CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Public Service Commission, or PSC, delivered an oral decision on Tuesday, significantly trimming Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed rate hike. The utility aimed for a $140.2 million annual increase, a substantial 21.6%. However, the PSC’s decision only allows for an $80 million hike, approximately 57% of the requested amount. Commission Chair […]
Government
Posted inCourt
Major Wyoming abortion decisions loom
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile The last month of the year will be one to watch for those who are both for and against abortion access in Wyoming. The week of Dec. 11 will feature two significant court hearings and the closing of a Jackson clinic — leaving only one physical facility to provide elective abortions in […]
Posted inLatest News
Top environmental stewards awarded at Wyoming Weed and Pest Conference
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Weed and Pest Council, or WWPC, celebrated the achievements of four distinguished individuals at its 2023 annual conference. These awardees have significantly contributed to Wyoming’s ecological preservation efforts, focusing on weed and pest management. Donley Darnell, president of WWPC, expressed pride in acknowledging these individuals’ efforts. “We are honored to […]
Posted inLatest News
Mills City Council approves 18-lot industrial park plat
Tetral Corp. of Casper is proposing to subdivide 39.69-acres into an 18-lot industrial subdivision zoned Established Industrial.
Posted inEducation
Tribal school officials, lawmakers sketch out performance gap solutions
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile FORT WASHAKIE—Wyoming can support tribal schools on the Wind River Indian Reservation with funds for additional language teachers and counselors, substance abuse programs, early childhood education and mental health needs, district superintendents told legislators Friday. The mental health piece, “I’m sure it would resonate across the state of Wyoming in many different […]
Posted inEnergy
Feds award University of Wyoming $11.2M to study underground CO2 storage
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile The University of Wyoming will receive up to $11.2 million in federal support to test deep geologic layers in the south-central portion of the state to determine if they are suitable for carbon dioxide storage. The university’s School of Energy Resources will lead the 2-year study in collaboration with the U.S. Department […]
Posted inCity
Casper considers overhaul of licensing for contractors
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council will hold a public hearing and the first reading of an ordinance aimed at amending Chapter 15.12, focusing on the Board of Examiners and Appeals, and Contractor Licensing. The public hearing will be held at the council’s regular meeting Nov. 21, according to a memo prepared for the […]
Posted inLatest News
City of Mills to get 25 acres if state-funded Austin Engineering expansion proceeds
If Austin Engineering expands with the help of a $20 million state business grant and loan package awarded to the City of Mills, the company says the major rebuild and expansion will add 50 jobs to 111 already at its manufacturing plant in Mills.
Posted inCourt
Age limit will soon create opening on Wyoming Supreme Court
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Keith Kautz will retire in March, but not because he wants to. “I’m not tired, I’m not burned out, I don’t feel like I’m not useful,” he told WyoFile during an interview at the supreme court building in Cheyenne. “In fact, I feel the opposite.” At 70, Wyoming […]
Posted inGovernment
Gov. Gordon’s budget proposes ‘living within our means’
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile It’s the beginning of the end of the federal funds that bailed Wyoming out of its last financial bust, according to Gov. Mark Gordon, who submitted his written budget recommendations to the Legislature on Friday and warned lawmakers of tough decisions that lie ahead in the 2024 legislative session. “The Legislature has […]
Posted inEducation
Public funds for private schools? Lawmakers advance ‘education savings account’ bill
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile A measure to create “education savings accounts” using state funds for parents to pay for costs associated with their children’s preschool education or non-public-school expenses is headed to the legislative session, despite concerns it may not be constitutional. The Legislature’s Joint Education Committee advanced the bill on Wednesday. Under the measure, Wyoming parents whose […]
Posted inLatest News
UW School of Energy Resources embarks on fourth carbon capture, storage project
The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources announced today it will lead a fourth carbon capture and storage project.
Posted inGovernment
Governor Gordon’s budget proposal starts with $20 million in property tax relief and savings
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon has introduced a budget proposal for the next two years, focusing on sustainable spending while addressing current challenges. The governor’s approach addresses the immediate challenges facing the state by making targeted investments — including expanded property tax relief totaling $20 million — while ensuring ongoing spending remains at a sustainable […]
Posted inPolitics
GOP hardliners say Gordon’s shifted on carbon. But he’s shared the same vision for years.
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile When Gov. Mark Gordon took to the dais at the dawn of the 2023 legislative session, he made few, if any, surprising remarks in his State of the State address. He called for all people to have access to affordable, quality health care. He thanked veterans and deployed Wyoming National Guard members […]
Posted inWyoming
Lawmakers reject California’s property tax system despite GOP backing
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile The Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee narrowly rejected legislation on Monday that would have implemented an acquisition value-based property tax system in Wyoming to counter soaring home values. It was the committee’s final meeting ahead of the 2024 budget session and a conclusion to an off-season mostly defined by the debate over how […]
Posted inWyoming
Skeptical public tells Wyoming ‘don’t auction Kelly Parcel’ as developers lurk
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile JACKSON—Fourth-generation Jackson Hole cattle rancher Cody Lockhart thought back to his childhood, the days when he’d select his 4-H calf from a herd out at pasture every summer. Those calves grazed a state-owned section of land in the corner of Grand Teton National Park known as the Kelly Parcel, which could soon go […]
Posted inEnergy
Wyoming’s coal plant carbon capture mandate may tap ratepayers beyond 2030
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile A panel of lawmakers has advanced a draft bill to give power plant operators eight more years to comply with Wyoming’s low-carbon emissions standard. The measure, Low-carbon reliable energy standards-amendments, would push back the deadline from 2030 to 2038. It would also exempt regulated utilities with fewer than 10,000 customers, carving out a […]
Posted inLatest News
Volume police, EMS calls to Beacon Club prompt action by Mills City Council
On Nov. 14, the Mills City Council voted 5-0 to pass an ordinance on the first of three readings that will establish fines for non-compliant city liquor license holders.
Posted inWyoming
Property tax ballot measure will slash local funding, report finds
A statewide ballot initiative would effectively halve rising property tax bills for certain residents but would slash education and local government funding. That’s according to a fiscal analysis prepared in October by the Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Revenue. The proposal, now being circulated for signatures, would exempt 50% of the assessed value for property […]
Posted inEnergy
Feds field questions about Wyoming’s first nuclear power plant
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile KEMMERER—TerraPower, backed by billionaire Bill Gates and the U.S. Department of Energy, plans to build the pilot “Natrium” liquid-sodium-cooled nuclear energy plant here, hoping its success will spur the deployment of Natrium and other small nuclear reactors throughout the nation and around the world. The next-generation technology presents myriad considerations for the Nuclear Regulatory […]
Posted inWyoming
Ban on delta-8, ‘psychoactive’ hemp substances advances to Wyoming Legislature
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile A bill to ban hemp substances with synthetic or “psychoactive” components is headed to the Wyoming Legislature, though many lawmakers agreed it’ll need more work when it gets there. “I don’t have any doubt that this is a work in progress,” said Sen. Bill Landen (R-Casper), who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee. “But I […]
Posted inLegislature
State law can stymie police misconduct inquiries. Legislators may have a fix.
by Tennessee Watson, WyoFile t’s been five years since former Albany County sheriff’s deputy Derek Colling shot and killed Laramie-resident Robbie Ramirez. Yet, because of ambiguities in state law, the agency that certifies police officers in Wyoming still hasn’t been able to access Colling’s personnel records or complete its investigation of his fitness to serve. The […]
Posted inWyoming
Wyoming Guard dedicated to ‘rooting out’ sex offenders, general says
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile Faced with allegations that the Wyoming Military Department is plagued by a culture of sexual assault and harassment and that victims are met with excuses, suspicion, hostility and retaliation, Maj. General Gregory Porter says he’s going to great lengths to “root out” offenders. “If we have predators in our ranks, they don’t […]
