Campaign Trail Updates
Two Different Approaches to Wyoming’s Future
As we head into tomorrow’s Republican primary, I want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who opened a door, stopped to visit, came to a meet-and-greet, asked [...]
Protecting Life, Respecting Liberty
I believe unborn human life has inherent worth and deserves protection. I also believe pregnancy can present extraordinarily difficult circumstances involving a woman’s health and life, developing human life, medical [...]
Experience, Humility and Public Service
Funny how quickly incumbency starts looking different once it's yours. A few years ago, candidates were saying, "Drain the swamp. Vote them all out. Career politicians are the problem." Now [...]
A Family Story Behind My Second Amendment Values
When people ask where my support for the Second Amendment comes from, the answer starts at home. I grew up in my dad's gun shop. The shop was part of [...]
Why Stability Matters for Wyoming’s Future
Yesterday, I participated in the Wyoming Business Alliance Policy & Prosperity Summit, joining business and industry leaders from across Wyoming for a series of conversations about the opportunities and challenges [...]
Why Solving Problems Across Differences Is a Conservative Value
I’ve spent most of my career working across northern Wyoming, facilitating difficult conversations around community issues. And here’s something I know for certain: Communities and economies do not get stronger [...]
A Conversation About the Work Ahead
Today I had the chance to sit down with Jake on the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show for a short conversation about this campaign and what I’m hearing across the [...]
Melissa Butcher Announces Run for Wyoming Senate District 21
Melissa Butcher, a Sheridan County business owner, announced today she will run as a Republican for the Wyoming Senate in District 21, bringing her experience in business leadership, collaborative problem-solving, [...]
Butcher for Wyoming Senate District 21
Sheridan County business owner, community facilitator, and candidate for Wyoming Senate District 21. Focused on trust, opportunity, and Wyoming’s future.
We talk a lot about taxes and government spending, and rightly so. But I think we sometimes lose sight of what those tax dollars actually pay for.
This fire is a good example. Look at the number of agencies and organizations that came together to protect lives and property. Fire departments, law enforcement, road crews and others, all working together.
Most of us go about our daily lives without giving much thought to the people, equipment, training and infrastructure that make these services possible. We just expect them to be there when we need them.
I'm a firm believer that we need to be careful with taxpayer dollars and continually look for ways to operate more efficiently. But we also need to understand what we're getting for those dollars, and what the consequences might be when we cut funding.
Taxes don't simply disappear into government coffers. Much of that money comes back to our communities in the form of services we rely on every day, whether we realize it or not.
This is personal for me, too. During the Elk Fire, volunteer firefighters saved our home. I know firsthand what it means to have neighbors willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect others.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the Border Fire, and especially to the volunteers who give so much of their time to protect their neighbors.
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Formal Senate training starts in December and continues in January, but I’m not much of a wait-until-then person.
Since the primary, I’ve been using this time to prepare. I’ve been reviewing past committee work and legislation, spending time with the state budget, talking with people who know these issues well, and looking closely at what may be coming in 2027.
I’m also exploring some possible legislation of my own, based on conversations with constituents during the campaign.
I’ve been thinking about how easy it would be, as a new legislator, to feel like I need to prove myself by introducing bills, and I don’t want to fall into that trap. Good legislation starts with a real problem, then asks whether a new law is actually the right way to solve it. That means understanding what’s happening, who is affected, what is causing the problem, and what else might change if we act.
Property tax is a good example. If voters approve the 50% residential property tax initiative in November, the Legislature will have to deal with the effects on schools, counties, towns and other local services. That will require more than a quick fix.
I think this is also part of restoring confidence in how the Legislature does its work. Do the homework. Ask the hard questions. Understand the tradeoffs. Listen to the people who will live with the results.
Passing more bills isn’t the measure of a good session. Solving real problems well is.
❓What problem do YOU think state government needs to understand better before it tries to fix it?❓
———-
Ballot language note: BE PREPARED to vote on November 3. The Wyoming Secretary of State has posted the official 2026 statewide ballot proposition for the “People’s Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner’s Property Exemption” at sos.wyo.gov/Elections/Docs/2026/2026_Statewide_Ballot_Propositions.pdf.
The ballot language includes the estimated revenue impact of the initiative to the State of Wyoming for fiscal years 2028 and 2029, noting that this estimate “does not include an estimate of any impact upon political subdivisions. The proposition references a beginning in 2025, but if passed in 2026 the earliest applicable tax year would be 2027, with impact to the state beginning in 2028. Fiscal impact will apply to each year so long as the exemption is in place. Future impacts depend on unpredictable economic conditions.”
————
Photo: Tony Webster / CC BY 2.0
“We should all be asking the question… ‘What am I doing to make my community better?’”
Years ago, when I worked for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, I spent quite a bit of time in Newcastle as WYDOT prepared to reconstruct Main Street. My job was public outreach — talking with residents and business owners, gathering their input about how the street should function and what kinds of improvements and amenities they wanted to see as part of the project.
One of my first projects after joining WYDOT involved very similar work right here in Sheridan, as Main Street was being revitalized. Those projects gave me a front-row seat to just how much people care about the places they call home — and how important it is that they have a meaningful voice when decisions are being made about those places.
What I remember most is how much people cared about getting it right for their communities.
So it was especially nice to see that video all these years later and see a downtown that continues to be active, attractive and very much a part of the life of Newcastle.
Communities don’t become vibrant because of one project, one organization or one person. They become vibrant because, over many years, people keep showing up, listening to one another and investing their time and energy in the places they call home.
That’s certainly true here in Sheridan County, too.
And it’s a good reminder for me as I prepare to serve in the Senate: the best decisions start with understanding what a community values, making sure people have a meaningful voice and working to turn that vision into results.
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
It may still be August, but apparently it's back-to-school season for me, too.
January will be here before we know it, and I'm trying to make good use of the time between now and then to prepare for the job I've been nominated to do.
I'm following the legislative committees that meet between sessions. A lot of that work grows out of the last legislative session. Some issues needed more study, some questions weren't resolved, and some things simply need a closer look before lawmakers take them up again. Those committees are also developing proposals that may come before us in 2027.
I'm following work on property taxes, education and school finance, elections, energy, health care, state spending and local government. That means reading committee materials and recent legislation, looking at what's been tried before and talking with current legislators and others who know these issues well.
There is no shortage of reading material. 🙂
I'm also building the systems I would use to evaluate legislation, track bills and amendments and follow fiscal impacts. Just as important, I don't want what I hear from constituents to simply land in an inbox somewhere. I want to connect those conversations to the issues I'm working on and be able to report back on what happened.
The primary is behind us, but the questions Wyoming Republicans have been asking about spending, taxes, property rights, elections, individual liberty and the proper role of government are still very much in front of us. Those issues don't belong to one candidate or one caucus.
We're not always going to agree on the answer. That's just reality when you're dealing with complex, layered issues and systems. If I'm elected in November, my job will be to understand the problem we're trying to solve and what the Constitution and current law require, then look hard at the costs, consequences and whether a proposal actually makes things better.
Over the next several months, I'll share some of what I'm following and working through, including some of the questions I have along the way. And please keep telling me what you're seeing and thinking, too.
A friend shared with me today a photo of an offensive message that was written in chalk outside my opponent's home around Election Day.
This is the first I have heard about this incident.
Ken and I had real differences during this campaign, but we were cordial and respectful toward one another throughout it. I appreciated that.
During this campaign, I made a pledge to treat those who disagree with me as neighbors, not enemies. I meant it then, and I mean it now.
What happened at Ken's home isn't okay. Political disagreement does not justify vulgarity or disrespect toward someone or their family.
I don't know who was responsible, and I won't speculate. But the standard shouldn't depend on whose candidate won or lost.
We can disagree. We can argue our case. We can vote differently. And when it's over, we're still neighbors.
Thank you, Senate District 21.
I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me tonight.
This campaign began with a belief that the people who live here should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape our communities and our state. Over the past several months, you opened your doors, shared your concerns, challenged me with hard questions, and told me what you hope Wyoming can become.
I heard you. And I will keep hearing you.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered, contributed, encouraged me, and worked so hard to make this possible. Thank you to everyone who voted—whether you voted for me or not—for participating in the process and caring about the future of our communities.
Tonight is not the end of that responsibility. It is the beginning of a new one.
Thank you for your trust. I will work hard to earn it every day.
#butcherforwyoming #always
