March 6, 2025
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Thursday signed legislation that will ban foreign funding of ballot measures in the state.
House Bill 337 prohibits non-U.S. citizens from funding any statewide initiative or referendum petition drive and require political action committees or other organizations that support or oppose such measures to file reports with the secretary of state attesting that they did not knowingly receive monetary donations from foreign nationals or entities.
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The measure had the overwhelming support of lawmakers. It unanimously passed the state Senate Monday, 31-0. It passed the House last month, 58-2.
“A massive win for the people of Wyoming: foreign funding of state ballot issues is now banned,” Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told The Center Square in an emailed statement. Sutherland has testified before Congress on this issue and is seeking a similar federal ban.
The legislation is in part a response to Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who lives in Wyoming. Wyss, who is not a U.S. citizen, has donated more than $243 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a progressive group that has spent more than $130 million on ballot measures in 25 U.S. states, according to RealClearPolitics.
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