As your state representative for House District 38, I feel compelled to address recent attacks on my stance regarding women’s sports.
These attacks, fueled by out-of-state dark money, have grossly misconstrued my position on an issue of profound importance.
As your neighbor, you know I’ve been a part of this community my entire life. I’ve grown up here, was married here, I ranch here, and go to church here. I care deeply about our shared values and the well-being of every resident.
Our state has a proud history of championing women’s rights. We were the first state to grant women the right to vote, earning us the title of the Equality State. This legacy is not just a point of pride; it’s a commitment that we must uphold with every decision we make.
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The identity of a woman is fundamental and irreplaceable. It encompasses a unique journey, filled with challenges and triumphs that shape who she is. Our state has always recognized and celebrated this truth, and we must continue to honor it in all aspects of our society.
On a personal note, I watched two of my sisters thrive as athletes in high school and college.
Their dedication and hard work led to remarkable achievements, and I would never want to see their success undermined or taken away.
They competed with integrity, knowing that they were part of a fair and just system that recognized their abilities and efforts.
Additionally, the safety and privacy of women in locker rooms and restrooms are paramount concerns that cannot be overlooked.
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Every woman and girl deserves to feel secure in spaces designated for them, free from any undue risks or discomfort. I firmly believe that ensuring these safe spaces is a fundamental part of respecting and valuing the identity of women.
I vow to protect the opportunities and rights of our Wyoming girls. Ensuring a level playing field in sports is not just about fairness; it’s about preserving the integrity of women’s sports and respecting the unique identity and contributions of women.
As your representative, I will stand firm against any attempts to blur the lines and diminish the accomplishments of female athletes.
Let’s remain committed to our values and the legacy of equality that defines Wyoming. Together, we can ensure that every girl and woman in our state has the chance to succeed and be celebrated for who she truly is.
We can’t let out-of-state attack ads from those desperately seeking power cause divisiveness within the conservative movement. I am a proud, committed, Wyoming conservative. I will always fight back against the radical left and stand firm in defending our Wyoming way of life.
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If you need to reach me on this issue or any other, please call (307-265-8935), email (tom.walters@reagan.com) or visit https://waltershd38.com/ directly. Thank you for your continued trust and support
In his recent guest column Representative Tom Walters asserts that “Every woman and girl deserves to feel secure in spaces designated for them, free from any undue risks or discomfort. I firmly believe that ensuring these safe spaces is a fundamental part of respecting and valuing the identity of women.” That is his way of saying that the What is a Woman Act (which defines sex and gender by plumbing) is necessary to make females feel safe.
Actually, that’s not how our legal-system works. If any person commits a crime, that person faces criminal charges. Everybody else is innocent until proven guilty. Nobody is protected from things that might happen. Nobody is protected from fear. But about transwomen, there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.
In Colorado, access to gender-segregated facilities has been determined by “innate sense of gender-identity” since 2007, and there has NEVER been a reported case of a woman being assaulted by a transwoman in one of those facilities. So women are equally safe, with or without the protection, that this act would theoretically provide.
This act is just a shiny-object to distract us from the fact that women are not safe from gun-violence or being raped on the street, and Republicans are not willing to do anything to fix that. But Republicans are certainly able to pass laws to protect women from what poses no actual danger, and then host a barn-dance to celebrate their great accomplishment.
Two years ago, sensible Republicans voted down the Freedom Caucus’ transgender-hysteria bills, because they know such bills are unjust, and bad for tourism. But last year, after attacks from dark-money, out of state, fake public-interest groups – they passed Chloe’s Law, banning gender-affirming care for youth. Now, the dark-money attacks, instead of stopping, have quadrupled – since they proved to work so splendidly.
These attacks will never stop, and it won’t be long before the Clown-Caucus runs the state as if we were Idaho, where if a doctor has to choose between saving a baby or the mother, the doctor has to save the baby and let the mother die. Today the clown-caucus is protecting women from transpeople, tomorrow they will be protecting women from the harmful effects of birth-control medications and devices.
At every rally, Trump talks about the three women who were murdered by illegal-migrants this year. But he never talks about the nine transgender-women who were murdered by regular-ole Americans in the same time-period.
Wyoming is the Equality State because women are treated as equals. Because of this, Wyoming women are strong and independent. They are not helpless southern-belles or debutantes. But this bill, and the views of the Freedom Caucus, as expressed by Walters, insults that strength and independence. It is paternalistic. It asserts that women need protection from phantom-fears, or LordyLordy, they might just faint dead-away from fears that a transwoman’s Elastic Man penis is going to squeeze through the cracks in the stall and attack them.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
MORE | Shootings
Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
Gina Douglas
July 30, 2024 at 1:27 pm
In his recent guest column Representative Tom Walters asserts that “Every woman and girl deserves to feel secure in spaces designated for them, free from any undue risks or discomfort. I firmly believe that ensuring these safe spaces is a fundamental part of respecting and valuing the identity of women.” That is his way of saying that the What is a Woman Act (which defines sex and gender by plumbing) is necessary to make females feel safe.
Actually, that’s not how our legal-system works. If any person commits a crime, that person faces criminal charges. Everybody else is innocent until proven guilty. Nobody is protected from things that might happen. Nobody is protected from fear. But about transwomen, there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.
In Colorado, access to gender-segregated facilities has been determined by “innate sense of gender-identity” since 2007, and there has NEVER been a reported case of a woman being assaulted by a transwoman in one of those facilities. So women are equally safe, with or without the protection, that this act would theoretically provide.
This act is just a shiny-object to distract us from the fact that women are not safe from gun-violence or being raped on the street, and Republicans are not willing to do anything to fix that. But Republicans are certainly able to pass laws to protect women from what poses no actual danger, and then host a barn-dance to celebrate their great accomplishment.
Two years ago, sensible Republicans voted down the Freedom Caucus’ transgender-hysteria bills, because they know such bills are unjust, and bad for tourism. But last year, after attacks from dark-money, out of state, fake public-interest groups – they passed Chloe’s Law, banning gender-affirming care for youth. Now, the dark-money attacks, instead of stopping, have quadrupled – since they proved to work so splendidly.
These attacks will never stop, and it won’t be long before the Clown-Caucus runs the state as if we were Idaho, where if a doctor has to choose between saving a baby or the mother, the doctor has to save the baby and let the mother die. Today the clown-caucus is protecting women from transpeople, tomorrow they will be protecting women from the harmful effects of birth-control medications and devices.
At every rally, Trump talks about the three women who were murdered by illegal-migrants this year. But he never talks about the nine transgender-women who were murdered by regular-ole Americans in the same time-period.
Wyoming is the Equality State because women are treated as equals. Because of this, Wyoming women are strong and independent. They are not helpless southern-belles or debutantes. But this bill, and the views of the Freedom Caucus, as expressed by Walters, insults that strength and independence. It is paternalistic. It asserts that women need protection from phantom-fears, or LordyLordy, they might just faint dead-away from fears that a transwoman’s Elastic Man penis is going to squeeze through the cracks in the stall and attack them.