Wyoming
Representatives serve 2 year terms.
Salary is $150 per working day, with $85 per diem plus travel,
reimbursed at the federal rate. A
legislator can petition for an additional $150 per quarter for “constituent
service”. There are 4 House Districts
(HD) in Albany County and one, District
47, which is partially in Albany and Carbon Counties. Districts are listed in numerical order
below, with candidates within that district listed in alphabetical order. Only in HD 46 are there two candidates from
the same political party competing to advance to the General Election
ballot.
1. Biographical
information. (100 words)
Cathy
Connolly (D) HD 13: I have lived
and worked in Laramie since 1992 when I accepted a faculty position at UW. I have a PhD in sociology, a law degree, and
have served the State in several capacities, including grant reviewer for the
Division of Victim Services, facilitator for the Council for the Humanities,
and co-author of the legislative-initiated study on the wage gap between men
and women. I have served in leadership
positions with the Albany County SAFE Project, Equality Initiatives, and
Whiting Alternative High School. My 22
year-old son, Lucas, is an artist and attends college in Florida.
Ember
Oakley (R) HD 13: No response.
Kermit
C. Brown (R) HD 14: I grew up in Casper and attended UW. After earning two bachelor’s degrees, I
became a naval officer and served in Viet Nam.
I came back to Laramie and earned my law degree. I practiced law two years in Wheatland and 18
years in Rawlins. I have practiced law
in Laramie since 1992. I am the senior
managing member of Brown & Hiser LLC.
I was President of the Wyoming Bar Association in 1994. I have a broad range of experience in many
areas that come before the legislature.
I have served two terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
Pat
Kiovsky (D) HD 14: I relocated to
Laramie 8 years ago, after a 39 year career in nursing, health administration
and planning. Currently, I am a small
business owner of women’s
fitness
clubs in Cheyenne and Gillette. Since I
arrived in Laramie I have dedicated
myself
to many projects that have made a
difference in the Laramie community. These include the Secret Garden Tour and
the Albany County Court House Landscape Project. I am the past president of
Zonta, Garden Club and Woman’s Club and current board member of the Laramie Plains Museum. Joseph
Kiovsky, husband, and I have five children and eight grandchildren.
Seth
Carson (D) HD 45: I moved to Laramie in
1989 and have lived here ever since. In
1992, I battled cancer my family received support from both the Hapi-Ness 5K
and Make a Wish Foundation. After
graduating from LHS in 1997, I obtained a BS in Architectural Engineering from
UW in 2002. Upon graduating, I started
several small businesses as both a home designer and energy efficiency
consultant. During the summer of 2004,
I successfully won a seat on the Laramie City Council. I describe myself as experienced, outspoken
and politically motivated and I am very optimistic about my future in the state
legislature.
James
J. Slater, (R) HD 46: My wife Karol,
Laramie native and I (a 58 year resident) have six grown children, all eight of
us University of Wyoming alumni. I earned a bachelor’s degree from UW in
agriculture, owned and operated local businesses and retired senior vice
president from American National Bank. I have completed eight years in the
state legislature where I served on the Judiciary; Transportation; Agriculture,
State and Public Lands and Water Resources; and the Travel, Recreation,
Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee.
Jim
Thompson (D) HD 46: I was raised in
Casper and have a degree in economics and PhD in sociology. I am a faculty
member at UW. My wife, Nancy Stanton,
and Imoved here in 1972 and our children, Garth and Meg, were born here. We own
a small ranch in south Albany County. I
had a consulting firm in Laramie for 12 years, and worked for many county
commissions, which is where I got my interest in being a legislator. I presently teach a
course
in community and economic development I
serve on the Albany County Planning and Zoning Committee.
William
“Jeb” Steward (R) HD 47: I have lived in
the Encampment area for over 30 years and worked at the Silver Spur Ranch for
20 of these while raising a daughter. I now own an agriculture business. I feel
it is important to give back to my community and was involved with our
volunteer fire, ambulance and search/rescue services for over 20 years. Since
2000 my public service broadened to include involvement as chair of SER
Conservation District, board member of our local water user’s association, and
Commissioner with Wyoming Water Development. I am currently serving in the
Wyoming Legislature as HD 47 Representative.
2. What does
Wyoming government do to ensure that the extractive industries pay all the
severance/royalties due the state? What
changes, if any, would you make? (75
words)
Cathy
Connolly (D) HD 13: Wyoming is
heavily dependent on tax revenues from mineral production to fund essential
programs and services. Because mineral
producers self-report their production and taxes, more oversight of this
process is needed with additional staff in the Departments of Revenue and
Audit. Legislators also need to clarify
tax statutes to curtail expensive litigation between the state and producers
over valuation of minerals, and institute procedures to better monitor
reporting and collection issues.
Ember
Oakley (R) HD 13: No response.
Kermit
C. Brown (R) HD 14: Wyoming has 45 positions in the mineral audit division of
the Department of Audit, including two field inspectors. We added five positions in 2003 and four
positions in 2008. The agency people
tell me they are sufficiently staffed and are doing a good job. I would vote for more people and resources if
they ask for it but until they do, my query is whether they have what they
need. They say they do.
Pat
Kiovsky (D) HD 14: Wyoming government
negotiates rates of severance taxes and royalties based on the value of
extractive materials, audits industry reports and litigates discrepancies found
in industry reports. I would increase taxes and royalties based on current
market value and production levels; increase the number of auditors and
frequency audits performed to assure accurate reporting and increase the
state’s legal staff to litigate non- compliance of the extractive industry’s
reporting of value and production.
Seth
Carson (D) HD 45: Since Wyoming
extractive companies are required to self report their own tax, more
examination by state officials and oversight commissions may is necessary in
this boom time. An incentive-based
streamlined reporting system along with the expansion of existing penalties for
companies not passing regular audits will increase revenues. As a whole, these taxes should be elevated to
provide funding for sustainable energy investment and solutions to climate
change caused by non-renewable energy use and extraction.
Jan
Alvaney (D) HD 46: Wyoming receives many millions from royalties
and severance taxes. Wyoming is a self-reporting state - producers determine
mineral values in accordance with state statutes and make payments to the
Department of Revenue. The boom in development is not without problems, including
untimely filing and unreported new wells.
Educating new companies about reporting requirements is crucial. We must continue to monitor revenue and
taxation and revisit severance tax structures to ensure Wyoming receives its
fair share.
James J.
Slater, (R) HD 46: The mineral industry
reports and pays the severance tax, the mineral property tax, and the oil and
gas conservation tax separately. There is one reporting and collection point
for all three taxes to help ensure collection. According to the 2006 Department
of Revenue Annual Report 99.90% of the mineral taxes are collected as a
percentage of severance taxes due. The system is working.
Jim
Thompson (D) HD 46: Wyoming's severance
tax is a special commodities tax and the rate is set by the state. Royalty fees are essentially the market price
Wyoming or the Federal government charges for their minerals. Wyoming collects both a severance tax and a
royalty fee on State owned lands. The State negotiates royalty rates, spot
audits mineral companies and initiates legislation. Auditing is especially important. The state
probably
needs more auditors and needs to conduct more audits.
William
“Jeb” Steward (R) HD 47: It appears the
greatest threat to Wyoming’s revenue stream of royalties from our extractive
industry is the Federal Government. Recent federal legislation reduced
Wyoming’s share of FMR’s by 2%, or approximately $17.3 million. This negatively
impacts funding for our School Foundation Program and School Capital
Construction. We need to continue working with our congressional delegation to
send a strong message to Washington that we need to return to the historical
50/50 split of the royalties.
3. Weather,
distance, and lack of public transportation make travel in and through Wyoming
a challenge. What can the legislature do
to improve inter- and intra-state public transportation? (75 words)
Cathy Connolly (D) HD 13: With rising gas
prices, as well as challenges due to weather and distance, it is time that we
assess our current transportation system in relation to today’s needs. With many residents commuting from their
homes for work within and out of the state, establishing bus routes could be a
priority. Increasing hours of current public transportation systems should also
be explored to accommodate non-peak hour workers. Drive-sharing could be encouraged though
incentive programs.
Ember
Oakley (R) HD 13: No response.
Kermit
C. Brown (R) HD 14: The history of our
state is littered with failed attempts to implement public transportation, most
notably air transportation. Until the
public demands differently, the automobile will rule. If and when there is a demand, the
legislature can facilitate a solution, probably with surface
transportation. Any system must be safe,
clean, pleasant and on time. Hopefully
the private sector will provide the solution and the legislature will only
provide the means (i.e. licensing) to the solution.
Pat
Kiovsky (D) HD 14: The WY Legislature
has the opportunity to implement a Front Range Rail system from Casper to
Belen, NM. This system would reduce traffic on I-25, increase safety and
improve access to businesses/services in Casper and Cheyenne. The state could also create grants or
subsidies to develop public bus services within small communities and from
small towns to larger towns that would provide transportation for many. These
steps increase accessibility and reduce carbon.
Seth
Carson (D) HD 45: First, Wyoming can
expand its knowledge of its public transportation needs by commissioning a
comprehensive study of the state’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in
transportation. The legislature should
expand funding for local public and intrastate bus systems and routes and push
for large-scale development of public transportation authorities. Additionally, we need to financially
revitalize and encourage commuter rail in the state by adding new rail lines or
a exploring a state electrical rail system.
Jan
Alvaney (D) HD 46: Increased funding for WYDOT and WYTRANS is
crucial to meeting the challenges of public transportation. WYTRANS works with WYDOT and the Legislature
to increase funding for public transit.
Legislators must also look into rail and air transit options. The
railroads were vital to Wyoming’s beginnings and still contribute greatly to
the economy and growth of the state. Fly Wyoming works with WDOT Aeronautics to
further air travel within Wyoming and surrounding states. Funding is the key.
James
J. Slater, (R) HD 46: Wyoming boasts a
nationally envied transportation department. The legislature needs to 1)
Continue improving the entire highway network in response to demand; 2) Seek
funding to add one lane each direction on I-80; 3) Maintenance of the existing
infrastructure; 4) Improving the multi-lane divided highway system and local
roads;
5)
New designs to improve the life and service of pavements; 6) Rebuilding certain
roads to eliminate seasonal weight restrictions.
Jim
Thompson (D) HD 46: Wyoming is
participating in a feasibility study of
a rail system from Albuquerque to Billings. The Wyoming Business Council
provides a subsidy to Great West Airlines.
The state could create a state-owned bus system to serve whole
state. However, I think the State should
leave transportation to the private market or the Federal Government. The
airlines should be regulated again by the Federal Government. Only
then
will Wyoming get better rail and air transportation.
William
“Jeb” Steward (R) HD 47: Continued
funding for our highway systems is an absolutely critical component of this
issue. Well maintained highways are very important for us in Wyoming since we
all travel large distances. We must address the safety issues associated with
I-80 so our citizens and highway workers will not be at risk when traveling in
winter. I support a program within the Business Council that would allow
funding for public transportation systems sponsored by public entities.