Wyoming

The mountain-region state of Wyoming is the 10th largest state by area, and the least populous state in the US. The entire population is below that of several major US cities and metropolitan areas in the country. Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city in the state. It was admitted as the 44th state into the Union on July 10, 1890.

Nearly ⅔ of the entire state is covered by the Rocky Mountains, and the eastern ⅓ of the state is covered by prairie lands known as the High Plains. Nearly ½ the total landmass of the state is owned by the Federal Government. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park lie within the state’s borders, and are among the most visited national parks in the country. There are also two national monuments in the state, several national forests, wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and historic sites.

The state’s economy is primarily drawn from industries which include coal mining, oil, trona, and natural gas mining and resource production. Agriculture including wildlife, beef, cattle, poultry, beets, grain, hay, sugar, and wool are also produced in high volumes. Tourism also greatly contributes to the state’s economy given the parks and historic sites. Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills, Grand Teton National Park, Devil’s Tower, Old Faithful Geyser, and the Yellowstone River, are among the leading tourist attractions in the state.

The state government of Wyoming is established by the Wyoming Constitution, and like most states and the federal government, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches split political power in the state.

The executive branch includes a governor, a secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. There is no lieutenant governor in Wyoming, the secretary of state is tapped to take over for the governor if he or she is incapacitated. 

The Wyoming State Legislature includes a House of Representatives with 60 members, and a Senate with 30 members.  Wyoming has only one at-large representative in the Federal House of Representatives, due to the state’s sparse population, and contributes 3 electoral votes during elections.

The judicial system in Wyoming is unusual, in that there is no intermediate appellate court.  The highest court is the Supreme Court of Wyoming, and this court’s five justices preside over appeals from the lower courts.  The state also has circuit courts of limited jurisdiction, handling civil claims with smaller dollar amounts, misdemeanor criminal offenses, etc.  Judges in the state were previously elected by a popular vote on a nonpartisan ballot, however, in 1972 the Wyoming constitution was amended to adopt a system where judges are nominated by a nominating commission and appointed by the governor.

Wyoming is part of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Stories and news including cybersecurity, data protection, online virtual currency and emerging blockchain technologies in the state, are among the stories covered by the National Law Review.  Additionally, topics such as  E-verify programs, immigration laws, labor and employment laws, breach notification, discrimination, and other relevant stories unfolding in the state.