Rep. Ken Pendergraft is a two-term member of the Wyoming House and a low-level leader of the Freedom Caucus. 

Along with his Freedom Caucus associates, Rep. Pendergraft takes orders from the Washington, D.C.-based State Freedom Caucus Network about how to vote and even which bills to sponsor. 

In February at the Wyoming capitol, after his colleagues pressed him, Rep. Pendergraft shamefully admitted on the House floor that he was disappointed that he could not explain what one of his own bills was supposed to do.

Bad for workers and retirees

Rep. Pendergraft voted for a bill that would have hurt retirees by removing $5 billion from the state employee retirement pension in the name of stopping “woke” investments (HB-80). 

Many of these same seniors use their Medicare cards to prove their identity at the polls. Rep. Pendergraft voted to remove Medicare cards as valid forms of voter ID, making it harder for seniors to cast ballots (HB-206). 

He also supported a bill to make voting harder for our rural Sheridan County neighbors by banning ballot drop boxes that are overseen and secured by our county clerk (HB-131).

Rep. Pendergraft supported a bill that would have harmed Wyoming workers by cutting unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks (SF-175).

A bill that was good for workers passed this year that prohibits companies from using “non-compete agreements” to stop workers from getting new jobs after they quit. Unfortunately, Rep. Pendergraft voted against it (SF-107).

Bad for health and safety

Even though Wyoming has nation-topping rates of suicide and substance abuse, Rep. Pendergraft voted against funding that would increase mental health services in Sheridan County (HB-1-2016). 

He also voted against funding to increase access to maternal health and OB-GYN services in rural parts of the state (HB-1 2015).

Rep. Pendergraft voted against funding to increase the presence of School Resource Officers who help keep students in Sheridan schools safe (HB-1 3031).

Bad for schools and students

Even though the cost of living makes it difficult to afford to live in Sheridan County, Rep. Pendergraft voted against cost-of-living raises for bus drivers, janitors, and other hardworking non-teacher staff at our local schools (HB-1).

At the same time, Rep. Pendergraft voted to help kill a school lunch program that would have provided simple nutrition to low-income students in Sheridan County whose families struggle to make ends meet (HB-341).

Rep. Pendergraft joined his Freedom Caucus colleagues who have no regard for our state constitution in voting for a “voucher” program that gives public money to private schools (HB-199).