Rep. Ann Lucas is a freshman Cheyenne legislator who is a devout Freedom Caucus follower. She voted according to instructions from Freedom Caucus text messages on virtually every issue, even if it hurt Wyoming workers, teachers, or our ability to access healthcare.

Bad for retirees and workers

Rep. Lucas followed along during the 2025 legislative session as the Freedom Caucus pushed one of its priority bills to stop the State of Wyoming from using public funds for “ESG" investments (HB-80). 

The bill, as it was being pushed by the Freedom Caucus, would have hurt elderly retired state employees by costing the state retirement fund nearly $5 billion. Thankfully, the bill was eventually amended so it essentially changed nothing about how the state makes investments. But that was after receiving Lucas’ reckless support.

Rep. Lucas also voted to cut unemployment benefits for Laramie County workers (SF-175). Many blue-collar jobs in Laramie county are seasonal, so this bill would have harmed many hardworking families who keep the economy going. Luckily, the bill was defeated even though Lucas supported it.

Harm to teachers and students

Rep. Lucas was the main sponsor of a bill that would have thrown school teachers and librarians in jail with felonies for distributing so-called “obscene” materials, including sex education books (HB-194). Luckily, the bill was too extreme even for the Freedom Caucus-controlled legislature. 

Rep. Lucas also voted for a bill that would have eliminated professional standards for teachers, other than a high school diploma and the ability to pass a criminal background check (HB-100). This would decrease the quality of education in Cheyenne and open the door for fly-by-night charter schools to hire completely untrained educators. Fortunately, the House rejected the bill.

Rep. Lucas voted to create a universal private school “voucher” program that takes money from public schools and diverts it to families to use for private or Internet schools (HB-199).  The voucher program clearly violates the Wyoming Constitution, which prohibits handing out public money to individuals or private institutions.

Finally, Rep. Lucas voted against a bill to ensure hungry kids in Laramie County could access school lunch over the summer, when they do not have the cafeteria to count on for a healthy meal (HB-341). This modest program would nevertheless had helped many families in need.

Against healthcare funding

Rep. Lucas went along with the Freedom Caucus’ orders to ignore the need for greater maternal and mental healthcare in Wyoming.

In the budget, she voted against funding to improve maternal healthcare access by paying OB-GYN providers higher Medicaid reimbursement rates (HB-1-2015).

Similarly, she opposed funding for better mental health access by raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health professionals (HB-1-2016).