Momentum builds to reform Wyoming Public Records Act

Although a draft bill failed to advance during the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers and stakeholders plan to keep working on a compromise for 2027, as concerns grow over the cost and accessibility of government records across the state.

Fulfilling public records requests can cost local governments money—paper, ink and staff time. But there can also be a cost to not providing records, said Sarah Squires, managing editor of the Lander Journal, Riverton Ranger and Wind River News. Before joining the Wyoming press corps, Squires worked in Minnesota, where a series of public records requests revealed a county had been collecting millions in excess taxpayer dollars for years, long before leaders approved a new office addition. “If they had been able to charge me, I never would have figured it out,” she said. “Better oversight of government will save money.”

The effort to reform Wyoming’s Public Records Act produced Senate File 49, which failed introduction on a 15-16 vote. But optimism remains that a similar bill, with refinements, could succeed when the Legislature convenes next year. Taking a closer look at public records and open meetings laws is the No. 2 priority for the Joint Corporations Committee during the legislative offseason.

Wyoming Public Records Ombudsman Darlena Potter sees room for improving the bill and notes that 2027 will be a general session, allowing more time for refinement. She’s seeing an increasing push among the general public to access government records. When she first started as ombudsman, she handled more requests from the media. Now she sees other Wyomingites seeking public records to navigate competing claims.

Potter is sympathetic to small government offices struggling to manage requests. The timelines for responding in SF 49 were too stringent for small offices, she said, where if someone is out sick, there might be no one to respond within three days. To referee more challenging requests, the bill would have given the ombudsman power to adjust fees and timelines. It also would have increased the penalty to $2,000 for “knowingly or intentionally” violating public records law, up from $750.

Representing local governments, Jerimiah Rieman of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association said his organization is “unified around ensuring accountability and transparency.” He welcomed the uniform fee structure proposed in SF 49. Longtime publisher Bob Bonnar of the Newcastle News Letter Journal called it a “great bill.” After a protracted battle with the Weston County Clerk’s Office to access election records, which included a fee of several hundred dollars, he said he’s given up. “The system 100% protects government at the expense of the people,” he said.