A push by Wyoming’s far right to convene a special legislative session to override gubernatorial vetoes officially failed Sunday evening after lawmakers voted against returning to Cheyenne.

A special session required a simple majority vote in both chambers, but support came up short in the House with only 27 “aye” votes. The Senate, meanwhile, voted 16-15 in favor of reconvening.

The vote concludes a weeklong dispute kicked off by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus following Gov. Mark Gordon’s vetoes of several bills and line items in the budget. The hard-line group of Republicans took issue with the governor’s rejections of new abortion restrictions, a repeal of most gun-free zones and a property tax relief bill.

While Speaker of the House Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) and Senate President Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) were also vexed by Gordon’s vetoes — particularly his rejection of the property tax measure — they ultimately opposed a special session after initially waffling.

Lawmakers had until 5 p.m. Sunday to decide after leadership called for a vote Wednesday. About an hour after the deadline, Sommers alongside Reps. Barry Crago (R-Buffalo) and Clark Stith (R-Rock Springs), broke the news in an op-ed that the House had rejected the proposal.

“Although we did not get everything across the finish line, the sky is not falling,” Sommers, Stith and Crago wrote. “There is more work to be done and the next Legislature will convene in about eight months to continue the work.”

The official results were released by the Legislative Service Office around 7 p.m.

With the matter put to rest, the Legislature’s Management Council will proceed as scheduled Monday morning to sift through and set topics for committees to address in the off-season known as the interim.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.