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Wyoming State Legislature | |
|---|---|
| 68th Wyoming Legislature | |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
| Leadership | |
Senate President | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 93 voting members: 31 Senators 62 Representatives |
 | |
Senate political groups | Majority (29)
Minority (2)
|
 | |
House political groups | Majority (56)
Minority (6)
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| Authority | Article III,Wyoming Constitution |
| Salary | $150/day + per diem |
| Elections | |
Last Senate election | November 5, 2024 |
Last House election | November 5, 2024 |
Next Senate election | November 3, 2026 |
Next House election | November 3, 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Wyoming State Capitol Cheyenne | |
| Website | |
| https://wyoleg.gov | |
TheWyoming State Legislature is thelegislative branch of theU.S. State ofWyoming. It is abicameralstate legislature, consisting of a 62-memberWyoming House of Representatives, and a 31-memberWyoming Senate. The legislature meets at theWyoming State Capitol inCheyenne. There are noterm limits for either chamber.
TheRepublican Party holds asupermajority in the current legislature. 56 of the 62 seats in the House and 29 of the 31 seats in the Senate are held by Republicans.
The Wyoming State Legislature began like otherWestern states as a territorial legislature, with nearly (though with not all) the parliamentary regulations that guide other fully-fledgedstate legislatures.
During its territorial era, the Wyoming Legislature played a crucial role in theSuffragette Movement in the United States. In 1869, only four years following theAmerican Civil War, and another 35 years before women's suffrage became a highly visible political issue in both theU.S.,Britain, and elsewhere, the Wyoming Legislature granted all women above the age of 21 the right to vote. The legislature's move made Wyoming the first territory of the United States where women were explicitly granted the voting franchise. News spread quickly to other neighboring territories and states. In 1870, theUtah Territorial Legislature followed suit and granted the voting franchise to women.
The move by the legislature was motivated by a number of factors, including bringingEastern women to the territory to increase its population (it has consistently been among the least-populated states in America), to publicize the new territory, to bring more voters into the fold (both for existing political elites and again due to its small population), and by genuine concerns that women should be allowed the vote.
Due to the territory's change of voting laws in 1869, theU.S. Congress was hostile to Wyoming and its legislature. During proceedings to make Wyoming aU.S. state in 1889 and 1890 in writing a newconstitution that would continue female suffrage, Congress threatened to withholdstatehood unless women's suffrage were abolished.
After the Wyoming Legislature and territorial government sent a telegram back toWashington with the ultimatum that Wyoming would remain a territory rather than become a state without women's suffrage, Congress withdrew its threat, and on July 10, 1890,President Benjamin Harrison signed into law Wyoming becoming the 44th U.S. state.
Wyoming's early entry into female politics continued into the 20th century. In 1925,DemocratNellie Tayloe Ross became the first elected femalegovernor of a U.S. state.[1]
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