NEWS RELEASE: Presiding Officers Issue Statement Regarding February 13 Hearing

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FOR RELEASE Immediately 

DATE February 1, 2024

CONTACT Senator Ogden Driskill, President of the Senate and Representative Albert Sommers, Speaker of the House

TO REACH 307-680-5555 or 307-360-7060

 

Wyoming Legislature's Presiding Officers Issue Statement Regarding February 13 Hearing

 

CHEYENNE - Senate President Ogden Driskill and Speaker of the House Albert Sommers issue the following statement regarding the Feb. 13 hearing: 

On Jan. 30, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz issued a press release on her legislative letterhead promoting what she termed an “Oversight Hearing of the Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee on the Environmental Impact of ‘Net-Zero’ and ‘Carbon Negative’ Policies and the Annual Forest Health Briefing” to be held on Feb. 13 upon adjournment of the legislative session. We, as leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives were not consulted prior to the issuance of Sen. Steinmetz’s press release. 

For many years, the U.S. Forest Service and the Wyoming State Forester have presented to the Joint Agriculture Committee during the legislative session on the current state of Wyoming’s forests.  This briefing has been very informative and well-received in the past.  This tradition should continue for the education of the legislators and the public. Furthermore, upcoming forest plan revisions in the Black Hills, Medicine Bow and Bridger Teton National Forests has significant implications for Wyoming’s economy and future. We will hold the annual forest health briefing at a date to be announced later during the 2024 Budget Session.

The Joint Agriculture Committee is not sponsoring a meeting on the remaining issue Sen. Steinmetz wants to consider at her event on Feb. 13. While Sen. Steinmetz is free to hold an event in the Capitol auditorium on whatever issues she chooses, it is disingenuous to present such an event as sponsored by the Wyoming Legislature. To be clear, there is no meeting of the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee upon adjournment Feb. 13. - END-