Guest Column: I'm Fighting For Moms And Ranchers. John Bear Says That Makes Me A "Lobbyist."

Last week in this publication, Rep. John Bear called me and some of his other non-Freedom Caucus colleagues in the Wyoming House “lobbyist-legislators.” He claimed that we were working on behalf of special interests, rather than the people of Wyoming.

This is a strange accusation for Rep. Bear to make for a few reasons.

First, Rep. Bear and the rest of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus take direct orders from the national State Freedom Caucus Network based in Washington, D.C. The national group sets the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ agenda, just like they set the Freedom Caucus agendas in all the other states where the national Freedom Caucus operates.

It’s not a coincidence that the pillars of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ “Five and Dime” plan for this year’s legislative session—anti-DEI, anti-ESG, voting restrictions, etc.—are also the priorities of the Freedom Caucuses in Idaho, Pennsylvania, Georgia and the other legislatures where the national group works.

In some of these states, the Freedom Caucus’ plans even have similarly cute names to Wyoming’s “Five and Dime”—the Missouri Freedom Caucus calls their legislative priorities “The Magnificent Seven.”

It’s weird that someone who takes orders from a group in Washington, D.C., and actively pushes their agenda would accuse his colleagues of being “lobbyists.” 

On the other hand, what exactly were the special interests that I and my non-Freedom Caucus colleagues in the House were supporting during debate last week over the state budget? What sinister outside agendas did we promote to prompt Rep. Bear’s name-calling?

They included a proposal I brought to increase funding for maternal health, since increased costs have forced hospitals in communities across Wyoming—Riverton, Kemmerer, Rawlins, Evanston—to close their maternity wards.

Now, pregnant women in these areas have to travel up to 100 miles to give birth or receive prenatal care. I know of one woman who was trying to travel from Rawlins to the hospital in Laramie last year who gave birth on the side of the interstate because they couldn’t make it.

Rep. Bear also fought against relief grants for ranchers whose properties have been devastated by wildfire, and who are trying desperately to stop invasive cheatgrass from taking over the land where their cattle graze.

These are the kinds of things that some of your Wyoming legislators are fighting for, but that are being shut down by Rep. Bear and the Freedom Caucus.

Rep. Bear’s overseers in Washington, D.C., don’t know what it’s like to have to travel hours on an icy highway to deliver a baby, or to worry about whether your livestock are going to be able to survive.

But people in our communities know these hardships, and they know that I am out here fighting for them. And I will keep fighting, even if that means Rep. Bear will call me names on the internet.

Rep. Provenza represents House District 45 in Laramie.