News

More than 400 people filled the Center for the Arts in Jackson on Tuesday to remember Teton County Search and Rescue volunteer Ray Shriver. The 63-year-old died after the helicopter he was riding in crashed on a rescue mission last week.

Search and Rescue Director Tim Ciocarlan described Shriver as a quiet hero, who was instrumental in organizing and training the county's volunteer rescue team.

"Ray joined SAR 19 years ago, he was one of the founding members of our team, and after being involved in over 800 rescues he still had passion for search and rescue," Ciocarlan said. "And our team would not be what it is today without Ray.

Last week, conservationists won what should be a decisive victory in the battle over the Roadless Rule. The rule bars development on nearly 60 acres of pristine national forest. On Thursday, 10th Circuit Denver Court denied the Colorado Mining Association and State of Wyoming’s request for a rehearing. The court had previously overruled a Wyoming judge’s decision to block implementation of the rule, finding that the state had abused judicial discretion.

A majority of Senators have voted to keep a provision in an Open Records bill that would allow communication between one elected official and one private citizen from being made public. But Senator Bill Landen argued that such communication should be made public, because it could provide insight into why board members voted a particular way.  Landen argued that the bill allows for mischief.

“It opened a loophole for organizations if they want to hide from the press to simply contact each other individually.  And I all I got to do is change the information a little bit and you know what, the vote is greased. “

    The Wyoming House and Senate have begun discussing the 3-point-2 billion dollar state budget.  It will cover a biennium, or the next two fiscal years.  House Appropriations Chairman Rosie Berger says they are trying to pass a flat budget this year and limit future spending.  Senate Appropriations Chairman Phil Nicholas says agencies will be asked to reduce their budgets by four percent in the second year of the biennium and another four percent in the following year.

Some members of the Wyoming House of Representatives are expressing concern about a bill that would change how the state spends its share of Abandoned Mine Lands money. 

The funds traditionally have been collected by the federal government and returned to states to reclaim abandoned mines.  The state has used AML money to pay for some energy related building projects in the past. But this year, the Joint Appropriations Committee wants to use it to fund other projects, such as ten million dollars for the renovation of the UW Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. 

Salaries for judges could go up substantially under a bill being debated by the state Senate. 

Senator Phil Nicholas says judicial salaries have lagged behind those in state government and higher education… and is proposing a nearly 34-thousand dollar increase for those on the Supreme Court, a 25 thousand dollar increase for District Court Judges, and Circuit court judges would see a pay hike of roughly 7-thousand dollars. 

However,Senator Charles Scott of Casper fears such increases could take away much needed dollars from important programs like Medicaid.

“I have difficulty voting for this bill without knowing whether it’s taking money, Mr. Chairman that ought to be spent on those people who have very real needs.”

The Wyoming Senate has approved adding 750-thousand dollars for a water system to help residents of Pavillion whose water may be contaminated. The E-P-A has indicated that a number of residents should not drink water from their wells do to high levels of contaminants. 

Senator Eli Bebout asked for the funding in the omnibus water bill, but senator Charles Scott questioned why the State needs to pay for the water and wondered how bad it really was. 

Bebout said that for some, the water is a problem.

“There are certain conditions and certain wells that you cannot drink the water…but you can use it for other domestic use.  There are other wells where you may not be able to do that.”

  Despite a number of concerns, the State Senate gave initial approval to an updated Wyoming Public Records law.  The bill clearly defines what a public record is and sets up procedures over what a government entity is reasonably expected to supply. 

Many Senators expressed surprise and concern that most government bodies would have to supply public records if asked, but Senate Judiciary Chairman Drew Perkins noted that those things are already required under existing law.  Sheridan Republican Bruce Burns successfully amended the bill to not require disclosure of communication between a private citizen and a single elected official.                  

The Wyoming House of Representatives gave final approval to a new legislative redistricting plan Friday.  It makes subtle changes across the state,and House members voted to accept a plan that also keeps Senators Curt Meier and Wayne Johnson from being combined into one Senate seat. 

Representative Pete Illoway oversaw the House effort and he admits he has mixed emotions about what they did to preserve the Senate seats.

“I’m not ecstatic about it," Illoway said. "But it’s a better solution than we probably had.  It’s better than having a floor fight and then losing what we’ve already gained.”

Illoway does expect that the Senate will strongly consider some changes in southwest Wyoming that seemed to concern Senators in that part of the state.

The Game and Fish Department has drawn up a new management plan for mule deer in the Platte Valley. The herd there has been declining for some time, and the management plan is aimed at reversing that trend.

The plan includes measures to limit mule deer hunting, improve the animals’ habitat and curb predation by bears and lions.

Regional Wildlife Supervisor Rick King says currently, an unlimited number of mule deer licenses can be sold.

“If you just go down to your local license-selling agent or come into a Game and Fish office, you can buy a general license,” he said. “They’re not limited in number, and you can use that license in any hunt area in the state that has a general season.”

This week is Wyoming’s annual “Through with Chew Week,” a campaign to get people to stop chewing tobacco. Wyoming has the nation’s highest rate of smokeless tobacco use among adults. And a 2011 study shows that 1 in 5 Wyoming high school boys chewed.Wyoming Department of Health Spokesperson Kim Deti says the Wyoming Quit Tobacco Program provides folks who want to quit with an important support system—and maybe even some free gas.

An effort to give OSHA the authority to increase fines for worker deaths has been defeated.  The Wyoming House voted down the measure by Cheyenne Democrat Mary Throne. 

Throne says increasing fines could improve worker safety. 

"If a moose is killed out of season you might face a fine of 15-thousand dollars.  If a worker dies on the job, for instance a worker died on the job in 2006, a catwalk wasn’t in place.  A worker fell to his death.  The penalty was 7-thousand dollars.”

But opponents said there is no evidence that the bill would improve workplace safety.  Wyoming is among the national leaders in workplace deaths.

    The Wyoming Senate has voted to introduce a bill that would establish a mechanism for Laramie to acquire a parcel of land above the Casper aquifer.  The state could spend up to $15 million.

Laramie Senator Chris Rothfuss notes that the land purchase has generated some controversy, but he says the process would begin with the Director of the State Land and Investment Board negotiating to acquire the land.

“If that land is acquired public meetings would be held to discuss what to do with the land.  And then following those public meetings the results would be reported to the Joint Ag Committee within 3 months of the acquisition to determine what they would recommend to this body for the fate of that land.”

A Wyoming House committee recommended approval of a bill that would require drug testing before someone can receive state aid. 

Riverton Representative David Miller says the bill would allow the state to take away benefits for a month if someone tested positive.  Miller says he is trying to encourage users to get drug treatment. 

Linda Burt of the American Civil Liberties Union says such bills have been declared unconstitutional in other states.

"I know the motivation to bring drug treatment to people is a wonderful motivation and we all want to do that and we all want children to grow up in homes that are drug free.  But there are much more effective ways to do that.  Punishing people is not the way to do that."

An attempt to change the constitution to make the State Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed rather than elected position has failed in the Wyoming House.

Casper Republican Steve Harshman brought the idea due to the importance the legislature has placed on the State Department of Education.  He noted that very few states have an elected Superintendent. But others disagreed with the idea.  Douglas Republican Frank Peasley argued that the current system works best.