Senate Debates Use of AML Funds

Staff    2-16, 2016

The Wyoming State Senate has voted to use Abandoned Mine Land Fuds to move Highway 59 in Campbell County and to make it safer. The project will receive $24 million in AML funds and Campbell County will also guarantee $10 million for the total cost of the project. Moving the highway will allow coal to be mined where the road currently sits. Senator Michael Von Flatern from Gillette says moving the road and making it safer is a mining issue.

Senate President Phil Nicholas, from Laramie, argued against using the AML funds for the highway relocation. He says the state should be cautious about using funds in this way.

Nicholas says the State has given a lot of resources to Campbell County in terms of industrial siting money and using AML funds for this is inappropriate.

Nicholas says the whole state is impacted by energy development and so everyone should benefit from AML money.

In other legislative action, the House Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a bill that would repeal the state’s gun free zones for government meetings. House Bill 86 would allow the carrying of concealed firearms into government meetings and the legislature. The bill now heads to the House for full debate.

A Senate committee is endorsing a bill that would make it a crime to possess certain amounts of marijuana-laced edibles. Possession of three ounces or more of marijuana-laced edibles or drinks would be a felony under the bill.