How to stop the Freedom Caucus and save Wyoming

The expressions of anger, frustration and just plain nastiness that surrounded Congresswoman Harriet Hageman’s recent town meetings revealed sentiments both terrifying and hopeful. On the one hand, Wyomingites have been seduced by the lure of one-man rule in the U.S. or, in the case of our state, by a committee of legislators pledged to reduce, if not eliminate, government services that directly affect all citizens. On the other hand, Wyomingites have shown their commitment to federalism and investments in people and products that only federal and state government can afford. I am convinced that most Wyomingites favor the latter and will resist the former once they understand what’s at stake for themselves and their communities.

Until the appearance of the Freedom Caucus in Wyoming, we were left pretty much to ourselves in the comfort of our mountains and high plains. Local politics was local, or more colorfully, it was said that “everything in Wyoming is political except politics that is personal.” But now, we know that our low population, archaic tax structure, relatively low cost of living and easy access to elected officials have attracted heavily financed lobby groups. They aim to make Wyoming the first state in the Union to elect a governor and legislature permanently committed to their ideological vanities. 

Their strategy worked. In last year’s primary election, which generally determines final results because Wyoming is overwhelmingly Republican, 27% of 454,508 eligible voters cast ballots of whom 42,943 voted for Freedom Caucus candidates. Had more eligible voters cast their ballots, the Freedom Caucus likely would not control the current Legislature, echoing the extreme positions of their lobbyist patrons in Washington, D.C.  

No question that government operations at all levels need to be made more effective to keep up with the ever-accelerating pace of changes to every aspect of our lives. But that’s strikingly different than capriciously tearing down a federal government that has provided us with unparalleled peace and prosperity. 

Despite the much-cherished myth of government as the enemy of the people, we know deep down that only government can provide the financial incentives the private sector needs to build the infrastructure that we all depend on. Equally important, only government subsidies can ensure the provision of services and tools we need to survive and thrive — food security, health care, affordable housing, public education, workforce training and the basic research that can make that happen. It’s worth reminding ourselves that under our form of government, a democracy that respects the rule of law, the sole purpose of government is to liberate each of us to live up to our potential.  

Stopping the Freedom Caucus from continuing its destructive path won’t come from inside the state party apparatus. But seeds of opposition by ordinary folks in seemingly unlikely places are sprouting. Thanks to a story first reported by the Greybull Standard, about 45 Big Horn Basin residents gathered for an hour on March 15 “to discuss concerns about the direction of the nation and state and becoming more vocal about confronting what they believe are threats to the rule of law and democracy.” 

Shell resident and retired circuit judge Tom Harrington organized the meeting. “We’re Americans first and neighbors second before we’re anything else,” he opined. The overriding sentiment among those present was frustrations with developments on the federal and state levels, in particular, attacks on the rule of law and abdication of responsibilities by our elected leaders, he added. When asked about the outcome of the meeting, Harrington, himself a lifelong Republican in a county where 85%of registered voters are Republican, said we need “to be more vocal.” He will schedule another meeting soon. “I think part of [the appeal] is encouraging each other not to give up or get depressed,” he added.  

Being more vocal might start with checking how our elected representatives voted on key bills, what their votes did for us and our communities, and making sure that we are registered, and remembering to vote. 

I believe that most Wyomingites want to be asked to join a cause that matters to them when the focus is working toward a just solution. (For starters, see the online Wyoming Nonprofit Network member directory.) Small successes lead to bigger successes, defeating those who wish to divide us and take away our liberties.

Edmund Burke, the English philosopher considered the founder of modern conservatism, observed that “when bad [people] combine, the good [people] must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”