(The Center Square) – A free-market group gave seven state legislators a perfect score in its 2024 Wyoming State Economic Scorecard.
Club for Growth Foundation awarded state Sens. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne; Bob Ide, R-Casper; Troy McKeown, R-Gillette; and Cheri Steinmetz, R-Goshen County, a 100% rating for their votes on key economic policies.
For the House, state Reps. Bill Allemand, R-Edgerton; John Bear, R-Gillette; and Jeanette Ward, R-Casper, each scored a perfect 100%.
Wyoming State Legislature members received a score ranging from 0 to 100 based on their votes on policies affecting economic growth. The Scorecard reviewed over 850 votes.
These votes encompass significant policy areas, such as legislation that created a statewide education savings account program for K-12 students with $6,000 in annual funding and a bill that capped annual property tax increases for single-family homes.
“While both chambers of the State’s Legislature passed bills that will benefit the economic wellbeing of its citizens, there is still work to be done in Cheyenne,” Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh said. “Lawmakers in the state must continue to prioritize economic freedom for all citizens of the Cowboy State by limiting the size and scope of government.”
The average score of a Republican state senator was 58%, and 17% for a Democratic state senator.
State House Republicans received an average score of 51%, and state House Democrats got an average of 21%.
The lowest score given to a Republican went to Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, who got 11%. The lowest rating a Deomcrat received was 16%, which went to Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson.
Both Republicans and Democrats have improved their scores from last year’s report.
In 2023, the Foundation gave state Senate and state House Republicans an average score of 49%. State Senate Democrats received an average score of 8%, and state House Democrats got an average of 2%.
“Through our scorecard series, the Club for Growth Foundation equips Wyomingites with the tools to understand how their state legislators are shaping or threatening economic freedom,” said McIntosh.
The Foundation’s mission is to educate the public on what it says is the importance of economic freedom and limited government.