Two bills sponsored by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, one defining terms like “woman” and another prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in state-funded entities, have passed their final House votes, Wyo File reports.
Both measures will now proceed to the Senate for committee assignment, debate, and potential amendments.
House Bill 32 establishes statutory definitions for “man,” “woman,” and “biological sex” and specifies that the law is subject to intermediate scrutiny in potential court challenges. Intermediate scrutiny requires a law to “further an important government interest” through means “substantially related” to that interest.
During the bill’s third reading in the House, Rep. Ken Chestek (D-Laramie) proposed removing the intermediate scrutiny language, arguing that it improperly directs courts on how to evaluate the law:
“Telling the court what level of scrutiny to apply … is something we have no ability to do,” Chestek said.
Rep. Ken Pendergraft (R-Sheridan) countered, asserting that the bill only clarifies terms to ensure courts understand legislative intent. Chestek’s amendment was ultimately rejected.
House Bill 147 seeks to ban governmental entities in Wyoming from implementing any DEI-related policies or programs. An amendment introduced by Rep. Karlee Provenza (D-Laramie) attempted to exempt law enforcement from the bill, emphasizing the importance of cultural training in preventing civil rights violations and aiding legal defense for officers.
“An aye for this amendment is a vote to support law enforcement,” Provenza said.
Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody), the bill’s sponsor and chair of the Freedom Caucus, opposed the amendment, asserting that DEI programs distract from a neutral, “color-blind” approach to governance:
“There is, perhaps, no more important place for this mandate than the justice system,” Rodriguez-Williams said.
Provenza’s amendment was also rejected.
