Gillette Wyoming 58 years born in Gillette

58

I am a fourth-generation resident of Wyoming. I own several small businesses and have to children both grown. I have 12 years of experience as a Campbell County Commissioner in my younger days and 5 years of experience as a Wyoming State House member. I am Chairman of Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions, Chairman of Management Audit and sit as a member of the Minerals Business and Economic Development Committee. I have also served on Travel Recreation and Wildlife as well as the Select Committee on Capital Finance and Investing. My years as a commissioner allow me to weigh local government needs and partnerships while giving me budget experience. The 5 years as a member of the House and the number of Committees I have served on give a wide span of learning important sectors of Wyoming economy and needs. My decision making includes research, public testimony and conservative principles.

Wyoming continues to face challenges for future revenues which have typically come from our minerals industry/ Those revenues due to past "climate" administrations have been on the decline. With our current national need for energy dominance Wyoming should reduce restrictive regulations for our legacy industries. I have supported legislation creating bonding pools for small oil and gas operators, lowered severance taxes twice on coal, and will continue to strive removal of the low carbon regulations on power plants. I have voted for education bills that give more choices and enable our classro0ms to have the wages and tools to support Wyoming kids. Now that we have calibration we need to concentrate on additional changes if needed and ensuring revenues for the future. Our roads are a priority as we look to maintaining our infrastructure nod maintenance. Budgeting should align with the purpose of limited government and its priorities for our citizens.

Healthcare is an issue for most rural communities. Cost is a result of patient expectation, increased technology and expense to meet the expectation and the insurance industry as well as Medicaid and Medicare that pay for that cost ultimately increasing for the patient. The rural healthcare funds could help in providing small communities with the base level of care and EMS service for next level regional transport.

The federal government should transfer land and minerals to the state in an effort to equalize the eastern states entry into statehood. The west is at a disadvantage in developing both minerals and land use. Wyoming can better manage our lands and resources for multi-use and solve many outstanding land use issues in the process. I do not support the sale of public lands unless it resolves locked areas, reduces, the checkerboarding and makes sense for Wyoming citizens in the use of resources and public access.

When we passed property tax relief it was the height of inflation and costs of insurance, medications, food and energy. Folks were deciding if they had to skip eating or paying property tax. The House voted in every proposal it sent to the senate backfill for local governments which we carved out in budget priorities during the supplemental budget. All those attempts were defeated by the sente or line item vetoed by the governor with $100 million going to one company through energy matching funds instead of loan program for fire damages to local communities. Direct distribution to cities towns and counties helps but does not take into account local improvement and service districts or water districts. Further property tax reductions need to include a solution for these entities. Every revenue and taxation move has a ripple effect and the Revenue Committee is working hard to find answers I look forward to seeing this session.

Government should use regulation reduction, tax relief when appropriate and building up infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer, and other infrastructure helping communities to prepare for growth. We should not be picking individual companies for cash infusion. Every job we bring in that is not paid for costs us over $20.000 each in services we provide. This leads to employee shortages, housing shortages and other issues that government continues to be expected to pay for. Water issues, waste repositories, grid problems are serious consequences we need to address and decide on. We should build upwards on the resources available and abundant in Wyoming. This includes some parts of the nuclear chin like uranium mining and processing. Working with industry and energy for our trona mines and new coal plants. Chasing industries that only present increased challenges but contribute little actual revenue need more thought.

Campaign donations are protected by the Supreme court ruling and the free-speech rights of the constitution. It would be great to get money out of politics but challenging facing the use of donations as a voice to represent our views and votes as citizens. I try to keep that principle in mind as we have worked on dark money bills and PAC transparency in the past. I list all campaign donors on the secretary of state reporting forms and like the fact that they are easily accessible to the public.