The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the June 10, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent.
Privacy and Fraud Concerns
Dear Editor
This past February, Senate File 82 placed the privacy of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and family trusts at serious risk, an issue I addressed previously in these pages. Last month, the Wyoming Legislature’s Corporate Joint Committee placed fraud at the center of its agenda. Financial, Deed, LLC, and Insurance fraud were key interim topics. The common cause: the state’s legal infrastructure does not provide for non-repudiated identification for attestations.
Repudiation: “the ability to deny that any attestation is true” is the root enabler of virtually all fraud. Every card checkout requires a PIN, yet our driver’s licenses and other official IDs do not. Anyone can claim to be the Deed holder, or claim residence on a utility bill they forged. Filing plaintext BOI repudiable data with a registered agent has no credibility despite SF82’s intent.
While the Corporate Committee focuses on applications, the Blockchain Select Committee is responsible for the underlying mechanics that give legal weight to new technology. The Blockchain Committee meets next week in Sheridan and has the prior statutes and incentives to act, but will they?
Elon Musk applied “First-Principles thinking” to re-engineer space travel; Wyoming’s “First Principles Thinking” for re-engineering fraud prevention is clear: use Self-Sovereign Digital wallet IDs, to hold secure data which can be referenced as a Principal Authority by the state for an individual or entity itself. Wyoming statute W.S. 8-1-102(xviii and xix) already provides a solid legal foundation for this concept.
Utah’s SB-275 demonstrates the complete solution: it enables the registration of Primary Authorities as abstract, privacy-preserving links to digital Self Sovereign IDs that YOU CONTROL, that hold state-endorsed credentials, deliver strong privacy protections, and support selective disclosure (election district rather than full address). Crucially, they can also be used to verify specific member attributes of anonymous LLCs without compromising the anonymity or privacy of the individuals involved and safeguards the integrity of Wyoming LLCs.
Without this technology, 50 years of LLC privacy law will be destroyed, opening up trusts to lawfare.
Sincerely, David Roland
“The Wyoming Way”—or Gordon’s Way?
By Amber Hyde
Disclaimer: The following article is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and reflect the author’s opinions based on publicly available, information and legislative proceedings.
Earlier this week, Governor Mark Gordon signed an executive order promoting what he called “Data Centers the Wyoming Way,” an effort intended to accelerate data center development across the state. Supporters see the move as an opportunity to attract investment and position Wyoming for the future. Critics, however, are asking a more fundamental question: if Wyoming’s traditional industries are struggling, why is state leadership placing such a strong emphasis on data centers and emerging technologies instead of restoring the industries that built Wyoming?
The concern is not simply about data centers. It is about priorities.
For generations, Wyoming’s economy has relied on mining, agriculture, transportation, and energy production. These industries helped fund schools, roads, local governments, and public services. Yet many residents look around today and see warning signs. Mining employment has declined. Agricultural producers face increasing pressures. Transportation activity has softened. Meanwhile, household incomes have not kept pace with rising costs, and many communities continue to struggle to retain young families.
Against that backdrop, the state’s push for data centers raises legitimate questions. Data centers require significant infrastructure investments and large amounts of electricity, natural gas, wind and solar power and of course nuclear power. While they may create construction jobs and generate economic activity during development, critics argue that long-term employment opportunities are relatively limited compared to traditional industries. They also question whether the tax revenues generated will ever approach the levels historically produced by Wyoming’s mineral sector.
Another concern is water. Wyoming is one of the driest states in the nation, and residents are increasingly sensitive to how water resources are allocated. While not all data centers use the same cooling technologies, large facilities can place additional demands on local infrastructure. Citizens deserve a clear understanding of the costs and benefits before major commitments are made.
Supporters of the governor’s strategy argue that Wyoming must diversify its economy and prepare for a changing energy landscape. That is a fair point. No state can afford to ignore technological change. However, diversification should not mean abandoning the industries that continue to provide the backbone of Wyoming’s economy.
The larger question is whether Wyoming can pursue new opportunities while also strengthening mining, agriculture, transportation, and other traditional sectors.
Public officials should welcome the debate.
Decisions involving economic development, energy policy, taxation, and public resources affect every Wyoming family. Citizens have every right to ask whether current policies are producing the results promised and whether alternative approaches deserve consideration.
The future of Wyoming should not be decided by slogans alone. It should be measured by jobs, incomes, educational outcomes, economic growth, and the long-term prosperity of Wyoming communities. As the state charts its course forward, residents should continue asking difficult questions about what is working, what is not, who has the most to benefit financially, and what kind of Wyoming they want to leave to the next generation.
