Balloons and Hot Air: How the Wyoming legislature let opportunity float on by

4 min. read

Neena sang 99 Luftballons -a great song- about children releasing a bunch of red balloons and threatening nuclear holocaust during the Cold War.  A little eerie when you think about a Chinese spy device floating over Wyoming and at the same time the Wyoming House  shooting down a bill designed to protect our state from our most formidable adversaries.  

The irony of these two events happening at virtually the same time is not lost on me,  and is frankly a little disheartening.

Why does it matter?  

It is no secret that the Greater Cheyenne Chamber and chambers around this nation have taken a keen interest in defending our businesses and our national security by beating back the aggressive efforts of our enemies to do us harm from within.  Factually, here in Cheyenne we have been beating this drum since at least 2018.  I have included an article from last summer as an addendum to this article and it outlines the problem in dramatic fashion.

Disappointment  

Disappointment in our elected officials who passed up the opportunity to support HB196 and defend our military, generation plants, chemical plants, and other major infrastructure when it is wildly apparent that we need to take action.  

Hope  

I am hopeful that, between Chinese espionage and current events, the legislature will be compelled to send this topic to interim and be a part of defending our nation.  The Cowboy State’s people have always answered the call to defend this nation and stand up for our nation’s flag when needed.  We should expect the same out of our legislature and so we ask them for action! 

Business supported this issue and for that I am thankful.  The Wyoming Mining Association, Wyoming Economic Development Association, Wyoming Rural Electric, Wyoming Business and Industry Federation, and many others supported this issue. 

We are also grateful for the Laramie County House members who supported the effort.  Representatives Brown, Olsen, Henderson, Zwonitzer, Nicholas, and Zwonitzer all stood up for our nation, our state, and our armed forces by voting yes.  If your house member isn’t on this list ask them why next time you see them.  We are hopeful that the other politicians quit watching the balloons drift off in the blue sky and get to work defending our homeland.