Legislature’s Presiding Officers Issue Statement on February 13 Hearing

The Wyoming Legislature’s Presiding Officers, Senate President Ogden Driskill and Speaker of the House Albert Sommers have issued a statement concerning a recent release by Sen. Cheri Steinmetz about a hearing she is organizing during the upcoming Legislative Session.

According to the release from Driskill and Sommers, on January 30, Sen. 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.

The hearing is to be held on February 13 upon adjournment of the legislative session.

Driskill and Sommers said in the release, “as leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives were not consulted prior to the issuance of Sen. Steinmetz’s press release.”

The Joint Agriculture Committee is not sponsoring a meeting on the remaining issue Sen. Steinmetz wants to consider at her event on Feb. 13.

They continued, saying 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.

They said “to be clear, there is no meeting of the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee upon adjournment Feb. 13.”

Also in the release, Driskill and Sommers said the U.S. Forest Service and the Wyoming State Forester have for many years, presented to the Joint Agriculture Committee during the legislative session on the current state of Wyoming’s forests.

They called the briefing very informative and well-received in the past, and said the tradition should continue for the education of the legislators and the public.

They cited upcoming forest plan revisions in the Black Hills, Medicine Bow and Bridger Teton National Forests as having significant implications for Wyoming’s economy and future.

They said they will hold the annual forest health briefing at a date to be announced later during the 2024 Budget Session.