League of Women Voters Voter Guide 2004

Wyoming State Legislature -- House and Senate

State House and State Senate Legislators are elected from districts. There is one seat available in each district; only voters in each district vote. Senators are elected to four year terms, representatives' terms are two years. All districts are entirely within Albany County except House District 47, which includes portions of both Albany and Carbon Counties. Salary is $150 per day the legislator is at a legislative session or meeting and $0.35 per mile if qualified due to distance from place of residence and length of the meeting. No Democrat filed for House District 47, no Republican for House District 13. All the others are contested races, with both parties having candidates. Party affiliation is (D) for Democrat and (R) for Republican and appears after each name along with the candidate's district.

Biographical Information:

Tim Chesnut (D - Senate District 10):
I was born in Laramie in 1966 to Jim and Bonnie (Franck) Chesnut. My grandparents Avery (deceased) and Betty Chesnut live in Syracuse Utah, and Guy (deceased) and Helen Franck now lives in Saratoga Wyoming. My grandfather Guy Franck ran for this same Wyoming senate seat in the 1960s so the family continues to have a political interest in Albany County into the 21st Century. My brother Mike and sister-in-law Cristina live south of Woodslanding.

Phil Nicholas (R - Senate District 10):
Karen and I have made Laramie our home since 1982. We have four children. Karen teaches at Slade Elementary school and I practice law with Anthony, Nicholas, Tangeman and Yates, LLC. I have completed eight years in the House of Representatives and recently served as Co-Chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee. I have served on the Laramie Planning Commission and boards for Ivinson Memorial Hospital, Laramie Economic Development Corporation, Laramie Area Chamber of Commerce, Hospice of Laramie and the Laramie Beautification Committee.

Jane Warren (D - House District 13):
I have served in the Wyoming House for the last four years. I grew up on a dairy farm in Torrington, was a Rotary Exchange student in Argentina, and received a Ph.D. in Counseling from UW in 1987. I am a Wyoming licensed family and addictions therapist. In 1990 I received "Woman of Distinction" (Soroptimist Club) and in 1997 "Woman Helping Women" (SAFE Project). I have two sons, Jeremy McCue, M.D. and Justin McCue Ph.D.

Kermit Brown (R - House District 14):
I grew up in Casper and attended UW. After earning two bachelor's degrees, I became a naval officer and served in Vietnam. 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 was president of the Wyoming Bar Association in 1994. I have a strong agricultural and business law practice.

Joseph Kiovsky (D - House District 14):
Education: Cody HS; B.S., Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Montana State. After an engineering career of 25 years, earned M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School. Minister for 18 years, retiring from active ministry Dec. 31. Board President, Laramie Soup Kitchen. Volunteer chaplain, Spring Wind Assisted Living Facility for two years. Teach New Testament course for UW Religious Studies Program; tutor UW students in chemistry and Spanish. Spouse: Pat Kiovsky, small business owner and active community volunteer.

Kevin A. White (R - House District 45):
Laramie has been my home for over 25 years. My wife Berlinda and I have four children, one in college and three in local public schools. I am the Captain at the University of Wyoming Police Department where I have worked for almost 25 years. I hold an Associates Degree from Laramie County Community College, am a senior in the Criminal Justice program at UW and a recent graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Vaughn Neubauer (D - House District 45):
I grew up in Casper, graduating from NCHS in 1986. After High School, I joined the army. I served as an airborne infrantryman for four years, participating in deployments to Bolivia and Honduras, and saw combat in Panama. I moved to Laramie in 1990 to attend UW, where I received degrees in history and law. I have a diverse work experience ranging from the coal mines in Campbell County to the courtrooms across the State.

Jan Alvaney (D - House District 46):
I bring 28 years of experience in education, technology and small business development to my campaign. I hold a Bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and a Master's degree from the University of Wyoming. From 1976 to 1987, I taught school in Albany County at Whiting, Beitel and Rock River. I am currently President and founder of Alvaney Design, a technology-based training design business. I live in Centennial with my husband, Paul, and our Irish Setters, Killian and Kassidy.

James J. Slater (R - House District 46):
My wife Karol, Laramie native and I (a 52-year resident) have six grown children, all eight of us UW alumni. I earned a bachelor's degree from UW in agriculture, opened and operated local businesses and retired senior vice president from American National Bank. I've completed four years in the state legislature where I served on the Judiciary; Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources Committees and the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committees.

Kurt Bucholz (R - House District 47):
My family has ranched in the Saratoga area for 47 years and I have been directly involved in those operations for the past 23 years. My educational background includes a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Colorado State University. I have a tolerant and wonderful wife, Laura, and two children, Bessie, 15, and John, 13. My whole family cherishes the privilege to live in Wyoming.

Question 1: What one piece of legislation would you like to see enacted in the next session of the legislature?

Tim Chesnut (D - Senate District 10): I would like to see perminant state funding for city and counties and also for college towns. Laramie's top five employers are tax-exempt, so de-earmarking hit Laramie especially hard. The bandaid that the legeslature came up with this past session doesn't make up for the years of damage done by lost revenue. I hope to help the legeslature recognise the impact the students have on the infrastructure needs of the community and come up with some P.I.L.T type funding. Paying for possible budget shortfalls on the backs of the cities and counties is not the way to keep municipallities healthy.

Phil R. Nicholas (R - Senate District 10): Economic development remains my top priority. No single piece of legislation will solve this complex issue, but there will be several that together will help improve Wyoming's business climate. We should extend and support with additional funding the Business Ready Community legislation, drinking water matching funds, mineral royalty grant program, and direct aide to cities, towns and counties. This is necessary to insure that communities have resources to meet the demands of businesses and expectations of families choosing to make Wyoming their home. We should consider an additional one time funding mechanism to help communities with low assessed valuations fund repairs to antiquated sewer systems.

Jane Warren (D - House District 13): Wyoming should support comprehensive development of renewable energy. Wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and landfill gas have potential to provide nearly five times the electricity needed by the United States (uscusa.org/clean_energy May 2003). Solar, wind and use of municipal and agricultural waste for fuel would produce new jobs. Investing in clean energy technologies could reestablish the U.S as a leader in energy technology. Wind energy would provide income for landowners. We could see reductions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury linked to smog, illness and water contamination. Reliance on foreign oil makes the United States vulnerable to increased prices and supply shortages.

Kermit Brown (R - House District 14): We need an equalization formula for tax revenues to counties, cities, towns and schools. Mineral revenues should be distributed on a formula that supports the whole state, not just the mineral rich counties. My ideal legislation would implement a formula to put us at parity with the average in Wyoming. The State has enough revenue to bring us up to parity without having to take anything from other jurisdictions. We do a lot of the State's work in our county and we ought to have a fair share of the State's mineral revenue for our local entities.

Joseph Kiovsky (D. House District 14): I would like to see legislation to increase the coverage provided by Medicaid, and also to make Medicaid accessible to more people. People with low incomes are frequently not eligible for Medicaid, and are sent to emergency rooms for care. This is a very inefficient and wasteful process. We need to treat more people early and not wait until they are in an acute state and then send them to the Emergency Room.

Vaughn Neubauer (D - House District 45): I believe school funding will be the most pressing issue facing the legislature in the next term. Currently, the School Foundation receives money from coal lease bonuses. This scheme has worked well the past couple of years, but this funding source may fluctuate with production. The legislature MUST secure dependable funding for schools; I favor the creation of a permanent fund for education. Whatever package is passed, it must include a provision for competitive teacher salaries and insurance packages to make sure teachers stay here, and that we can attract new teachers.

Kevin A. White (R - House District 45): To promote the continued health of Wyoming's economy, action needs to be taken to diversify the economy to reduce our reliance on our mineral wealth. While oil and gas should always be the bedrock that keeps Wyoming taxes low, a strong and continued investment in education and tourism would do wonders to break us from the boom and bust cycle of the past. However, this cannot be accomplished through a single piece
of legislation. Future economic development requires a sustained effort geared
towards Wyoming's other resources.

Jan Alvaney (D - House District 46): The legislature must enact healthcare legislation that eases the burden placed on our citizens by sky-rocketing health care costs. It is unacceptable that there are over 70,000 uninsured adults and children in Wyoming. As a legislator, I would introduce legislation that would create a state prescription drug buyers club to provide volume discounts. Other ways the legislature could ease the healthcare burden are to fund wellness and disease prevention education programs, provide state assistance to doctors facing excessive medical malpractice insurance premiums, fund training for new doctors to serve Wyoming, and expand Wyoming's Kid Care program to provide health insurance for all uninsured children.

James J. Slater (R - House District 46): A sufficient funding source is needed for the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. This agency has an exceptional experienced professional staff dedicated to meet the challenges of its statutory responsibilities. Our great state is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, forests, minerals, grasslands, water and wildlife. Global warming could result in the loss of outdoor recreational areas, rivers and fisheries. The shrinking water supply due to drought and agriculture demands, are imposing economic impact. We need to ensure the Commission funding necessary to meet the demands to manage, protect and enhance our natural resources for generations to come.

Kurt Bucholz (R - House District 47): There are, of course, many pieces of legislation I would like to advocate during the upcoming general session related to funding for local governments, education finance and highway safety. First among my priorities would be to enable Wyoming's municipalities, through State grants, to be able to utilize abandoned school facilities for community enhancements. Our State School Facilities Commission is undertaking the organization of the largest public works project in the State's history. In the process of overhauling the K-12 facilities in our public education system, there will emerge many opportunities for communities to beneficially utilize school buildings slated for demolition or abandonment.

Question 2: Assuming the State continues to have large budget surpluses in the next few years, how would you allocate those funds to address State and Albany County needs?

Tim Chesnut (D - Senate District 10): Highway safety is the place the state needs to spend to have the most impact on Wyoming citizens. Albany County has some high profile deadly stretches of highway and much can be done to improve safety. Widening U.S. 287 is a must, but electronic signage in areas like the I-80 summit as well as Arlington/Elk Mountain can warn drivers of bad weather conditions and accidents. Also the highway patrol has been grossly underfunded to the tune of 100 officers. It's time to embrace life saving ideas like DUI checkpoints and better driver comunication.

Phil Nicholas (R - Senate District 10): Wyoming will continue to see surpluses for at least several more years. These cyclical surpluses are anticipated and the result of the energy sector of our economy. It is imperative that we invest these surpluses wisely, being cautious not to increase the on going cost of government beyond levels that can be sustained when mineral taxes decline. I propose that we generally allocate the surplus in thirds, dedicating 1/3 to long term savings including additional deposits to the permanent mineral trust fund, 1/3 to intermediate savings such as the old rainy day accounts, and 1/3 to present one time infrastructure needs targeted to broadening Wyoming's tax base.

Jane Warren (D - House District 13): We need to secure adequate funding for commitments to Medicaid, prescription drug/health care assistance and cities and counties. The remaining surplus could be for the following: 1.) Wildlife Trust Fund toprotect our wildlife and habitat; 2.) Senior Trust Fund to provide a safety net for our growing senior population; 3.) Increased funding level for the Business Ready Communities program; 4.) Increased funding to the SLIB for grants for city/county infrastructure needs; 5.) Humanities and Arts Endowment to increase the opportunities for fine arts development in Wyoming and 6.) UW and community college endowment funds to attract educational leaders.

Kermit Brown (R - House District 14): Some day these surpluses will end. We will once again have to live within our means. We need to apply these surpluses to capital facilities and infrastructure that we could not otherwise afford, at least without going heavily into debt. This means clearing the backlog of deferred maintenance on University and State facilities and building new facilities without adding burdens to our operating budget that we will not be able to afford when the surpluses are gone. We need to save a substantial portion to help us through the lean times after the surpluses have run their course.

Joseph Kiovsky (D - House District 14): There are many working people who cannot afford health insurance and are not eligible for Medicaid. I would like to see if the Kid Care program could be expanded, to assist uninsured working adults. I understand that Senator Scott from Casper is proposing that some $100 million from surplus mineral income be set aside to form an endowment for higher education. I would support this idea.

Kevin A. White (R - House District 45): It is vital that Wyoming's surpluses not be dedicated to establishing new programs that will drain the state's treasury despite the state of our economy. Rather, we should use these windfalls to invest in one-time spending projects such as our highways, schools and prisons. The economic disparity between counties in Wyoming consistently hurts Albany County and the City of Laramie. Shifting the burden away from counties to the state will put us in a better position to face economic challenges during hard times and prosper during good times.

Vaughn Neubauer (D - House District 45): First, I would address the statewide shortage of affordable senior housing. Laramie in particular has a drastic shortage of housing for people on fixed income who have no ability to go out and earn additional money. I would also like to see prescription assistance for senior citizens. Next, I would like the State to make steps to ensure that every child has health coverage. A good first step would be to expand the guidelines for Kid Care to include families and people who cannot afford their health care program at work.

Jan Alvaney (D - House District 46): On the state level, I support increasing revenue to the permanent mineral trust fund. This will ensure that we don't squander all of our surpluses on current spending and will provide money for the future generations when the temporary bonanza of mineral wealth is gone. On the county level, I will work to re-earmark funds for counties and municipalities. Under the current capped system of revenue distribution, Albany County is not receiving enough revenue to cover local government needs, including education. I will work to review and revise distribution formulas for mineral royalties and severance taxes to ensure equitable revenue flows to local governments.

James J. Slater (R - House District 46): We need to continue being fiscally conservative. Savings should be part of any budget deal. Our state's transportation infrastructure needs funding. Forty four percent of our roads are in fair to poor condition. This impacts three statewide concerns, economic development, safety and access. Well maintained roads are important to our economy, our second largest industry is tourism. Safety, 165 people were killed last year on Wyoming roads. The death toll is 102 this year. Access, travel around Wyoming to towns not on the I-80 corridor is complicated. Distance, road conditions and maintenance all affect access. Let's address our transportation infrastructure.

Kurt Bucholz (R - House District 47): Wyoming has a history of boom and bust revenues, following closely the fortunes of mineral development activities in the State. This history should demonstrate to political leadership the need to prioritize the disposition of budget surpluses. It is absolutely essential, both for the State and Albany County, as well as all counties in the State, that we have our permanent trust savings keep pace with expanded programs providing services to our citizens. Once our savings requirements are met, we can proceed to prioritize the needs of Wyoming's citizens in the areas of health care, social services, education, community and economic development and public safety.