Rachel Rodriguez-Williams

This article is about the politician. For other people, see Rachel Williams (disambiguation).

Rachel Rodriguez-Williams
Member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from the 50th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2021
Preceded by	David Northrup
Personal details
Born	(1978-02-14) February 14, 1978 (age 46)
Political party	Republican
Education	Sonoma State University (BA) Columbia Southern University (MS)

Rachel Rodriguez-Williams is an American Republican politician and businesswoman serving as a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from the 50th district. Elected in November 2020, she assumed office on January 4, 2021.

Early life and education

A native of Northern California, Rodriguez-Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Sonoma State University and a Master of Science in criminal justice from Columbia Southern University.[1]

Career

Rodriguez-Williams worked as a law enforcement officer in Marin County. She moved to Cody, Wyoming in 2007.

Political career

After David Northrup chose not to run again, Rodriguez-Williams and Johnson Bennett ran against each other. Rodriguez-Williams received 4,370 votes (77%), while Bennett only received 1,240 votes (22%). The district encompasses the cities of Ralston, Heart Mountain, Sunlight, Crandall, the Willwood area south of Powell, and the eastern part of the Cody.[2]

Rodriguez-Williams was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 4, 2021.[3]

Tenure

Rodriguez-Williams sponsored House Bill 175, which would have required school districts to provide suicide awareness and prevention programs to Wyoming students grades six through 12.[4] However, the bill died in the house.[5]

While a state-owned office building was being constructed in Casper, Rodriguez-Williams voted in favor of a bill that would've named the building after former Wyoming representative John S. Wold. However, the bill failed in the house on a vote of 14–46, and the building was instead named after Thyra Thomson, who served as the Secretary of State of Wyoming from 1963 to 1987. The building is expected to be completed by Autumn 2021.[6]

In 2023, Rodriguez-Williams sponsored H.B. 152, the Life Is a Human Right Act, which would make surgical and medication-assisted abortions illegal. She said that "other states are pushing an extreme abortion agenda, comparable to North Korea's and China's inhumane laws".[7] The new law attempts to circumvent an interpretation of the Wyoming Constitution that protects citizens' "right to make one's own health care decisions",[8] stating that "[i]nstead of being health care, abortion is the intentional termination of the life of an unborn baby."[9]

Rodriguez-Williams is also a member of WYCAN, Wyoming Citizens Against Normalization, a group that is dedicated to the prohibition of cannabis products in Wyoming.[10]

References

1. Taylor, Zac. "ELECTION: Cody woman sole candidate for House District 50 seat". Cody Enterprise. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
2. "Rodriguez-Williams cruises to win in state house".
3. "Rachel Rodriguez-Williams". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
4. "Suicide prevention training bill advances in legislature". www.wyomingnewsnow.tv. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
5. Burcham, Connie; Baker, C. J. "Representatives saw ups and downs during legislative session". Powell Tribune. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
6. "New state building in Casper to become first named after a woman in Wyoming". 19 March 2021.
7. Chen, David W.; Belluck, Pam (March 17, 2023). "Wyoming Becomes First State to Outlaw Abortion Pills". The New York Times.
8. Pierson, Brendan (August 10, 2022). "Judge blocks Wyoming abortion ban from taking effect amid legal challenge". Reuters.
9. "HB0152 - Life is a Human Right Act". Wyoming Legislature. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
10. https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/group-forms-in-park-county-to-counteract-marijuana-normalization,90201