2020: A budget crisis, energy transitions and a virus that changed everything Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon during a COVID-19 briefing on Sept. 9, 2020 (courtesy of Wyoming Public Broadcasting YouTube) Though some may wish it flushed into obscurity, 2020 will occupy an indelible spot in history. It was a year defined by tumult and change, a year when “unprecedented” was used so many times it nearly lost its meaning. It was a year of bitter divisions and traumatic loss. Article continues below... Most of this tectonic shifting was wrought by COVID-19 and the global pandemic it ushered into the world. That pandemic hit Wyoming in March, disrupting life as coronavirus infected what would become at least 35,000 residents. Shutdowns followed, and loss, isolation and frustration rippled through the state. The economic blow worsened an already dire financial picture. Protests and debates underlined political chasms.