced their first election wearing the L, and all lost badly.... Insurgent Wyoming state House candidate Bethany Baldes came so close to unseating incumbent Republican Majority Leader David Miller that she was erroneously reported as winner on election night, only to eventually lose by 53 votes....

"Libertarians are accustomed to being outnumbered and excel at playing long-game strategies, often far outside the cyclical sugar highs of electoral politics.... As disappointing as November 2018 felt for the L.P., the party did emerge in a stronger position for 2020, when it will be the only minor party with a spot on all 50 state ballots. American politics moves fast, so the next two years may yet feature more political libertarianism than we can currently fathom. As hard as that may be to believe after Election Day."

Read more: https://reason.com/archives/2018/12/08/the-libertarian-party-future-p

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Also read: Libertarians see progress in midterm elections

WY Libertarian loses statehouse race by 53 votes

Libertarian Bethany Baldes Gets Within 60 Votes of Victory in Wyoming State House Race Against Incumbent GOP Majority Leader - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Bryan Doherty:

November 7, 2018 - "Bethany Baldes, a Libertarian Party state House candidate in Wyoming's District 55, got so close to defeating incumbent Republican David Miller, who is the House majority leader and has held the seat ever since 2000, that until the absentee ballots were counted local news outlet County 10 was reporting a 54–46 percent win for her....

"Alas, after the absentee votes were counted, what had been a raw vote total of 1,306 to 1,112 for Baldes became a 1,645-1,592 win for incumbent Miller.

"The near-win was the fruit of a strategy pushed by Apollo Pazell, a campaign adviser with the national Libertarian Party. 'We need to create a narrative of wins,' he said in a phone interview last month. To begin that narrative, he thought the L.P. should find races where the total number of votes needed to win was small and there was only one major party opponent, then find a good candidate with strong local roots, and dig in with retail campaigning.

"'Baldes, a fifth-generation Wyoming woman, was someone who was 'part of the day-to-day life of this small town, and they didn't ever see David Miller,' Pazell said. Miller didn't even spend all year in the state, Pazell said, and returned only late in the game to do any campaigning.

"Pazell led a team of six volunteers working full-time for four weeks to hit each and every door in her district, centered on the city of Riverton, three times. Baldes sought and received endorsements from the majority of the Riverton City Council, the county attorney, and more than one former mayor.....

"While Pazell says they did not necessarily fly the Libertarian label all the time, neither did they shy away from it.... Pazell says it was often a benefit in this race, as having been a Democrat might have gotten doors slammed in their face in the current political climate. Hearing Baldes was a Libertarian was actually 'often incredibly disarming' to voters, Pazell says....

"Pazell detailed in last month's phone interview a multi-layered campaign starting with overall voter data, followed by a generic first round of door-knocks to learn more about specific voters' concerns and attitudes. That resulted in six separate mailers for six distinct groups and get out the vote reminders. The campaign raised around $6,000, which is a big deal for a Wyoming state race, he says."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/11/07/libertarian-bethany-baldes-in-wyoming-st
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Musician gets back $91K seized via civil forfeiture

Wyoming police took an innocent man's $91,800. After a Vox report, he will get it back. - Vox - German Lopez:

December 1, 2017 - "Phil Parhamovich is getting his $91,800 in cash back — just hours after Vox broke the story of how the Wyoming Highway Patrol seized the money without charging him with a serious crime....

"Parhamovich was stopped in March this year while traveling on the I-80 in Wyoming during a concert tour with his band, the Dirt Brothers. Parhamovich, who has no criminal record, was not accused of or charged with a serious crime; he only got a $25 ticket for improperly wearing his seat belt and a warning for 'lane use.'

"But Wyoming law enforcement officers found and eventually seized the $91,800 in cash, as it was hidden in a speaker cabinet — by getting Parhamovich, under what he claims was duress, to sign away his interest in the money through a waiver. According to Parhamovich, police pushed him to sign the waiver after he said the money was not his, following aggressive questioning that he said made him fear that carrying that much cash is illegal. (It is not.)

"Parhamovich intends to use the money as a down payment to buy a music studio in Madison, Wisconsin, called Smart Studios, where Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins recorded songs. Without the cash, Parhamovich was worried that the deal for the studio could fall through after a nine-month lease expired. But now he’s able to move forward with closing the deal.

"Parhamovich and Anya Bidwell, one of his attorneys with the Institute for Justice, showed up at a Friday court hearing not quite sure what to expect. They were met by legislators from Wyoming, who had read Vox’s story and reached out to the Institute for Justice to see what they could do to help. According to Bidwell and one of the state legislators who was present, the judge agreed that if Parhamovich was willing to testify that the money was his, he would order the state to give the money back. When Parhamovich agreed to that, the judge ruled in his favor....

"Parhamovich’s case was unique in that police seemed to bypass civil forfeiture law — including reforms enacted by Wyoming in 2016 — by getting him to sign a waiver that supposedly gave up his interest in the cash. Despite the waiver, the state will now be forced to give Parhamovich his money back....

"While Parhamovich and his attorneys were celebratory following the judge’s decision on Friday, Bidwell offered a cautionary note.

"'Not everybody can find the Institute for Justice, and not everyone can just raise hell about this kind of stuff,' she told me. 'So even though today’s hearing was very successful, it still doesn’t remedy the bigger issue. Civil forfeiture is still a problem. They shouldn’t be able to take anybody’s property without accusing them of a crime.'"

Read more: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/1/16726084/phil-parhamovich-cash-wyoming-civil-forfeiture
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Wyoming governor signs forfeiture reform bill

Wyoming’s New Asset Forfeiture Law Could Set A Game-Changing Precedent | The Daily Caller - Casey Harper:

March 6, 2016 - "Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead signed a new civil asset forfeiture bill into law Feb. 29.... Civil asset forfeiture is a practice in which police can seize property and keep it even if they don’t convict or charge the owner with a crime. Then, the owner must go through the legally arduous, and often unsuccessful process to recoup their property – whether it’s a vehicle, cash or home – from the police....

"In 2015, Wyoming’s legislature passed a civil asset forfeiture reform bill [but] Gov. Matt Mead vetoed the bill.... But the legislature has now passed a bill that met Mead’s muster. Under the law, police would still be able to forfeit property without a criminal conviction, but they must have a judge review the case within 30 days to determine if the officers had probable cause to seize the property. If the judge rules that police did not have probable cause, the property must be returned. The distinction is important because, as it is, judges rarely review seizures.

"'If an officer of the law wants to seize some assets, he has to contact the attorney general,' Wyoming State Rep. Kendell Kroeker told TheDCNF. “The attorney general determines if there is probable cause. If the AG determines there is probable cause, the officer may proceed with the seizure'....  From there, the case must go before a judge within 30 days. Under the bill, people are still not provided an attorney if they can’t afford one, since it is in civil court.

"'The judge holds a hearing to review the probable cause standard,” Kroeker told TheDCNF. 'If the judge determines there was not probable cause, the assets are returned immediately. If the judge determines there was probable cause, a trial is scheduled [and] then the state must prove in court that there is 'clear and convincing' evidence that the property was a part of criminal activity. The burden of proof is now on the state, not the individual.

"If the person is innocent, they can sue to recover attorney fees as well as damages.... 'This is a big incentive for the state to not bring frivolous seizure cases,' Kroeker told TheDCNF. The bill also protects innocent owners against seizure, that the amount seized must be in proportion to the crime....

"'For example, if someone was coming back from Colorado with a small amount of marijuana, it would not be appropriate to seize his vehicle,' Kroeker told TheDCNF. 'There is also innocent owner protection.  This would apply if someone borrowed your car and used it to transport drugs and you had no knowledge of it.  They can’t take your car since you were not involved in the crime.'

"From 2008 to 2012, Wyoming authorities seized $2,841,522 and refunded $1,041,577, according to a report from Wyoming Liberty Group using data from the attorney general. That number is a little skewed, though. Of the $1,041,577 returned, a majority was from a single $774,506 seizure that was refunded. Meanwhile, dozens of smaller amounts did not get returned."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/06/wyomings-new-asset-forfeiture-law-could-set-a-game-changing-precedent/
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Wyoming Liberty Group goes national

Wyoming Liberty Group starts national organization - Laura Hancock, Casper Star-Tribune:

April 4, 2015 - "A Cheyenne-based libertarian advocacy group is expanding to the national political scene, hoping to influence campaign finance laws in other states.

"The Wyoming Liberty Group has started a project called the Pillar of Law Institute. It will fight what it believes are restrictive campaign finance laws for candidates to raise money to run for office, which it characterizes as a free speech issue....

"The Pillar of Law Institute's focus will be litigation and communication, said Steve Klein, a Liberty Group employee who has moved to Alexandria, Virginia, for the institute, but will continue to commute to Wyoming when necessary for the Liberty Group.

T"he Liberty Group educates the public, lobbies the Wyoming Legislature and pursues litigation. It has entered cases for education and civil asset forfeiture reform, opposition to the Affordable Care Act and government incentives for businesses, and against campaign finance restrictions.

"'Wyoming Liberty Group, since founding its 2008, has had a really strong focus on free speech,' Klein said. 'That’s perhaps the only thing that we do that’s not confined just to Wyoming. Our outreach there was nationwide with litigation in Texas and Wisconsin, and of course having some Wyoming cases as well.'

"The Liberty Group submitted friend of court briefs in a Texas case involving former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay when he was charged and ultimately cleared of improperly funneling money to Texas House candidates. Klein said his organization was the only to note First Amendment issues in the case, which the court considered in its decision.

"In Wyoming, Klein said, the Liberty Group had in 2014 three of its biggest campaign finance successes in federal court. The state’s laws are not as problematic as other state campaign finance laws, he said."

Read more: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/wyoming-liberty-group-starts-national-organization/article_56f4a408-0f0b-57e1-92b1-8ff5839246b3.html
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Libertarian highlights from the 2014 midterms

Libertarian Election Results 2014 - J. Wilson, A Libertarian Future:

November 5, 2014 - "Libertarian candidates may not have won very many elections this year, but we’ve had some high percentage victories. In some states, that means we’ll get the ballot access we deserve for the next election. Guaranteed ballot access is important because it’s time and money that we won’t have to waste next time. Libertarians will be able to spend more time and money campaigning, and less time getting arbitrary signature counts.

"These high percentage Libertarian election results also send a clear message to both of the two parties. Voting Libertarian tells them they won’t receive our consent, and will have to work harder if they ever want our votes. If they don’t, we’re more than happy to keep voting Libertarian.

"These Libertarian election results show just how many Americans are fed up with the two party system and want a third major party.

• Top Voter Percentage: Randall Lord from Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District with 26.56% (55,224 votes) 
• Runner Up: Lucas Overby from Florida’s 13th Congressional District with 24.75% (55,273 votes) 
• Top Vote Total: Adrian Wyllie for Governor of Florida with 222,565 votes (3.75% of the vote) 
• Runner Up: Bill Wohlsifer for Attorney General of Florida with 168,946 votes (2.9% of the vote) 

"Ballot Access: Hawaii, for winning more than 4% of the vote in all State Senate races. Maryland, for winning more than 1% in the Governor’s Race. Mississippi, for winning more than 2% of the vote in House elections. North Dakota, for winning more than 5% of the vote in a Statewide Race. Utah, for winning more than 2% in a Statewide office. Wisconsin, for receiving more than 1% of the vote in a Statewide Race. Wyoming, for winning more than 2% of the vote in the House election....

"More to come!"

Read more: http://alibertarianfuture.com/2014-election/libertarian-election-results-2014/#sthash.ToC0ljkF.dpbs
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Conservative/libertarian "proxy war" foreseen in Wyoming GOP primary

» Conservative, libertarian, establishment lines blur in Wyoming GOP primary » Fresh Ink -- GOPUSA - by Washington Times (DC):

July 23, 2013 - "The Republican primary for the U.S. Senate race in Wyoming could erupt into a proxy war in the battle between the libertarian and conservative wings of the party over national security, with Sen. Rand Paul supporting Sen. Michael B. Enzi in his re-election bid against the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

"Liz Cheney is a political novice but served in the State Department under President George W. Bush. She is a steadfast supporter of her father, who has been a lightning rod for debates over military adventurism and civil liberties since the onset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Republicans skeptical of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars say the costs and resulting federal budget deficits helped fuel the tea party movement that powered Mr. Paul to victory in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Kentucky. Indeed, Mr. Paul had to overcome opposition from Mr. Cheney, who called primary opponent Trey Grayson the "real conservative" in the race.

"'If that is the case that Rand Paul is supporting Enzi, it seems to me to be a proxy war between the neocons and the realist-slash- libertarians when it comes to foreign policy," said Niger Innis, head of TheTeaParty.net."

Read more: http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2013/07/23/conservative-libertarian-establishment-lines-blur-in-wyoming-gop-primary/
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Gary Johnson urges voters to support candidate ‘we believe in’ - Laramie Boomerang Online

Gary Johnson urges voters to support candidate ‘we believe in’ - Laramie Boomerang Online - Joshua Roberts:

October 19, 2012 - "The campaign for Gary Johnson, a Libertarian presidential candidate, touts his agenda for the U.S. as putting a stop to frivolous spending, ending wars and rebuilding America.

"The former two-term New Mexico governor stood before a crowd Thursday night at the University of Wyoming wearing a T-shirt with a peace symbol on the front and surrounded by signs describing him as 'the people’s president'....

"'What we’re hearing so much right now is this whole notion of wasted vote,' he said. 'What’s a wasted vote other than voting for somebody that you don’t believe in? That’s a wasted vote. We change things in this country by voting for somebody who we believe in, and that’s a combination of what’s the guy saying and what’s the resume. … Nothing in my resume suggests that I’m not going to doggedly pursue everything it is that I’m talking about here.'"

Read more: http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2012/10/19/news/doc5080e7c3b2f8e408607786.txt
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