RIGHT TO LIFE OF WYOMING

2023 LEGISLATIVE AWARDS

There were two PRO-LIFE bills in the 2023 legislative session:

SF109 – Prohibiting Chemical Abortions – Signed by Governor Gordon

Prime Sponsor, Senator Tim Salazar

Co-Sponsors: Senator(s), Biteman, Boner, Brennan, Dockstader, French, Furphy, Hutchings, Ide, Kinskey, Kolb, Laursen, D, McKeown, Schuler and Steinmetz, and Representative(s) Allemand, Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Bear, Davis, Haroldson, Hornok, Jennings, Knapp, Locke, Neiman, O'Hearn, Olsen, Ottman, Pendergraft, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Singh, Slagle, Smith, Styvar, Trujillo, Ward and Washut

HB 152 – Life is a Human Right Act – Became law without Governor Gordon’s signature

Prime Sponsor, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams

Co-Sponsors: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Bear, Haroldson, Heiner, Hornok, Jennings, Knapp, Neiman, Niemiec, Olsen, Ottman, Penn, Singh, Slagle, Smith, Styvar, Ward, Washut and Winter, and Senator(s) Biteman, Boner, Bouchard, Brennan, Dockstader, French, Furphy, Hutchings, Ide, Laursen, D, McKeown, Salazar, Schuler and Steinmetz

* In scoring the legislators’ votes on these bills, Wyoming Right to Life looked at:

Bill Sponsorships. Prime sponsors received 15 points. Co-sponsors received 10 points.

* Votes in Committee. If a Representative or a Senator voted NO on a pro-life bill in his or her Committee, one point was deducted.

* Votes on Amendments. If an Amendment was opposed by WRTL, one point was deducted for the sponsor(s) and legislators who voted AYE, if there was a roll call vote. If there was no roll call vote, it was the amendment’s sponsor(s) that lost points. If the amendment was supported by WRTL, and there was a roll call vote, those voting NO lost a point.

If WRTL was neutral on an amendment, no points were deducted.

* Votes on third reading. The third reading vote, which is recorded, supporting our pro-life legislation was given five points. A NO vote earned a zero.

* Votes on Concurrence. Both bills underwent amendments in the second chamber. Each bill had to return to its original chamber for a “concurrence” vote. Aye votes earned 5 points, and NO votes earned zero points.

* If a member was Excused when a roll call vote was taken, no points were awarded, and no deductions were assessed.

As you noticed from the above, this year we have introduced “Deductions.” A recorded vote against life at any step in a bill’s progress through the process was given a deduction. Sponsorship of an amendment meant to weaken or harm a pro-life bill resulted in a deduction.

Our experience has been that some legislators fight a pro-life bill every step of the way until the recorded final third reading roll call vote, or the final roll call vote on concurrence. We think the deduction system caught some of those players.

We did not include an Honorable Mention category in 2023. The bar is getting higher, ladies and gentlemen, and Wyoming Right to Life is committed to the highest standard in recognizing our Champions for Life – from conception to natural death. Honorable Mention simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

Following is the list of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners. To earn an award, the minimum a legislator had to do was vote AYE on three votes (two 3rd Reading votes and one Concurrence vote) and incur zero deductions.

Our two bills Prime Sponsors, Senator Salazar and Representative Rodriguez-Williams were given our highest PLATINUM awards. Prime sponsors work their bills for many, many months – working with the Legislative Service Office on multiple bill drafts, researching facts in support of their bills, developing arguments in support of their bills for debates in committee and on the floor, securing co-sponsors, and shepherding their bills through all of the steps on the way to final passage.

Congratulations, and thank you, Tim and Rachel!

The numbers:

Senate: 1 PLATINUM; 12 GOLD; 2 SILVER; 7 BRONZE = 22 of 31 Senators were recognized – 71% of the Senate.

House: 1 PLATINUM; 18 GOLD; 8 SILVER; 3 BRONZE = 30 of 62 Representatives were recognized – 48% of the House.

We are fortunate that over half of our legislators, 52 of 93, were recognized for staunchly promoting life in 2023. If your legislator does not appear here, there are two reasons: he or she voted NO (or was Excused) on SF109 and/or HB152, or sponsored/supported an amendment hostile to one of the bills.

Regardless of their votes on myriad other issues such as taxes, education, and the like, 56% of our legislators know that Wyoming is a PRO-LIFE state and vote that way – resisting all attempts to diminish our efforts on behalf of our unborn neighbors.

PLATINUM

REPRESENTATIVE RACHEL RODRIGUEZ-WILLIAMS

Prime Sponsor, HB152 – The Life is a Human Right Act

SENATOR TIM SALAZAR

Prime Sponsor, SF109 – To Prohibit Chemical Abortions in Wyoming

GOLD

Sen. Bo Biteman        

Sen. Lynn Hutchings

Sen. Brian Boner

Sen. Bob Ide

Sen. Evie Brennan

Sen. Dan Laursen

Sen. Dan Dockstader

Sen. Troy McKeown

Sen. Tim French

Sen. Wendy Schuler

Sen. Dan Furphy

Sen. Cheri Steinmetz

Rep. Ocean Andrew

Rep. Abby Angelos

Rep. Dalton Banks

Rep. John Bear

Rep. Jeremy Haroldson

Rep. Ben Hornok

Rep. Mark Jennings

Rep. Christopher Knapp

Rep. Chip Neiman

Rep. Jared Olsen

Rep. Pepper Ottman

Rep. Sarah Penn

Rep. Daniel Singh

Rep. Allen Slagle

Rep. Scott Smith

Rep. Clarence Styvar

Rep. Jeanette Ward

Rep. Art Washut

SILVER

Sen. Anthony Bouchard

Sen, John Kolb

Rep. Bill Allemand

Rep. Bob Davis

Rep. Scott Heiner

Rep. Tony Locke

Rep. Tony Niemiec

Rep. Ken Pendergraft

Rep. Tamara Trujillo

Rep. John Winter

BRONZE

Sen. Eric Barlow

Sen. Ed Cooper

Sen. Larry Hicks

Sen. Stacy Jones

Sen. Tara Nethercott

Sen. Stephan Pappas

Sen. Dave Kinskey

Rep. Kevin O’Hearn

Rep. Tomi Strock