Daily news roundup, Feb. 20, 2008
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Feb 20, 2008 Posted by Bill Luckett
I’m terribly sorry about getting this out so late today, but every day keeps getting busier than the last as we approach our county caucuses. And really, it’s another feather in my hat every time some random guy calls me up and asks me what he needs to do to change his registration from Republican to Democrat, because he registered as a Republican last year to vote against Barbara Cubin in the primary, but now he wants to vote in the March 8 caucus (true story). If someone had told me when I took this job that my biggest problem would be that TOO MANY people would be eager to get involved with Democratic Party politics in Wyoming, I would have jumped for joy. In fact, I’d do that right now if I didn’t have to get you all a news summary, so let’s get to it.
(By the way, don’t miss the total lunar eclipse tonight. I heard kick-off time is 6:43 p.m. … so hurry!)
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
The Gillette News-Record has this report on an Obama campaign rally in that community:
Lest you forget my roots as a journalist – complete with a healthy appreciation for objectivity and fairness – I tracked down the scoop that Wyoming-based Clinton campaign staffers will “hit the ground tomorrow,” according to a campaign source. So it’s on!
Shifting gears, the Laramie Boomerang reports that the city council needs to fill a vacancy:
FROM THE LEGISLATURE:
First off, more “reporting” from yours truly: city of Rock Springs lobbyist Lisa Skiles-Parady (who I’ve known for several years) told me today that her lobbying duties are focused entirely on the Bitter Creek Reconstruction Project, a $60 million project designed to beautify the Bitter Creek and remove property near the creek from the city's official flood plain map (as explained in this Green River Star piece). Some people have the incorrect impression that she has been hired to lobby on ALL legislation of interest to the city of Rock Springs, but she said that that is not the case. So I thought I’d pass that on if it wasn’t clear when I first mentioned this news last week.
Here’s a quick summary of legislative developments from today and yesterday, almost all from the Casper daily:
Dogfighting bill gains momentum (Casper Star-Tribune; breaking news today)
Emergency gun bill clears House (Casper Star-Tribune; breaking news today)
Campaign finance bill heads to Senate (Casper Star-Tribune; breaking news today)
‘Medical furlough’ bill renamed ‘medical parole’ bill (Casper Star-Tribune)
Dogfighting bill gets first house nod (Casper Star-Tribune)
Lawmaker tweak ‘castle doctrine’ bill (Casper Star-Tribune)
Lawmakers look at broad tax cut (Casper Star-Tribune)
Bill offers highway funding stream (Casper Star-Tribune)
House reverses on online campaign finance reporting (Casper Star-Tribune)
Finally, for a different view, here’s the Torrington Telegram’s legislative wrap-up posted today (don’t let the headline fool you; this story covers several bills):
Carbon capture bill passes House, goes to Senate (Torrington Telegram)
IN OTHER NEWS:
The Douglas Budget reports that Colorado-based Rancher Energy Corp. is working to invest $83.5 million in an effort to tap an estimated 90 million barrels of oil from existing fields around Glenrock:
New life: Enhanced recovery coming to Converse County oil fields
Another from the Douglas paper: The number of new planned construction projects seems to increase daily in Converse County. Plans are moving ahead on wind farm projects outside Glenrock and ground has been broken for reconstruction of Yellowstone Highway, in addition to housing development in various locations. New projects have paved the way to Douglas for Mobile Concrete, Inc., which plans to begin production in April from an Esterbrook Road location:
Increased building brings new concrete plant
The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency excoriated a plan for more wells on the Pinedale Anticline last week, citing deficiencies in the analysis of the effects of development on air quality and ground water:
EPA slams new plan for Sublette gas field
The Gillette paper reports that the city could get almost a quarter of its electric power at a fixed rate for the next 50 years if the City of Gillette is able to buy part of the WyGen III power plant: