Politics and Government Reporter

Leo Wolfson

Leo Wolfson is the State Government and Politics Reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. He is responsible for covering Wyoming politics on a federal and statewide level.

Leo led Cowboy State Daily's coverage of the 2022 Wyoming primary election, including the highly contentious race between former congresswoman Liz Cheney and her successor U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman. He also managed CSD's coverage of the 2023 State Legislature, which was by far the most extensive and timely media coverage of a legislative session in the state's history.

Before joining Cowboy State Daily, Leo was a general assignment reporter for the Cody Enterprise Newspaper in Cody from 2018-2022. Prior to that, he reported for a suburban newspaper outside Denver.

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Latest from Leo Wolfson

A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple being built in Casper is similar to one planned for Cody, Wyoming.

Cody Zoning Board Members Think City Officials Misled Them On LDS Temple

A new court filing revealing emails and text messages between Cody Planning and Zoning Board members show they thought the city attorney and planner deliberately misled the board into approving a controversial LDS temple plan.

Leo WolfsonOctober 04, 2023

Kevin Mc Carthy and Harriet Hageman 10 3 23

In Historic Vote, Hageman A ‘No’ For Removing House Speaker McCarthy

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman couldn't save Kevin McCarthy’s job Tuesday afternoon as her “no” vote wasn’t enough to stop a historic move to remove McCarthy as U.S. House speaker.

Leo WolfsonOctober 04, 2023

State Lawmaker Says Wyoming Is ‘Raping’ Residents With Property Taxes

State Rep. Bill Allemand didn’t hold back his displeasure with Wyoming’s property tax structure, telling the Joint Revenue Committee on Monday that the state is financially “raping” residents.

Leo WolfsonOctober 04, 2023

Casper Legislator Blasts Pride Fest Support, Says LGBTQ Families Unnatural

In a Monday statement, state Rep. Jeanette Ward, R-Casper, criticized publicly-funded Enroll Wyoming for supporting Casper Pride Fest and other LGBTQ efforts she said go against the concept of a nuclear family.

Leo WolfsonOctober 03, 2023

Gordon Rejects $5 Million From Biden To Shut Down Oil Wells

Gov. Mark Gordon said Monday he will reject $5 million from President Joe Biden’s administration to shut down certain oil wells in Wyoming.

Leo WolfsonOctober 03, 2023

Judge Allows New Evidence Showing Dept. Of Education Lied About Political Event

A Laramie County District Court Judge ruled Monday that new evidence showing the Wyoming Department of Education lied about spending public money on a political event will be allowed in a public records lawsuit.

Leo WolfsonOctober 03, 2023

Hageman Wants Congressman Booted From House For Pulling Fire Alarm

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman wants New York Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman censured and expelled from the House for pulling a fire alarm during Saturday’s spending bill negotiations.

Leo WolfsonOctober 02, 2023

Wyoming's congressional delegation Sen. Cynthia Lummis, from left, Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. John Barrasso.

Barrasso, Lummis and Hageman Split On Spending Votes To Avoid Shutdown

Wyoming’s congressional delegation was split on a temporary funding measure to avert a federal government shutdown, with U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman against the stopgap bill and Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso voting for it.

Leo WolfsonOctober 02, 2023

Former Super Bowl Champ, Cody Radio Host Russ Francis Dies In Plane Crash

Russ Francis, a Super Bowl football champion who recently lived in Cody, including a stint hosting a local radio show, died in a plane crash Sunday afternoon.

Leo WolfsonOctober 02, 2023

Governor Concerned About Horse Deaths At Wyoming Racetracks

Gov. Mark Gordon urged the Wyoming Gaming Commission on Thursday to get to the bottom of what has caused a rash of horse deaths at Wyoming Downs racetrack in Evanston this summer.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 29, 2023

The J.C. O'Mahoney Federal Courthouse in Cheyenne.

5 Years For Abortion Clinic Arsonist, Who Claims Strict Parents Influenced Her

Lorna Green, 22, was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for setting fire to a Casper abortion and transgender treatment clinic in 2022. She claimed strict, authoritarian parents influenced her.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 28, 2023

Tata Chemicals trona mine and facility in Green River, Wyoming.

Wyoming Trona Mine Could Be First In US To Have Its Own Micronuclear Power Plant

Tata Chemicals announced Thursday it will study using micronuclear reactors to power its trona facility in Green River, which makes it the first company in the U.S. to pursue small-scale industrial nuclear power.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 28, 2023

Other Authors

Rocky Mountain Power and Hageman 9 28 23

Rocky Mountain Power Defends 30% Rate Increase After Hageman Calls It A ‘Sham’

Rocky Mountain Power responded Wednesday to criticism Rep. Hageman had over the 30% proposed increase in electrical rates. They said saying the increases are simply to cover the company’s costs and they don't make a profit on the costs.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 28, 2023

State Rep. Forrest Chadwick, R-Evansville.

By Not Voting Party Line, Converse County GOP Says Lawmaker Goes Against God

The Converse County Republican Party will consider a resolution next month to censure Rep. Forrest Chadwick for not voting enough with the GOP party line and his “blatant disregard to the oath that he made to God.”

Leo WolfsonSeptember 28, 2023

Rep. Bill Allemand says the Biden administration's 30x30 plan to set aside wild lands to fight climate change amounts to "more tyranny and oppression than the colonists were (subjected to) under King George."

Freedom Caucus Says Biden, BLM Policies Attempts At ‘Total Government Control’

Members of the Wyoming Freedom caucus say Biden’s 30x30 plan is the definition of tyranny and is playing out in Wyoming with the BLM’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. Together they’re efforts to gain “total government control.”

Leo WolfsonSeptember 27, 2023

Hageman Calls Biden Wire Transfers ‘Simple And Obvious’ Corruption

Rep. Harriet Hageman says Tuesday’s revelation that $260,000 in wire transfers from China to President Joe Biden’s home address in 2019 is an example of “simple and obvious corruption.”

Leo WolfsonSeptember 27, 2023

Large storage pods are being kept behind Y-Tex Corp. in Cody. They contain components for the construction of a proposed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple.

LDS Church Doesn’t Have To Wait On Court To Start Building Cody Temple

Although opponents of a controversial LDS temple planned for Cody are challenging it in court, there’s nothing stopping the church from building it.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 27, 2023

Firefighters train at the Campbell County Fire Department's training facility in Gillette.

State Fire Advisory Board Says Wyoming Needs At Least 500 More Volunteer Firefighters

Shad Cooper, president of the Wyoming Fire Advisory Board, said Wyoming could use about 500 more firefighters around the state to be fully staffed.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 26, 2023

Lawmakers Crack Down On Helping Kids To Quit Smoking Without Parents Knowing

A legislative committee wants to make it illegal for children ages 12-17 to get health care treatment for tobacco or vaping without consent from parents.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 26, 2023

Hageman Wants Term Limits For Federal Employees

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman wants to limit how long rank-and-file employees can work for the federal government, in essence term-limiting them like elected officials are.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 25, 2023

Groups Claim Misinformation From Secretary Of State’s Office Kept Pot Off Ballot

Two marijuana advocacy groups and the Wyoming Libertarian Party are considering legal action over claims they were misled by the Secretary of State’s office about how many signatures were needed to get marijuana questions on the ballot.

Leo WolfsonSeptember 25, 2023

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