Editorial Roundup

Wyoming News Exchange editorial roundup, week of Oct. 8-14, 2024

Editors: Below is a collection of editorials from various Wyoming newspapers for your use.

You can use any or all of these editorials as you see fit, however, please make sure to give proper attribution to the newspapers generating the editorials you use.

Note: David Adler column appears at the end.

Cody Enterprise, Oct. 14

Legislature to consider spent nuclear fuel

Chris Bacon, Editor

The Wyoming Legislature will consider allowing spent nuclear fuel from out of state to be stored here.

"I think just saying that we absolutely don't want used fuel storage in Wyoming — to just say that is very close-minded," State Sen. Ed Cooper, R-Thermopolis, said. "I'm not sure that we do want it in Wyoming, and that's not what this bill is doing. It's simply allowing the discussion to move forward with the definitions meeting the NRC and the [Department of Energy] language," according to a Wyofile printed nearby.

The opposition is in spite of the fact that Wyoming broke ground this summer on a natrium reactor near Kemmerer. So, fuel will be handled, transported and stored in Wyoming anyway.

State Sen Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, told Cowboy State Daily that he thinks "it puts Wyoming in an awkward position of accepting everyone's nuclear garbage."

NIMBY is a political acronym for "Not In My Back Yard." It is used to describe, somewhat pejoratively, someone who, for instance, might consume gasoline but does not want a refinery near their dwelling place.

One of the great controversies of our time involves global warming, whether it is anthropogenic (human-caused), and whether we can do anything about it. It is a subject for a book, not an editorial. But one of the few points of agreement is that we all want and need consistent, reliable electric power.

The anthropogenic crowd champions wind and solar energy, to the detriment of burning fossil fuels. But the sun sets daily, and sometimes, even in Wyoming, the wind does not blow. In those instances, whence comes the power?

If we don't burn fossil fuels and the wind isn't blowing and the sun has set, and we haven't built gargantuan batteries out of environmentally unfriendly materials, one's choices are between nuclear power or sitting in the dark.

The proliferation of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and bitcoin mining and the resultant increase in per capita electricity usage due to these activities makes this choice even more stark.

If you are committed to reducing CO2 emissions by power production, logically, you don't get to be opposed to all nuclear energy. Nuclear and hydroelectric power are the only sources of non-carbon emitting power production that generate 24/7. And as an outdoorsman, your editor hopes we have dammed all the rivers in the West that we are going to.

An engineer friend likes to say that "nothing is free." Thus, nuclear reactors produce spent fuel that is no longer useful in a thermal reactor. The fuel can be reprocessed in a special reactor and recycled; this is done routinely by European nuclear power generators.

Concerned about nuclear proliferation, President Jimmy Carter banned the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the U.S. by executive order on April 7, 1977. This means that the 2500 tons of nuclear fuel produced each year remain in "temporary" storage at the reactor site where they were used.

If 1977 until now seems more like "permanent" to you, you are not alone.

Reportedly, the federal government has spent over $9 billion on the Yucca Mountain permanent disposal site, and then, for political reasons, decided not to use it. The Senate Majority Leader at the time was Harry Reid, from Nevada – where Yucca Mountain was located. (See NIMBY, above)

So, America has several choices: use fossil fuels to meet our growing power needs, use nuclear power to meet those needs and reopen Yucca Mountain (or a site like it), or use nuclear power and store spent fuel at the sites where it was used.

Perhaps a fourth option would be to produce a lot of candles so that we would not sit in the dark when the wind did not blow at night. Charging an electric car overnight will be tough, though.

Wyoming's proposal, to be heard in the 2025 legislative session, is to store fuel and to fill our coffers from NIMBY states that do not wish to store their own.

Whether you love the idea of storing fuel in Wyoming or hate it, tough decisions need to be made in energy policy.

Gillette News Record, Oct. 12

Election season is in full swing, again

Jonathan Gallardo

Take a drive around Gillette and Campbell County and keep your eyes peeled. If you look closely enough, you might see a campaign sign. But look carefully, they can be pretty hard to spot. It's not like they're posted on every street corner and empty field.

Oh wait, they are. But that's just what election season is all about, is seeing the beautiful landscape dotted with the names of people who want your vote. It seems like it was just yesterday that we got done with the primary election, and now we're back at it again.

Early voting is underway in Campbell County. And for those who have already cast their ballots, we envy you. It must be nice to know how you're voting in each of the races on the ballot. But for the rest of us, we have to do some research so we can be sure.

In the coming weeks we'll be sending out questions to the candidates to learn where they stand on certain issues, so if you're waiting on that information, please be patient. It will be coming soon.

Here in Campbell County, with the options to vote early, by mail or at the polls, the only excuse that people have to not vote is because they don't feel like it. Unfortunately, there will be thousands of people here, and millions across the country, who will choose not to exercise this right.

Why might someone not feel like voting? Well, for some they might not think their vote counts. For others, they might not be impressed by the slate of candidates. Or maybe they just don't trust the process.

I had the chance to watch a hand counting test trial last week. I won't get into a lot of the details here, because I'm sure that between now and March it'll be discussed at length.

One thing that hand counting advocates kept bringing up at that test trial was how they don't believe the clerks are the ones to blame. Now, I understand from the clerks' point of view why they might not take kindly to being told that they're doing things wrong. To them, they feel like they're being blamed.

I happen to think the Campbell County elections office is doing, and has done, a great job. They're helpful whenever I have questions, and they don't hide whenever I walk through the door. This has been the case for the last eight years.

There's one lady in that office who is a legend to me because she kicked a billionaire off of Cam-plex property the day of one primary election because he was violating state law. I won't say who this billionaire was, but he was running for governor in 2018 and he was too close to a polling place, and this elections employee told him to move it, which he did.

I make sure to bring up this story whenever I see this lady, much to her dismay, but I think it's a cool story that bears repeating.

So whether you're voting early or at the polls, be nice to the elections staff and the election judges. These are people who live in our community and want the same thing that you do — a good, clean election.

Jackson Hole News&Guide, Oct. 9

Who will you trust?

Campaign season preceding general elections is when voters decide who they will trust to run their government, everything from the county school board up to the president of the United States.

Candidates shout from the proverbial mountaintops about why you should vote for them. It's hard to miss the yard signs, bumper stickers, newspaper advertisements, social media posts, mailbox flyers and video ads. A variety of public forums are held so that voters can meet candidates in person if they don't happen to knock on your door.

Of the tools voters use to learn about candidates, fact-based, objective journalism is one of the most important. Reporters ask the candidates tough questions about their qualifications, background, platform and approach to current affairs.

This newspaper publishes campaign season news from the first filing date through the post-election analysis and beyond. Weeks before the primary and the general, our journalists produce special election sections so readers can study the candidates, questions and amendments they'll be presented with on Election Day. The general election section will publish in the Oct. 16 edition of the News&Guide.

For the benefit of the voting public, sometimes news reporters uncover embarrassing episodes or criminal charges against candidates. Humans are imperfect; we've all done things we're not proud of. It's up to voters to judge whether a past transgression and how a candidate handled it sheds light on their character. Although past performance does not always indicate future results, it's one of the factors to consider.

It's a journalist's duty to seek the truth and report it. Denigrating journalists for political reporting is the old "smoke and mirrors" technique: Don't look over here, look over there! Accountability comes in many shapes and sizes for those seeking the power of elected office. It's the duty of voters to decide what weight to give each piece of information.

The electorate has a high degree of respect for people who step out of their private lives to campaign and serve the public. They are held up to public scrutiny.

When votes are cast for a candidate, we're placing our confidence in them. We expect that they'll show up, be cordial to others, represent our best interests and collaborate with others to champion important issues.

Apathy is the enemy of democracy. Now is the time to encourage a friend, colleague or family member to inform their vote. Ask everyone you know to make a voting plan. Whether casting a ballot in person on Election Day, or early by mail, it's our duty to know the issues and the candidates in choosing people over party, and community over self-interest.

Lovell Chronicle, Oct. 10

The awesome, scary power of a forest fire

David Peck

The seemingly unstoppable Elk Fire is nothing short of heartbreaking as the blaze continues to spread rapidly in rugged terrain and tinder dry timber on the eastern flank of our beautiful Bighorn National Forest while also pushing west at times nearly to Burgess Junction.

What started as a small blaze sparked by a lightning strike on September 27 has grown exponentially in a forest that hasn't seen meaningful precipitation for many weeks, with unseasonal high temperatures and swirling winds exacerbating the situation.

As of Wednesday, the fire was 16 percent contained and had consumed nearly 76,000 acres, with 889 firefighting crew members battling the blaze.

Forest Supervisor Andrew Johnson put the massive fire in perspective during a community meeting Sunday evening in Ranchester, noting that the previous largest fire in the Big Horns over the last 100 years of forest management burned some 18,000 acres, and it took a month to reach that size, but last Friday night, due to a front with 50 mph winds, the fire grew by 25,000 acres in a matter of hours.

It must be an incredibly helpless feeling for people whose homes are in the path of the fire, depending on the wind direction. Two homes in the Dayton area burned a few days ago, and as of early this week 3,000 structures were placed under evacuation warnings in the area, with 500 already evacuated. The Forest Service is using a "ready, set, go" notification and evacuation status system.

Among the threatened structures are the cabins of the historic Willow Hollow camp, formerly Camp Bethel, now owned by Todd and Emily Simmons of Cowley. They were allowed one hour last Thursday – initially 15 minutes but expanded - to go in and take out irreplaceable paperwork and essential, valuable items. As of midweek, the fire is about two miles away from the camp.

Thankfully, the Forest Service fire crews have been proactive in protecting structures as best they can. In the case of Willow Hollow, the Forest Service has put in place huge pumpkin tanks ready to spray water on the 70-year-old structures (18 total) in case the fire threatens the camp. A fire line was bulldozed around the camp, as well.

My daughter and son-in-law spent weeks in a motel when a large fire threatened the town of Three Rivers and National Park Service housing in Sequoia National Park a few years ago. They would tell you that living with three pets in a motel room was not their idea of fun, but at least their home was spared.

Many folks can remember the disastrous Yellowstone fires of 1988 that also peaked in the late summer and early fall. We felt at the time that Yellowstone would never be the same, but 35 years later, the new growth throughout the park is evident. But 76,000 acres burned in our forest seems unbearable. And who knows what the effect will be on the elk population.

In our modern age, we think we are in control, but Mother Nature can wreak havoc with fires, hurricanes (ask the Southeast), floods, volcanoes, tornadoes and more. The destructive power of such events is as awe-inspiring as it is traumatic.

Here's to all those fire crew members – nearly 900 as of Wednesday – putting their lives on the line to halt the monstrous fire. We can only hope and pray that our forest can bounce back from the disaster.

Northern Wyoming News, Oct. 10

Our story matters

Karla Pomeroy

A few weeks ago I wrote that words matter, referring to verbal words, and this week, as we observe National Newspaper Week I am going to discuss other words that matter — printed words in newspapers.

This year's theme is Tell Our Stories, meaning for us newspaper folk to tell why we got into this business and for me the theme says it all. That's why I do this — to tell our stories.

I started in Thermopolis at the Independent Record while a senior in a career class. Students were placed with businesses in areas where they had a potential career interest.

Initially, I thought I wanted to go into law but no attorney was willing to participate in the program. My next area of interest was writing and Pat Schmidt at the Independent Record was willing to take on a senior. I learned a lot about the newspaper business that year and in the summers I worked there, from writing stories, to layout, to developing pages, and selling ads.

I fell in love with community journalism the first year and went to the University of Wyoming to major in journalism, graduating with a degree after four years. Sure investigative reporter sounds more glamorous than community journalism, but it is not more important than what community journalists do, day in and day out.

I worked at the Independent Record two summers during college, including one as an intern, I worked at the Medicine Bow Post for one college course, and wrote for the UW Branding Iron (the college newspaper).

Upon graduation I worked for 16 years at the Lovell Chronicle, then 2.5 years at the Laramie Boomerang, back to the Big Horn Basin working eight years at the Basin Republican Rustler and then coming to the then Northern Wyoming Daily News now Northern Wyoming News in 2015.

I have learned a lot along my journey from each newspaper, each editor, each fellow reporter, and I am still learning some 34 years later.

One thing that has never wavered along the journey is my passion for the First Amendment, and in telling our stories, the stories of our community.

I remember when we were moving back to the Big Horn Basin and my husband asked if we could look for a home in Greybull and I said no. I did not feel that it was OK to live in another community from the one I would be covering.

It is one of the reasons I do not hire remote reporters. It is important for us to know the community we are writing about, to live in the community that is impacted by our stories.

If I was ever in doubt about whether or not what we write matters, that was dispelled by a story I wrote when I worked at the Lovell Chronicle. The elementary principal spoke about safety concerns of playground equipment during a school board meeting. I led with that discussion and it was in the headline.

The principal thanked me for putting it in writing, noting that the administration could no longer ignore it and the safety concerns were addressed.

She had mentioned the concerns previously but never publicly and never to the board.

What we write matters.

I believe what we do is important to our community and in Worland we are the main news source for many stories.

I cannot tell you the number of times I get frustrated when I see people asking on social media questions that if they had just read the newspaper they would have the answers.

We cover a variety of topics each week from meetings, to election, to sports, to human interest features, event features and so much more.

Most of that information you can only get here in printed pages of the Northern Wyoming News. What we print is not rumors that you may see on social media.

We use reputable, knowledgeable sources to bring you the information because we know that what we write, our words, matter. They matter to us, they matter to our community and they matter to you, our readers.

So as we as a newspaper celebrate National Newspaper Week, we also want to thank you, our readers, for also realizing the importance of the written word, for realizing what we do is important to our community. Thank you for your support.

We also need to thank all of our advertisers for without whom printing these words would not be possible. We appreciate your support of this local business and your support of the First Amendment.

Powell Tribune, Oct. 8

Passionate opinions valued with NWC name proposal

Zac Taylor

The Northwest College Board of Trustees will be discussing the possibility of changing the name to Yellowstone College at the Oct. 14 meeting.

One thing the trustees will be looking at as they discuss is the bevy of public comments received on the potential name change. So, if you haven't yet made a comment and have an opinion, take time to make your voice heard.

Visit nwc.edu/feedback and share your opinion. Whether for or against, or somewhere in between, the trustees want to hear what the community has to say. The comments will certainly have an impact on whether or not they decide to move forward on the proposal.

I, for one, have enjoyed reading the well over 200 comments our story received on Facebook and the letters regarding the proposal we have received, as well as the comments that have been submitted to the college. There is a lot of passion on display, which is great to see — people care about our local college.

Having sat through the September meeting where the name change was first proposed (and able to recall hearing of previous discussions in 2020-2021) I can understand both sides of the argument and can look to my own history to empathize.

I've been involved with two institutions that have had a big impact on my life that have changed names either during or after my involvement — my alma mater and my first newspaper.

In regards to the former, after bouncing around at two other colleges, I landed at Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2007 to study journalism. My first two years at the school were great for my future career prospects but bad for my academics, as I would regularly blow off a class such as beginning reporting to go out and do some reporting for the college newspaper, or pick up a freelance sports writing assignment for a nearby suburban paper.

Still, I enjoyed my time at Metro State, as a Roadrunner, even though I left without a degree to pursue my career across the country.

Seven years later, when my wife and I decided it was time to bring our two boys back West to be near family and our hometowns, I returned to the same campus to finish my degree, but not exactly the same college. It was a change more like the one made in 1989, when Northwest Community College dropped "community." So, while the vast majority of my time was spent at MSCD, I graduated with a degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver. To me, no big deal, but again, a change more on the level of NWCC to NWC.

The irony of the situation was that, soon after I left Georgia and the weekly newspaper where I had spent most of my time in that part of the country, that newspaper was bought by our competitor paper in the little county, then folded into the competitor paper with the resulting name change to the Barrow News Journal, ending more than 100 years of the Barrow County News.

That change hurt. However, a lot of that hurt had less to do with the name (after all, the same paper was once called the Winder News) and more to do with the office I worked and grew in being abandoned and eventually razed, the co-workers I shared my life with scattering to other jobs, and even the archives of my work there being much harder to access.

The way I see it, financial considerations aside (and I do have some opinions in that regard), the proposed Yellowstone College change is somewhere between my two experiences, and thus something that, were I a Trapper alum, I think I'd have a hard time grappling with where I'd stand personally on the issue. Because, while the name would be a big change, it would still be the same, wonderful campus with its soon to open new student center and ever expanding array of offerings for students and the community.

As Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name?"

The Sheridan Press, Oct. 12

Ensuring sunshine for the next generation

This week, The Sheridan Press celebrated National Newspaper Week in many ways, and the staff would like to share a few of those with you, and encourage the public to continue engaging with The Sheridan Press.

Every journalist has a story about what led them to the profession, National Newspaper Week Chair and Kansas Press Association Executive Director Emily Bradbury wrote for the 2024 celebration. Maybe it was the thrill of chasing a breaking news story, the joy of telling the untold tales of our community or the drive to hold the powerful accountable. These are the stories that define us, inspire us and keep us committed to the work we do every day, Bradbury said.

So, our newsroom took pen to ink — or fingers to keyboards, moreso — and shared their "why." You can see those in the opinion section in print and online this weekend. They're all unique and yet have a consistent string that ties back to community, and specifically the Sheridan community.

Next, The Press participated — and will continue to participate — in Manufacturing Month with the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce. We're eager to invite you to The Sheridan Press office at 144 E. Grinnell Plaza and Oct. 18 and 30 for our final tours.

Last, but absolutely not least, The Press partnered with Sheridan County School District 2 on two big projects: real-life integration and Ads by Kids.

Real-life integration started before National Newspaper Week and will continue throughout the yePress photojournalist Clint Wood visited Sheridan High School's newspaper class and taught photojournalism skills in September.

Government reporter Joseph Beaudet visited John C. Schiffer Collaborative School's government class Wednesday.

Press newsroom staff will engage with Sheridan Junior High School English students later this month to kick off the school's informational writing unit. Those engagements allow students to identify and connect with real-life applications of what they're learning, and they also see journalism remains a respected and viable career option.

Flip through the rest of your physical pages, or your e-edition, or click through our website — however you like consuming The Press best — and check out the Ads by Kids section. We partnered with Sheridan County School District 2 elementary students to pilot a program that connects students with local advertisers, and they design advertisements for those businesses.

The businesses and teachers were both elated about the project, and after the great success of our pilot year, plan to engage all three school districts for the 2025 iteration of the project.

The Press staff is eager to continue collaborations with the youth in our community to encourage and inspire the next generation to engage in democracy by staying informed through trusted journalism.ar.

Thermopolis Independent Record, Oct. 10

Working smoke detectors help save lives

October 6-12 is National Fire Prevention Week and is also recognized by the Governor of the State of Wyoming.

One of the most important things you can have in your home is properly working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in the event of a house fire, giving families the crucial time to escape safely.

Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area, as well as on each floor of your home, including the attic.

It is a good idea to test your smoke alarms regularly by pressing the test button on the unit. If it doesn't sound, replace the batteries or the alarm if needed.

Working smoke alarms save lives, but only if they are installed correctly and maintained regularly.

Having a home escape plan can also be a critical part of escaping a house fire safely.

No one wants to experience a house fire, but being notified of the danger by a smoke alarm and having an escape plan can help ensure you and your family get to safety in the event of a fire.

During Fire Prevention Week and all year long take the time to recognize and thank our Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department members. They put in countless hours responding to and training to battle fires. See page 8 and 9 of this issue of the IR for a salute to our local department that includes their names and pictures.

We appreciate you! Thank you!

Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Oct. 12

Local leaders should say where gaming parlors are allowed, how many can exist

In 2013, state lawmakers passed legislation designed to rescue Wyoming's live horse racing industry. Eleven years later, although interest in racetracks seems stronger than ever, the reality is that these facilities are a gateway into a much larger, more lucrative business.

That's because the bill in question authorized companies that own live horse racetracks in the state to also operate historic horse racing (HHR) machines to help fund their operations. While there have been legal challenges as to whether some of the specific machines brought into the state truly met the definition of "historic horse racing" in the bill, these types of devices have remained.

And as the past decade-plus has shown, that was just the toehold the gambling industry needed.

Today, with the Legislature also allowing a variety of "skill-based" games and sports betting, Wyoming's gambling industry is estimated to top $1 billion per year, with more sites popping up nearly every month. Here in the capital city, there are at least seven locations with gambling machines, and at least two more are proposed.

Although we believe in letting the free market decide how many of any type of business is too many, we share the concerns voiced by members of the Cheyenne City Council and other local leaders in the state who argue they should have the final say on where these businesses can operate.

That's why we support several bills being considered by the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee. One, titled "Local approval for historic horse racing permitting," would extend the approval of HHR permits to cities and towns. Currently, these permits are approved at the county level once the Wyoming Gaming Commission grants a business the necessary approvals to operate in the state.

Rep. Tom Walters, R-Casper, who chairs a working group formed through the JAC to address gambling issues, said allowing cities and towns to regulate these permits would give police departments the jurisdiction they need to intervene, when necessary. As it stands now, only the county sheriff has the ability to regulate if a fight were to break out at one of these locations, Walters said.

Since Wyoming leaders profess to believe in local control, we believe it's essential to give communities this authority. But there's more to this issue than just where these gaming parlors are allowed to operate.

Many of the state's residents — especially here in Cheyenne — have voiced growing concern that Wyoming is being overrun by out-of-state business owners more interested in getting rich than doing something that benefits those who live here.

Another bill draft before the JAC, titled "Quantity and locations for historic horse racing devices," attempts to regulate and limit the number of facilities like Horse Palace, Wyoming Downs and Derby Club (all of which operate in Cheyenne, with the first two having three locations each). It's unclear if this bill will make it to the 2025 general session, but at least it shows the Legislature's interest in regulating the expansion of the gambling industry.

What also could help push lawmakers toward additional regulation is the results of an independent study being done at the request of the Wyoming Gaming Commission. Spectrum Gaming Group has been contracted by the state to conduct a feasibility study to help leaders try to get their arms around the current state of gambling in Wyoming. The hope is that once it's done, legislators will have a clearer idea of how much additional regulation is needed, if any.

Our concern is that the horse is already out of the gate. Will it be possible at this point to put limits on where gaming parlors can operate when such limits haven't been in place for more than a decade? Is there a way to mitigate the negative consequences of increased access to gambling, which is both addictive and often takes money from those who can least afford to lose it?

It's unclear at this point what the consultant's report will show when it's released later this fall. But among the questions we have are:

How many machines and locations are appropriate? In May, Daily Racing Forum reported that Wyoming's three existing racetracks operated a total of 2,486 devices at 43 locations. Based on a population of 584,000, that's one machine for every 235 residents. The Thunder Plains group, which plans to open a live racetrack east of Cheyenne, has said it expects to operate as many as 1,200 machines throughout the state, a 50% increase, moving that ratio to one machine for every 158 residents. (In Kentucky, which is well known for live horse racing, HHR machines operate at about a dozen locations with a ratio of one for every 652 people, DRF reported.)

Is there enough state oversight of these facilities to ensure they're operating properly and fairly to the consumer?

Are employees required to have background checks and meet certain minimum qualifications to work in gaming parlors?

Are the odds of winning prominently posted so players know what they're getting into and not being lured in by false promises of hitting it big?

How much do these businesses pay in state and local taxes, and how is that money being used? Is it as obvious as the state-run lottery, or is there a need for more transparency?

Does the state require these businesses to give a certain percentage or amount of their proceeds to fund live horse racing? What about to promote gambling addiction resources?

Are there any requirements for how the negative impacts of gambling are communicated through advertising?

These and other questions need to be answered as quickly as possible if Wyoming's leaders are going to grab the reins and regain any control over an industry that seems to be growing exponentially faster than anyone imagined was possible.

Sure, there are plenty of other ways for people to lose their money, whether it be lottery tickets, sports wagering or online gaming. But each of those has its own rules and regulations. Can the same be said for HHR and other types of gambling in the Cowboy State?

Adler: Readers' questions reveal concerns, doubts, myths about the Electoral College

David Adler, Ph.D.

Civic engagement, what the nation's founders hoped would be a distinguishing feature of the young and energetic republic, can be manifested in various ways, including voting, participation in political parties and campaigns, displaying lawn signs, running for office and writing letters to the editor.

Newspaper readers who comment on public affairs and pose questions to columnists are part of a great tradition in the intellectual and public life of America. Recent columns on the Electoral College have generated much-appreciated questions about its origins and history, as well as its contradiction of the nation's foundational principle of political equality – that no citizen's vote should carry more weight than another's.

Readers have asked about the difficulties of abolishing the Electoral College through amendment of the Constitution. Amending the Constitution, the Framers believed, should not be as easy or as simple as repealing legislation. Fundamental changes in the law of the land, including the structure and ways and means of governance, should be preceded by deep, thoughtful nationwide discussion and debate.

Americans have amended the Constitution just 27 times over two centuries, but some of the most sweeping amendments – abolition of slavery and extension of voting rights, as well as direct election of U.S. senators and term limits for the presidency – reflected, precisely, the sort of penetrating consideration of the changing needs and circumstances of the nation, as expected by authors of the Constitution.

Rather than binding subsequent generations of citizens to the ideas of 1787, which, the Framers reasoned, might lose their currency in an ever-changing political and social landscape, the Constitutional Convention adopted Article V – the Amendatory Clause – so that original shortcomings could be remedied. Although not a delegate to the Convention, Thomas Jefferson spoke for a generation committed to the principles of republicanism when he said, "the Earth belongs to the living."

Readers wonder about the assertion that the Electoral College protects state interests, which is said to be important to safeguarding the interests of small states, that is, lightly populated states such as Wyoming. The premise of this argument, that states possess coherent and unified interests and communities, is difficult to maintain. Even small states, like much larger states, embody substantial diversity, including diverse political viewpoints.

This is why a state like Wyoming, among the most "Red States" in the Union, can elect leaders based on nuanced positions of candidates, and why it can send a moderate conservative to Congress and subsequently reject her in favor of an ultra-right conservative.

Scholars have observed that states, as states, don't have an interest in the election of a president, but voters certainly do. What, for example, is a "state's interest" on the question of abortion rights? Political diversity within a state, apart from ticket-splitting at the ballot box, can be glimpsed in Red State voters' protection of abortion rights when presented with state referenda on proposed constitutional amendments. Voters in such states as Kansas, Ohio and Kentucky have acted to protect reproductive freedom despite their propensity to elect conservative candidates who do not support reproductive autonomy.

It has been asked, moreover, what New York City and Staten Island have in common, other than that they are part of the State of New York, and what Chicago and Peoria share, other than that they are bounded by a legally defined jurisdiction.

The Electoral College operates, except for Maine and Nebraska, on the "unit vote," that is, a winner-take-all vote, which is grounded on the assumption that voters in the state, share the same views. Yet, they do not. Under this system, however, the unit vote takes votes of the minority and awards them, in the national count, to the candidate that they opposed.

In the Convention, James Madison, who preferred a direct popular vote, recognized the diversity that existed within states and was thus opposed to the unit rule. If the Electoral College were to become the method for choosing candidates, he told fellow delegates, he hoped, at least, that votes would be counted by districts within states, as currently practiced in Nebraska and Maine. This respect for diversity would, in practice, create cohesion and consensus in the nation.

As we discuss next week, Madison said that it was not necessary to protect small states from large states, since the size of a state does not determine its interests.

David Adler, Ph.D., is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. Adler's column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the "Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation" initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at .

Executive Editor