The Wyoming Senate has voted 26 to 4 to approve a bill that will help recruit a company to Cody and establish a loan program to recruit other large businesses.
Roughly $25 million in state loans will be used to help the Lannett Company expand a lab in Cody, but in an effort to avoid violating a constitutional provision against benefiting a single entity, the Senate broadened the bill with a series of amendments.
This concerned Lander Republican Cale Case, who opposed the bill.
“Mr. President this bill came to us as special interest legislation that violated several tenants of our Constitution. It was re-written on this floor in a very skillful manner, but not in a manner that allowed it to go through our committees and let people of Wyoming put their input into this bill.”
Casper Senator Charles Scott feared that the loan could backfire, but Cody Senator Hank Coe said that there is nothing to fear.
“This is a win-win situation for the state of Wyoming, it’s a win-win situation for my community, no question about…Big Horn Basin. This parent company is a company that is not going to go out and chase a better deal.”
It now goes to the House for further debate.