Wyoming Doomsday Bill Advances In State House

Wyoming lawmakers pushed forward legislation to explore how the state would respond if the country fell into economic and political turmoil.

The so-called doomsday bill, passed in the Wyoming House on Friday, would create a special task force to study ways the state would handle such crises as a food shortage to a government shutdown. Some provisions that will be explored include Wyoming forming its own army and issuing its own currency.

The task force formed by the bill would include state lawmakers, the head of Wyoming's Department of Homeland Security and the state attorney general.

The bill must pass two more House votes before it reaches the Senate, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

So far, no word if the task force will explore solutions for a Zombie Apocalypse, as the Center For Disease Control has done.

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Comments

[YouSurviving]

01:00 PM on 02/28/2012

It's never a bad idea to stock up on some emergency supplies. I get mine at YouSurviving.com

[wgpbp]

08:27 PM on 02/27/2012

So - - who gets to suspend Hubeaus Corpus? What branch of government? Our Constitution is not clear about that.

Who decides the definition of "insurrection, etc" under our US Constitution? Who gets to perscribe the suspention of "rights" where dommestic US Citizens can be held without due process - -such as the detainees at Gitmo?

These are important questions.

That's why our Founding Fathers crafted the 2nd, 10th and 14th Amendmants. (Remember they rebelled against the "King") - - They put in place provisions witin the 2nd, 10th and 14th Amendments - -

The 2nd in case all others failed.

[jeffrois]

07:19 PM on 02/27/2012

Wyoming. Where the men are men, and the sheep are scared. The wind there doesn't just blow... it sucks.

[ZeraLee]

05:33 PM on 02/27/2012

In Wisconsin, the republicans floated an amendment to the state constitution:

SECTION 1. Section 34 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
[Article IV] Section 34. The legislature, in order to ensure continuity of state and local governmental operations in periods of emergency resulting from

[enemy action in the form of an attack](old)

[a severe or prolonged, natural or human−caused, occurrence that threatens life, health, or the security of the state](new),

shall (1) forthwith provide for prompt and temporary succession to the powers and duties of public offices, of whatever nature and whether filled by election or appointment, the incumbents of which may become unavailable for carrying on the powers and duties of such offices, and (2) adopt such other measures as may be necessary and proper for attaining the objectives of this section.

It would allow them to take over the government for emergencies that could include hurricanes and budget crisis. Not just for invasion by foreign forces.

Republicans are *crazy* power hungry!

[shp]

05:33 PM on 02/27/2012

With the federal government worried about pandemics and drug-resistant strains of already known viruses, why not?

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/20/swine-flue-virus-ferret-study_n_1289296.html?just_reloaded=1

And for those that are little older, Stephen King's "The Stand" could be just a day away.

[snack cakes]

05:21 PM on 02/27/2012

It makes sense. Our currency is nearly worthless already.

[jeffrois]

07:17 PM on 02/27/2012

Totally untrue. The dollar has made a 15% increase since its lower levels in 2008 and is steadily gaining on the Euro. If you wanted to make an informed rant, you would've replaced the dollar with the Euro in your ignorant statement.

[jeffrois]

07:18 PM on 02/27/2012

oops, meant to say "a 15% gain against the British Pound"...

[DianneinCA]

05:00 PM on 02/27/2012

What state does not have emergency contingencies already in place for disaster? So this latest Doomsday scenario is just more of the fatalist, negative mind set of the reactionary right wing. Jeez. Zombies anyone?

[wgpbp]

04:45 PM on 02/27/2012

Just sittin' here thinking . . . . .

When it comes to martial law and its implementation . . . . .

How's that Afghan thing working? How much territory? How many people? Sophistication of the inhabitants?

[frogluv73]

04:37 PM on 02/27/2012

I understand having a plan in place for disasters, but creating their own currency, really? Don't folks just normally loot during times of scarcity?

[Janicot]

06:44 PM on 02/27/2012

During times of real scarcity, history shows us that folks can do much worse when their very survival is threatened. Wyoming dollars aren't going to save the haves from the have-nots.

[frogluv73]

04:15 PM on 02/29/2012

My point exactly.

[jtthomas240]

04:19 PM on 02/27/2012

Funny. I always kind of the states within the United States of America would work together to help each other if disaster ever struck, not secede and form a standing army in the middle of the country, presumably to fight off other Americans (ain't nobody invading Wyoming, folks).

[wgpbp]

04:47 PM on 02/27/2012

Don't thin k that's what WY means - - -What happens if the Federal Government ceases to function? To include our other institutions? Think that's what they mean to cover.

[DSWynne]

04:14 PM on 02/27/2012

What are people assume that Wyoming is trying to separate from the Union? This is no different from any other action plan to prepare for emergencies. In fact, we should encourage states to have their individual actions plans, so that the Federal resources can go to those places that will be hardest hit should a national-level disaster hit. All we have to do is remember what happened to Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to know what happens when governmental resources are hampered and stretched. Every state should have plans in place no matter who is in charge of the local, state and Federal governments.

[Trentonjordan]

04:06 PM on 02/27/2012

You have to wonder about the real reason behind this bill. Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, these are states with survivalist mentalities. People who believe that Obama is coming to get their guns, take their bibles, and impregnate their daughters. This mentioned nothing of a caldera explosion in Yellowstone, an asteroid strike, or Mt. St. Helens blowing up again. You know, natural disasters that all can happen.
But Mr. Non-white is in the WH, with a 2nd term and everything is apocalyptic. Yea.. sure Wyoming, I read you loud and clear.

[John Kelley 1]

03:56 PM on 02/27/2012

State legislative bills like this reveal a strong ignorance of federal law.

First, in an emergency federal law takes precedence over state laws. If some apocalyptic disaster ensued the federal government and specifically FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) would be in charge, not any state government.

Second, in the event of an emergency state National Guard units would be federalized and under US Army control. All police and local emergency responders would also fall under federal control.

Third, any hope that state lawmakers would have of exercising some control of the situation would disappear the moment martial law was declared by federal authorities.

Basically whoever introduced this bill in Wyoming has no idea how modern government works and is thinking like they live in 1812 rather than 2012.

[DSWynne]

04:05 PM on 02/27/2012

Not unless the state pulls a nullification on the Feds. In fact, states do it all the time (see: CA's medical marijuana and NV's prostitution laws).

[John Kelley 1]

04:31 PM on 02/27/2012

First, medical marijuana distributors have been arrested by federal authorities, whether or not a state law exists.

Second, the federal government doesn't regulate prostitution

Third, we fought a war back in the 1860s that settled the issue of states rights being subservient to federal authority. So as a state go ahead and try to nullify something federal, and see how far that gets you when the US Army roles in and declares martial law.

[wgpbp]

04:54 PM on 02/27/2012

OK - -how's this.

Practical Implementation of martial law.

Size of territory and population- - - - for example - - -How is the Afghanistan thing doing these days?

[John Kelley 1]

06:00 PM on 02/27/2012

Practical implementation of martial law after a major disaster implies that people have bigger things to deal with than politics. How about people want to eat and survive and playing anti-government insurrectionist falls to the bottom of most people's to do list in those circumstances. Oh sure, you'll still have the occasional crackpot who wants to shoot at the sheriff and National Guard when they come a calling, but the vast majority of Americans would view committing time and precious resources to organize an insurgent military force during an disaster as irrational to say the least.

Also, I've spent a year in Afghanistan, and the reason that the Afghans are effective is precisely because they own nothing and thus have nothing to lose. They can survive in primitive conditions that would be unbearable to any Westerner, and they're driven by an extreme religious zeal that would be alien to our Western minds. Any homegrown American survivalist on the other hand has lots of things he or she wants to defend . . .homes, property, resources, i.e. fixed in place things that they value. Any would-be American insurrectionists would be adversaries with lots of baggage and liabilities. As products of centuries of Western civilizing they are not conditioned physically nor mentally to endure the hardship and sacrifices necessary to carry out a primitive long term insurgency like the Afghans and because of that they would lose to a more organized and well-supplied opponent.

[JoeQPublic for President]

03:48 PM on 02/27/2012

I live in Laramie. I know Dick Cheney. In 2000, the fascism of Wyoming inspired me to write a doomsday novel of America (EDGE OF HEAVEN) that starts with the Chinese-triggered eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano.
In 2006 I have been anonymously threatened by Wyoming State Police for opposing no permit concealed weapons bills http://www.LaserRadio.com/usaatty.pdf
To protect this political police abuse, the current Governor (former US Atty, above) sent two armed state cops to the citizen's house to silence me http://www.Laserradio.com/forrest.wav
Fifty interviews across the state reveal the fascist police for the fascist "Energy Capital of America" elite
http://www.LaserRadio.com/dci.html
Wyoming is the most dangerous state in terms of industrial accidents, has the highest gap in pay for men and women, has 40% of kids in low income families without either parent being employed year round. It's a cesspool that created Dick Cheney's fascist vision for the world (1997 project for the New American Century).
http://www.JustBelieve2012.com
The fascism of "States Rights" is what Wyoming is all about. This is a precursor for the GOP fascism of 2016 and 2020, with ONE PARTY! UNITED WE STAND! USA! USA! and the activation of NDAA 2012 camps

[T Trump]

03:48 PM on 02/27/2012

Gloom and doom, the sky is falling the sky is falling.