Committee advances constitutional amendment to limit foreign adversary land ownership; questions remain about LLCs and enforcement

The Agriculture, State & Public Lands & Water Resources Committee voted 8–1 to advance House Joint Resolution No. 2, a proposed amendment to the Wyoming Constitution that would restrict land ownership by entities identified as "foreign adversaries" under federal guidance.

Supporters said the amendment is a necessary precursor to other state legislation limiting foreign ownership of land; opponents and several committee members urged caution because of gaps in state law and potential conflicts with federal definitions.

The resolution would send the question to voters. Representative Dan (first name not specified in the transcript) and other backers framed the measure as a state-level tool to curb purchases of strategic land and to align Wyoming with federal determinations of adversarial nations, citing the federal regulatory list in 15 CFR that names countries such as the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela as examples of designations used at the federal level.

Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said…