American conservatism’s wild frontier: the rise of Wyoming’s Freedom caucus
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Wyoming’s state house is the first to be controlled by a Freedom caucus, known for its hardline conservative stances. On 7 January, Republican Wyoming state representative Jeremy Haroldson stood on checkerboard tiles at the heart of the state capitol rotunda and outlined the ascendant Freedom caucus’s vision for a new Wyoming.
“This nation was founded on godly principles,” said Haroldson, who is also a pastor. “And those are the principles that we will continue to govern upon.”. Wyoming’s 2025 legislative session, which starts on Tuesday, will be the first time a Freedom caucus, known for its hardline conservative stances in Washington, has taken control of any US state house, although the National Freedom Caucus Network has a growing footprint in a dozen state capitols.
The future unveiled by Haroldson and other members elaborated on the Freedom caucus’s “Five and Dime” plan, a culture-war heavy legislative package designed to show that a group of self-branded conservative outsiders can handle being in the driver’s seat.
The package aims to “stop the Woke agenda” at the University of Wyoming by prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, cutting residential property taxes, invalidating drivers’ licenses issued to undocumented immigrants by other states, enacting stricter proof of residency and citizenship for prospective voters, and prohibiting “woke investment strategies” with state funds.
The power shift has brought national attention to Wyoming, where over a third of house members will be freshman lawmakers. Speaker of the House and Freedom caucus member Chip Neiman views the package as the will of Wyoming voters – and reflective of a changing, more conservative America.
