Wyoming Vote Tracker

Platform additions and amendments voted on January 5, 2008 at the Park County GOP Convention in Cody, WY. Platforms cover state issues and will be offered for consideration at the WYGOP State Convention.

Key: Italics: added/new material
strike: deleted material
Bold: vote result

• Jobs & Economy
  • Believes we should work in conjunction with private enterprise to develop, maintain, and improve a favorable climate for business by working to eliminate unnecessary and out-of-date restrictions and establish a business/citizen hotline to the Governor’s office, concerning business and citizen problems with state employee decisions. Failed passage
  • Believes that all applications for financial aid or assistance from the state must include proof of citizenship, and proof of residency in the state of Wyoming. Failed passage
  • Supports the emphasis, promotion, harnessing, production and/or distribution of renewable energy. Passed
  • Proposals 4-8 voted on in a block
    • Supports the year-round responsible recreational use of Yellowstone National Park, including the use of unguided snowmobiles, and all reasonable use of avalanche mitigation techniques to keep the East Gate and Sylvan Pass open in winter months.
    • Supports unguided snowmobile use on all public land that allow motorized access.
    • Supports use of clean coal technology to protect Wyoming’s coal industry and encourage state and federal Government to develop an economical means of removing CO2 from exhaust stack emissions.
    • Supports the concept of allowing power companies to lease a portion of of homeowner’s and business’ property for the construction and maintenance of alternative energy systems, the excess of which power could be fed back into the power grid.
    • Support the expanded use of “net metering,” wherein utility companies would have to pay a homeowner the retail price of electricity fed back into the utility grid from the homeowner’s alternative electricity source.
    • Platforms Passed
  • A platform proposed from the floor supporting the development and construction of natural gas and oil pipelines, refineries, electric generation and transmission lines for better distribution and efficiencies of Wyoming’s energy resources. Passed
    
• Crime and Law
  • Proposals 1, 4-7 voted on in a block
    • Supports a change in Wyoming “conceal-carry” [gun] laws and requirements to be similar to those of the state of UT wherein conceal-carry permit holders could enjoy more widely acceptable reciprocity between Wyoming and other states, thereby removing the fear of inadvertent violation other state’s concealed-carry laws.
    • Supports strict prohibition of internet pornography
    • Supports the adoption of criminal penalties for prescription drug “doctor shoppers,” who go to numerous doctors for a single ailment to acquire drugs for their own abuse or resale to others.
    • Supports real-time “prescription check” programs, where doctors are required to enter a patient’s prescription into a secure real-time internet database to assure that the patient has not recently had the same or similar drug already prescribed.
    • Supports legislation denying drivers licenses and other social services to illegal aliens.
    • Platforms Passed
  • Opposes the restriction of law abiding citizens, holding Wyoming conceal-carry permits, from carrying handguns near or in Wyoming schools, court rooms, churches or any other building or area where there are no metal detectors in place to also restrict “prohibited possessors,” as defined by federal law, from transporting a gun into the same restricted area. Passed
  • Supports the notion that certain properly trained, conceal-carry permitted and duly appointed school officials and/or teachers may carry concealed hand guns in our schools. Passed
  • Supports outlawing abortion Passed
  • Proposals for support of “Katie’s Law” (requiring DNA samples of convicted felons) and a law allowing the state to try and convict a person accused of a felonious crime were removed from consideration since they are already law.
• Land, Agriculture, and Environment
  • Opposes any additional road less or special interest area designations that are not within “wilderness” boundaries.
  • Supports a policy of no introduction, reintroduction, or protection of any wildlife or wild plant species without local and state participation and consideration of the associated economic impacts, using the best available science.
  • Supports the use of the Wyoming State Fair facilities by the public.
  • Supports equitable property tax relief for citizens for residential and agricultural property.
  • Platforms Passed
  • Recognizes agriculture agrarian communities as a vital component of our economy and environment that preserves open spaces, provides critical wildlife habitat, and enhances recreation and other activities. Passed
• Government
  • Supports a state wide “Senior Citizen Property Tax Relief Plan” in which any home owner, 65 years or older, would be required to pay property tax on only one-half of their home’s accessed value, regardless of their financial means, regardless of how long they have owned the home, regardless of how many times they move from one home to another after age 65 and requiring only that they be a legal Wyoming resident  for five or more years and that the home be their primary home that is occupied by them for six months or more per year. Any local deficiencies in local tax revenues can be replenished/reimbursed from the abundance in the State coffers. Failed Passage
  • Supports the institution of an volunteer oversight/watchdog committee to monitor unnecessarily high mill levies and unnecessary and/or irresponsible spending of tax dollars in our school system. Failed Passage
  • Believes that, during winter months, Yellowstone National Park gates should be open to a reasonably limited number of low-pollution snow-machines, such machines being defined as having “tracks” or “tracks and skis,” WITHOUT the requirement of having a to have a “guide.” Passed
  • Supports the usage of the “tried and proven” Howitzer cannon for avalanche control in Yellowstone National Park rather than the usage of an expensive, dangerous,  weather restricted and “excuse laden” helicopter. Passed
  • Supports reducing the state sales tax since the state coffers are abundantly full to overflowing. Passed
• Education
  • Supports the teaching of both “evolution” and “creationism or intelligent design”in our school system, or the teaching of neither “evolution” or “creationism or intelligent design,” since both are are classified as religions by definition. Passed
  • Supports the immediate reprimand, prohibition and/or dismissal of teachers, principals, or administrators who attempt to influence students in any particular political direction. Failed Passage
  • Supports notion and institution of a primary emphasis on academia rather than sports in our school system to the extent that only those that have achieved LEGITIMATELY high grade point average, in “required” subject matter, may participate in sports activities. Passed
  • Supports  emphasis on basic academic values including reading, writing, arithmetic and physical sciences, especially including basic principles of physics and chemistry. Passed
  • Supports the evaluation of academic performance compared to other schools, other states and especially other countries. Failed Passage
  • Supports local control of our public school system. Passed
  • Supports the teaching of an “internet safety” program in our school systems for children at all grade levels. Passed
  • Supports the addition to the curriculum of health/science classes, the potential health hazards associated with many vaccines now being “in-your-face” marketed by large pharmaceutical corporations to all age groups. Failed Passage
  • Supports a tax credit, tax deduction and/or a voucher system to compensate those who choose to home school, parochial school, or privately school their children. Failed Passage
• Health & Society
  • Supports “voluntary only” vaccination program for children and adults of all ages regardless of their enrollment in any school or other institution, since extremely harmful health ramifications have been well documented over the last several decades and beyond. Failed Passage
  • Supports private health insurance. Passed
  • Supports review and reform of medical malpractice insurance premium rate structures, licensing and tort reform. Failed  Passage

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