Articles written by Maya Shimizu Harris


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  • No election bills survive the session

    Maya Shimizu Harris|Mar 14, 2024

    CHEYENNE—Election bills didn’t fare well this session. As Wyoming elections have been flooded with anonymous campaign mailers and out-of-state influence, lawmakers and other officials have looked toward legislation to increase transparency and tighten Wyoming’s voter laws. Last year, for example, the Legislature passed a bill closing a loophole that had allowed federal political action committees to skirt state campaign reporting requirements. And after several attempts, lawmakers also adopt...

  • Boost in Business

    Maya Shimizu Harris|Sep 7, 2023

    СASPER — The number of new business filings in Wyoming surged dramatically this year compared to last, bringing in a whopping 25% increase in revenue from filings. The Secretary of State’s Office has processed roughly 590,000 business filings for fiscal year 2023 — more than a 27% increase compared to last year, Colin Crossman, business division director for the Secretary of State’s Office, told lawmakers last week. “That’s massive,” Crossman said. “That eclipses all of the other years that I tracked here.” As a result of these filings, the...

  • How much is too much?

    Maya Shimizu Harris|Aug 3, 2023

    CASPER — About a dozen people spoke at a Rock Springs meeting earlier this month about a historic rate hike proposal brought by Rocky Mountain Power — Wyoming’s largest electricity provider. Though more than 70% of Rocky Mountain Power’s customer base consists of industrial users, most of the people who spoke at the public hearing were typical residential customers and community members who fear the impact these cost increases could have on their lives. Rock Springs Mayor Max Nicholson said the rate increases could threaten lives; those w...

  • State to halt Chinese investments

    Maya Shimizu Harris, Casper Star-Tribune Via Wyoming News Exchange|Jun 8, 2023

    CASPER — Wyoming will halt its passive investments in China starting in July amid growing concern about the risks of investing in the country. The money that Wyoming currently has passively invested in China will be distributed across investments in other nations next month. Wyoming’s active investments in China — those that are managed and individually assessed for risk and return — will still be on the table. The move won’t significantly impact Wyoming’s investments; China only makes up roughly 1% of its entire portfolio, with just a port...