River, Wyoming Range bills move to Senate. Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Noah Brenner.
The Wyoming Range bill, sponsored by Wyoming’s Republican senators, would withdraw a big area of scenic, wildlife rich and and unstable soil from oil and gas leasing (contrary to the party’s push to open everything up on public lands).
It should be interesting. The Wyoming Range bill is protected politically to a degree by being part of an omnibus bill.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Ralph, I am not sure that lumping these two bills in with a bunch of others is a good thing.
The Wyoming Range and Snake River bills by themselves had at some amount of bipartisan support and Bush has said he would not veto them because of their support of our current Republican Senators and former Republican Seantor Thomas. But now they are lumped into a larger bill you never know what will happen, especially if it makes it to Bush.
I have my fingers crossed this gets through! But I have to admit my hopes are a little dashed after this news.
Wyo Native. You may be right. In addition, Senator Craig might try to put a “hold” on them, although his status is so low that Senator Reid may not honor his request for a hold.
I have a dislike of omnibus legislation in general as well because it promotes irresponsible legislating. There is always something good and something bad in the “legislative package,” and so a member of Congress can justify his or her vote on the entire thing, for or against, on the basis on one thing they like or dislike. Then they can write to you agree with whatever you say about the defeat or the passage of the particular part you were interested in.