Around the Counter with Molly & Corey

Wyoming’s political landscape offers key insights into rural Western policy. Executive Director Corey Cronin analyzes Proposition 1 property tax cuts, the Freedom Caucus primary defeat, and public land impacts. **Executive Summary** In this episode of *Around the Counter with Molly & Friends*, host Molly Jones sits down with Corey Cronin, Executive Director of the Wyoming Civic Engagement Network (WYCEN) and longtime campaign strategist. Drawing on his extensive experience in both Utah and Wyoming state politics, Corey breaks down the major legislative shifts happening in Wyoming and explains why neighboring states like Utah share an almost identical political DNA. From local budget dynamics to regional culture wars, the discussion reveals how policy trends tested in rural Western states rarely stay contained within state borders. Corey pulls back the curtain on Wyoming’s Proposition 1—a citizen-led ballot initiative proposing a 50% residential property tax cut. While tax relief sounds appealing on the surface, Corey explains how taking a “chainsaw” to property taxes undermines essential community infrastructure like public education, volunteer fire departments, rural health care, and emergency medical services. The conversation also covers the historic outcome of Wyoming’s recent primary election, where voters turned away from hardline extremists, stripping the state’s Freedom Caucus of its house majority following high-profile budget battles and the infamous “Checkgate” floor scandal. **Key Takeaways** \* **Proposition 1 Impacts**: A proposed 50% property tax cut acts as a heavy-handed solution that risks defunding critical local infrastructure, including public schools, volunteer fire departments, and rural emergency medical services. \* **Freedom Caucus Upset**: Conservative Wyoming voters rejected hardline tactics in the primary elections, defeating nine incumbents and removing the Freedom Caucus from its legislative majority after extreme budget proposals. \* **The Checkgate Scandal**: Public trust was shaken when a lobbyist was photographed handing donor contribution checks directly to lawmakers on the House floor right before a major tax vote. \* **Regional Policy Testing**: Out-of-state interest groups frequently use low-population Western states like Wyoming and Utah as testing grounds for far-right policy agendas before exporting them nationwide. \* **Organizing Versus Mobilizing**: Building sustainable community power requires deep relationship-building and local coalition work rather than relying solely on single-event rallies or short-term mobilizations. *\*Executive Summary and key takeaways generated by AI and edited by humans. Podcast is purely human.* **Thanks for pulling up a stool.** Want to grab a glass and join the conversation? Here’s how: \* **Love it:** Hit that heart button to show you like this post. \* **Join the Conversation:** We’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s piece. \* **Restack**: Share this out to your personal feed to help us expand our reach. \* **Share the warmth:** If this resonated, feel free to forward it to a friend. We can also be found on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Or, check out our 2026 midterm election prediction model, Tiny Model. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aroundthecounter.substack.com