Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Kyle G. Cameron (D)
Po Box 2598 Cheyenne, WY 82003
307-286-9906
Q: What issues currently facing the state of Wyoming made you decide to run for United States Representative?
A: The main issue driving my decision to run for the U.S. Representative is the erosion of democratic representation and equality in Wyoming. For nearly 50 years, Wyoming's political landscape has been dominated by a single party, which has led to a lack of genuine democratic debate and representation for all viewpoints. This dominance has diminished our two-party system and made it challenging for diverse voices to be heard.
The lack of adherence to core values such as honesty, hard work, freedom, conservation, and community is deeply troubling. The prevailing political rhetoric has fostered an environment where dissenting voices are not only discouraged but also threatened, undermining the democratic principles we hold dear. In recent years, the political climate has become increasingly divisive, leading to a decline in the participation and representation of Democrats and other voices in local and state politics. This environment has even resulted in threats and intimidation of county party leaders, further stifling democratic engagement.
Wyoming's future depends on inclusivity and equal representation. Our state’s history is rooted in migration and diversity, and our current political system should reflect that by welcoming and representing all voices. I am committed to restoring true democratic representation in Washington, D.C., ensuring that every Wyomingite has a voice in their government.
Q: The role of a Representative is nearly as much campaigning for the next election as it is working for constituents, which leads to having a pretty full plate. What do you think you can do or have done effectively for the people of Wyoming?
A: As the Wyoming Democratic Party Labor Chair, I am working to repeal parts of Title 27, Section 27-4-202 of the Wyoming Statutes. Wyoming’s minimum wage, currently $5.15 per hour, is outdated and often leads to unfair wages for tipped employees, workers under 20, and certain students and disabled workers. Ensuring fair pay is essential for economic stability and worker equality.
I’ve also collaborated with rural hospitals to enhance economic stability and improve healthcare quality. Supporting rural healthcare is crucial to ensure that even remote areas have access to necessary services and can maintain healthy communities. During my time as a stay-at-home mom, I volunteered as a 4-H Club Leader, teaching young people about civic responsibility. This helps build a stronger community by preparing future leaders. I am committed to sharing Wyoming’s hospitality and values with everyone I meet. Whether welcoming newcomers or appreciating long-time residents, I aim to foster a sense of community and pride in our state.
Balancing campaign duties with constituent work is challenging, but I am dedicated to advocating for the people to be secure in their persons, fair wages, supporting rural healthcare, promoting civic responsibility, and maintaining Wyoming’s welcoming spirit. These efforts show my commitment to improving life for all Wyomingites and ensuring our state remains a great place to live and work.
Q: Following July 13, there have been discussions about the need to lower the temperature of political rhetoric in the United States. What do you plan to do to help with that goal?
A: Staying true to Wyoming values like hard work, honesty, community, conservation, and freedom fosters unity and respect among constituents. Focusing on personal rights, workers' rights, healthcare, transportation, and climate change can bridge divides.
Promoting civil discourse and common sense is essential for a healthy political environment. Discussions should be based on facts and mutual acceptance. I aim to foster conversations prioritizing understanding and cooperation over divisiveness. As a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, I will lead by example by avoiding inflammatory language, focusing on policy over personality, and striving for honesty and transparency. Disagreeing without being disagreeable is crucial.
Collaboration across the aisle is vital for reducing political polarization. Working with colleagues from both parties on shared goals, like infrastructure development, healthcare improvements, and economic diversification, demonstrates the benefits of cooperation. Encouraging critical thinking and media literacy among constituents helps people discern truth from misinformation. Promoting educational initiatives and resources enables individuals to evaluate information critically and make informed decisions.
In response to events like the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, calling for domestic tranquility and condemning violence unequivocally is essential. Emphasizing empathy and understanding during challenging times can heal divisions and promote national unity.
By focusing on shared values, promoting civil discourse, leading by example, encouraging bipartisan cooperation, fostering critical thinking, and responding with empathy, we can lower the temperature of political rhetoric in the United States, creating a more respectful and united political environment for all Wyomingites.
Q:To many American citizens, it would appear the country is more divided than ever before. What are some instances in which you have reached or would reach across the aisle to work with the opposing party?
A: To many Wyomingites, it may seem the country is more divided than ever before. However, there are key areas where reaching across the aisle is not only possible but essential. Here are some examples of bipartisan cooperation and initiatives I would support to foster unity and progress:
Investing in infrastructure is a bipartisan priority that benefits everyone. I would work with members of both parties to secure federal grants for water infrastructure projects, ensuring clean water access for all Wyoming communities. Improving transportation networks, including passenger rail services, can boost commerce, and tourism and enhance accessibility, leveraging Wyoming’s natural beauty.
Developing energy-efficient housing and promoting energy-self-sustaining communities are areas ripe for bipartisan cooperation. Researching and developing sustainable housing solutions, like tiny homes, can attract residents and foster growth. These initiatives promote local entrepreneurship and sustainability, benefiting the broader community.
Supporting research and extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) can create high-paying jobs and reduce reliance on foreign supplies. Partnering with research organizations and universities fosters innovation and tech job growth. This collaboration can bring together federal and state governments, as well as private stakeholders, to boost Wyoming’s economy.
Attracting investment in emerging industries through tax incentives is another area where bipartisan efforts can thrive. Balancing these incentives with environmental conservation efforts ensures sustainable growth. By working together, Congress can craft policies that benefit both the economy and the environment.
Q: Wyoming has discussed diversifying its economy for years, especially as it follows the boom or bust cycle some associate with the extraction industry. What do you think can be done on the federal level to aid Wyoming in the pursuit of a diversified economy?
A: To aid Wyoming in diversifying its economy, several strategic federal initiatives can be implemented. Given the state's heavy dependence on the extraction industry, fostering economic stability through diversification is essential.
Firstly, the federal government can boost Wyoming's economic diversification through enhanced infrastructure investments. This could include funding for clean water, rail, roads, bridges, and expanding digital broadband. Improved infrastructure makes the state more accessible and attractive to diverse businesses, particularly in sectors like technology and remote services.
Secondly, educational and workforce training programs should be supported at the federal level. This involves increasing funding for vocational and higher education in fields beyond extraction, such as renewable energy, technology, and healthcare. These programs would equip the local workforce with the skills necessary for emerging industries and reduce the state’s reliance on traditional industries like mining and oil.
Additionally, the federal government can incentivize businesses to establish themselves in Wyoming by offering tax breaks, grants, or subsidies. These incentives could target companies in emerging sectors like renewable energy and technology, providing significant employment opportunities and economic growth.
Research and development also play a pivotal role in Wyoming's economic future. Federal grants could support initiatives in renewable resources, leveraging Wyoming's potential in minerals, wind and solar energy. This includes enhancing partnerships between universities and private enterprises to spur innovation and development.
Finally, emphasizing sustainable environmental practices is vital. Federal initiatives should not only focus on infrastructure but also promote sustainable water management and environmental protection. This will preserve Wyoming's natural landscapes, crucial for tourism and agriculture, supporting the state’s overall economic diversification efforts.
By implementing these strategies, the federal government can significantly aid Wyoming in becoming a more economically diverse and stable state. As the Wyoming U.S. House Representative, I will advocate for federal funding for crucial infrastructure projects and clean water initiatives, support worker training programs, and provide incentives for businesses and research. Additionally, I will back legislation that upholds Wyoming’s conservation values.
Q: The national debt is often a hot topic, as is the debt ceiling. Can you explain what the debt ceiling is and why it may be necessary at times to raise or suspend the debt ceiling?
A: The national debt and debt ceiling are crucial in U.S. fiscal policy. The debt ceiling is a cap set by Congress on how much the government can borrow to meet its existing obligations, such as Social Security, Medicare, military salaries, and interest on the national debt. It aims to encourage fiscal responsibility by limiting government debt and can help maintain investor confidence by stabilizing financial markets.
However, not raising or suspending the debt ceiling can lead to severe economic risks, including the government defaulting on its obligations, which could trigger a financial crisis. The government needs to borrow to cover its existing commitments, and failing to do so could result in a government shutdown or default.
Raising the debt ceiling is essential during economic downturns or emergencies, such as recessions, wars, or pandemics, as it allows the government to increase spending to stimulate the economy, support job growth, and provide relief to citizens. It also helps prevent disruptions in financial markets that could affect interest rates and inflation. Significant investments in infrastructure, education, and research require borrowing, as these investments enhance productivity and economic growth over time but often need more capital than current revenues provide.
Managing the national deficit and debt requires a combination of strategies, including selling government bonds, adjusting tax rates, funding essential programs while cutting discretionary expenses, promoting growth through strategic investments, implementing fair tax policies, and seeking bipartisan cooperation.
I advocate for a balanced approach that promotes economic growth, ensures equitable revenue generation, prioritizes essential programs, and works across party lines to manage spending and address the debt responsibly, aiming for a stable economic future for all Wyomingites.
Harriet Hageman ®
P.O. Box 4157 Cheyenne, WY 82003
307-363-2270
Q: What issues currently facing the state of Wyoming made you decide to run for United States Representative?
A: The Biden administration and radical environmentalists continue to create challenges for Wyoming, the largest producer of domestic energy in the country. The regulatory regime seeks to deny us access, management, and use of federal lands, to limit our ability to raise livestock, and to implement sound land use policies.
I will continue to focus on those issues that I have championed during my first term in office – limiting the size and scope of the federal government, returning power to the legislative branch, holding the Biden administration accountable, and working to ensure that our citizens have access to reliable and affordable energy. I will continue to focus on promoting and protecting Wyoming. In the Republican-led House, we have passed the most conservative legislation ever seen to protect the border, protect parent’s rights, and unleash domestic energy production, just to name a few.
We must close the border and return sanity to our immigration system. We must unleash our domestic energy producers and protect our food producers to bring down inflation. It is imperative that we stop implementing executive branch policies that undermine our rights and destroy our economy.
Q: The role of Representative is nearly as much campaigning for the next election as it is working for constituents, which leads to having a pretty full plate. What do you think you can do or have done effectively for the people of Wyoming?
A: Stopping the war on the West. The House Republican majority has been pushing and passing legislation that will make our everyday lives better: HR1-would unleash our domestic energy production, including my bill the COAL Act; HR2-the strongest border security bill ever passed by either chamber; the Parents Bill of Rights-to allow parents to have an active voice in their children's education (among others).
In Wyoming, my office has closed over 3,000 cases and returned more than $3 million wrongfully held by various federal agencies. I have visited every county multiple times and will fulfill my promise to have a public town hall in each county in coming weeks. It is very important to me to be present in Wyoming and continue to hear directly from Wyomingites on the issues they are facing.
Q: Following July 13, there has been discussions about the need to lower the temperature of political rhetoric in the United States. What do you plan to do to help with that goal?
A: The assassination attempt against President Trump on July 13 was a failure of the USSS. The House has established a committee to investigate the failures that occurred, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable.
Q: To many American citizens, it would appear the country is more divided than ever before. What are some instances in which you have reached or would reach across the aisle to work with the opposing party?
A: This month, bipartisan, bicameral legislation I introduced was signed into law. The Victims’ Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness (Victims’ VOICES) Act will ensure that a person assuming the rights of a crime victim is eligible to receive restitution of necessary and reasonable expenses associated with participating in the investigation or prosecution of the offense; attending proceedings relating to the offense; or transporting a victim to receive medical, physical or occupational therapy, rehabilitation, or other services.
Q: Wyoming has discussed diversifying its economy for years, especially as it follows the boom or bust cycle some associate with the extraction industry. What do you think can be done on the federal level to aid Wyoming in the pursuit of a diversified economy?
A: I am running for re-election to continue to fight back against Joe Biden's broken immigration system, terrible economy, and woke nonsense. Wyoming needs a champion to protect our western way of life. We must continue to support our legacy industries and promote the fact that they are critically important to not only our prosperity but our freedoms. It is simply unacceptable for the United States to be dependent on other countries for either our energy or our food supplies.
Q: The national debt is often a hot topic, as is the debt ceiling. Can you explain what the debt ceiling is and why it may be necessary at times to raise or suspend the debt ceiling?
A: The only time the debt ceiling should be raised or suspended is when it is tied to spending cuts. Our federal spending is out of control. We must rein in the administrative state to get spending in check. Congress has the power of the purse and should use it.
Steve Helling Wyoming (R)
307-259-7389
P.O. Box 50361 Casper, WY 82605
Q: What issues currently facing the state of Wyoming made you decide to run for United States Representative?
A: I am a Christian and very pro-life. I support national legislation restricting abortion. I decided to run for the U.S. House because Washington, D.C. is dysfunctional. There was a lack of civility. Our country’s judicial system was being abused and used for political purposes. Meanwhile, Wyoming’s fossil fuel industry was under attack. Wyoming’s incumbent appeared weak and ineffective, even refusing to debate her political opponents. Joe Biden was pushing for a rapid expansion of civil nuclear deployment, which included building an experimental nuclear power plant in Kemmerer. Some say it will not be safe. It will be experimental and use bomb-grade, highly radioactive uranium, with no prototype. There is no place to store the resulting highly radioactive nuclear waste, which will remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years, burdening and forcing future generations to deal with the radioactive and deadly waste we create. Until such time as there is a permanent site in which to store nuclear waste, there should be no new nuclear construction. We should not trust Joe Biden. We are in a nuclear-free area of the United States and we are risking our pristine status for money now. As President Reagan once stated,, those with the most to lose will be shown to be the ones to do the least to prevent it from happening.. Understanding there is great voter apathy and with no realistic chance of winning, I decided to run for office to see if the voters really wanted to risk turning Wyoming into a nuclear waste dump by allowing an experimental nuclear power plant to be built in its midst, thereby bowing down to Joe Biden. Germany shut down its last nuclear reactor in 2023 and Taiwan is expected to shut down its last reactor next year. When I decided to run for office, I thought our politicians had sold out the people of Wyoming by promoting an experimental nuclear power plant when they knew there was no permanent site for the storage of nuclear waste. Perhaps it was done for political gain, but requiring future generations to deal with highly radioactive nuclear waste should be a matter of personal and political shame.
Q: The role of Representative is nearly as much campaigning for the next election as it is working for constituents, which leads to having a pretty full plate. What do you think you can do or have done effectively for the people of Wyoming?
A: I am a fighter and am not afraid to take on what appear to be insurmountable challenges. I treat people with civility. If elected, I will fight to maximize the use of fossil fuels, including keeping coal-fired plants in operation, as we gently attempt to incorporate renewables into the power grid. China issued permits to build 106 new coal-fired plants in 2022, so shutting down Wyoming’s five coal plants will have a very minimal effect on the world’s overall carbon production. I will fight Joe Biden’s plans to rapidly expand civil nuclear deployment, as nuclear is not clean energy. It is not environmentally sustainable. While radioactive isotopes are invisible, they are not clean. They cause rare and deadly cancers, sometimes 5, 10, or 20 years down the road. Joe Biden should not be trusted. Nuclear is not needed, it is very expensive and heavily subsidized by taxpayers, at a time when we cannot afford to waste money, In my humble opinion, challenging Joe Biden and keeping new nuclear construction out of Wyoming until there is a place to store nuclear waste is something that would maintain the pristine reputation of Wyoming and help all of us.
Q: Following July 13, there has been discussions about the need to lower the temperature of political rhetoric in the United States. What do you plan to do to help with that goal?
A: The voters need to decide what they want. Are the voters happy with the dysfunctional state of affairs in Washington, D.C., or do they want change?
Q: To many American citizens, it would appear the country is more divided than ever before. What are some instances in which you have reached or would reach across the aisle to work with the opposing party?
A: I am very pro-life. I would reach across the aisle for national abortion restrictions. Also, the passage of a responsible budget. I would reach across the aisle for a national moratorium on new nuclear construction until such time as there was a permanent storage site for the highly radioactive nuclear waste. The nuclear industry appears to have a stranglehold on Washington, D.C., resulting in the proposed rapid expansion of civil nuclear deployment and the weakening of regulations over the nuclear industry. The U.S. Senate voted 88-2 for the weakening of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,. I would also reach out to the Wyoming state legislators to encourage following the lead of such states as California, which has had a moratorium prohibiting new nuclear power plant construction since the late 1970s until there is a storage site for nuclear waste. I would fight for what is right.Wyoming has discussed diversifying its economy for years, especially as it follows the boom or bust cycle some associate with the extraction industry. What do you think can be done on the federal level to aid Wyoming in the pursuit of a diversified economy?This has been a problem facing Wyoming for decades and there is no magical answer. However, Wyoming can expand its energy leadership with the development of new and expanded energy sources, such as hydrogen, geothermal, and other potential new energy sources, such as algae photosynthesis. We do not need radioactive nuclear waste. We must not allow Wyoming to be a nuclear waste dump where nuclear experiments, such as the experimental plant in Kemmerer, are welcomed. We must fight to protect Wyoming’s nuclear-free status. Nuclear is not environmentally sustainable. It is very expensive and nuclear waste is filthy. A pristine reputation and environment will assist in getting new businesses and tourists to Wyoming.
Q: The national debt is often a hot topic, as is the debt ceiling. Can you explain what the debt ceiling is and why it may be necessary at times to raise or suspend the debt ceiling?
A: The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of debt this country can incur, as determined by Congress. We are running a deficit that is out of control, so the debt ceiling has to be raised periodically to meet this country’s debt obligations. I do not know if the deficit is sustainable or for how long.. There is a lot of waste that needs to be cut, but despite assurances from both parties they will cut waste, little seems to get done. We must eliminate all unnecessary spending. Nuclear is an example of a highly subsidized industry, which would not be commercially feasible without large government subsidies, paid by the taxpayers. It has been a failed industry, and after numerous radiation leaks, it is trying to get another chance, with the assistance of Joe Biden, starting with an experimental plant in Kemmerer. We must use all legal efforts to stop it.
Sheryl Foland ®
2997 Lerwick Drive
Rawlins, WY 82301
(307) 417-0311
These issues, along with a strong desire to see our community thrive, inspired me to run for office. I believe that with the right leadership, we can address the challenges that directly impact House District 15 and together we can work towards a brighter future for everyone in House District 15.
Reader Comments(0)