LEILA FADEL, HOST:
In Wyoming, the conservative Freedom Caucus has a lot of clout with lawmakers, and the state's latest legislative session was an important example of what this caucus can do politically. Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clements reports.
CHRIS CLEMENTS, BYLINE: The Freedom Caucus is a national movement. And last fall, Wyoming became the first state where it won a majority of a legislative chamber, the Wyoming House of Representatives. This session, its members cut property taxes, banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs and passed more residency requirements for voting, among other things.
JOHN BEAR: I'm quite pleased with the outcome of the session. We had several goals, and most of those have passed.
CLEMENTS: That's Freedom Caucus state Representative John Bear. Throughout the 37-day session, House and Senate clerks announced caucus-backed proposals limiting the rights of transgender people or cracking down on immigration.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER #1: House Bill 32, sponsored by Representative Lien - What Is A Woman Act.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER #2: Mr. Speaker...
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER #1: House Bill 72, sponsored by Representative Lawley - Protecting Women's Privacy and Public Spaces Act.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER #3: Senate file 124, illegal immigration - identify, report, detain and deport, an act relating to immigration, sponsored by...
CLEMENTS: But a few lawmakers noted that they were shaking up the usual order of things. Here's Republican state Representative Steve Harshman, a former speaker.
STEVE HARSHMAN: You bring the noncontroversial, the easy fixes, the committee-type bills first 'cause most of these bills are little problems that a constituent has brought to us, and they're pretty simple fixes.
CLEMENTS: Republican Representative Lloyd Larsen cited the failure of one bill - in the works for years - aimed at letting state agencies share more information about family services.
LLOYD LARSEN: For example, how many children that were in foster care also required X services, and how many of them's lives improved after receiving that?
CLEMENTS: The Freedom Caucus led the repeal of the state's ban on guns in certain public buildings. Republican Governor Mark Gordon let it become law without his signature, saying the legislature was undermining local government control.
MARK GORDON: The unfortunate thing is, in the process, they steamrolled the excellent work being done by places like the school system in Uinta.
CLEMENTS: That school district allows concealed carry but mandates a psychological evaluation before staff can bring firearms to campus. That requirement is not in the broader repeal that's now law.
GORDON: There was an effort to sort of demonstrate a certain amount of machismo, I think, is what you'd say.
CLEMENTS: Gordon did veto a caucus-backed bill to require transvaginal ultrasound exams 48 hours before a person can receive abortion medication, but the legislature overrode the veto, and it's taking effect now.
For NPR News, I'm Chris Clements in Laramie, Wyoming. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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