Showing posts with label Highways. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

The 2025 Wyoming Legislative Session, Part 1. And we've already started. . .

April 4, 2024

Eh? 2025? Didn't the 2024 session just wrap up?

Yes, yes it did, and:

Lawmakers begin work on new bills after voting against special session

It seems like we're getting closer and closer to a full-time legislature, which is a bit scary.

June 18, 2024

From: Subsidiarity Economics 2024. The times more or less locally, Part 3. The Decarbonizing the West and Electronic eartags Edition.

Related to this, and acknowledging that electric vehicles are coming, a draft bill for the 2025 legislature proposes to tax electric vehicle charging. While that sounds punitive, the thought it that it will make up for lost gasoline taxes used for roads. The introductory part of that bill:

September 24, 2024

The final makeup of the 2025 legislature isn't known yet, but as some other things posted today demonstrate, its fairly likely, although not certain, that the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a populist (not conservatives) entity that's really a political party in its own right, will control the House.

If this comes to pass, it'll make for a massively contentious legislative session. The populist have already been extremely disruptive in the legislature, and now they'll be expected to advance their agenda, which in some instances are actually completely unworkable. Should their views on taxation advance, for instance, it'll bankrupt local governments and reduce Wyoming to an overall sort of Appalachia in terms of government services.

Additionally, the hypocrisy of Wyoming positions on the Federal government will rapidly come to the forefront. Can we really give the US government the middle finger, while accepting highway and disaster money?

Are we going to fight wildlands fires on our own?

Indeed, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus may be the biggest gift to the Wyoming Democratic Party imaginable.

In the meantime, it's the outgoing legislature, not the incoming one, that's working on bills for the 2025 session. These are the ones being considered right now.

Appropriations

September 26 - 27, 2024

June 21, 2024

June 20, 2024

25LSO-0064 v0.4 Public property and buildings-amendments.

Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology

September 16 - 17, 2024

July 1 - 2, 2024

May 20 - 21, 2024

25LSO-0028 v0.4 Special purpose depository institutions-amendments.

October 4, 2024.

November 17, 2024

As Wyoming lawmakers look to the next session, a Freedom Caucus majority looms

Small coal fired power plants?

Seriously?

November 19, 2025

Making driver's licenses busier:

November 26, 2024

Looming disaster:

Wyoming Freedom Caucus poised for nation’s first statehouse takeover

Headline in the Tribune.

Cont:

Wyoming’s House and Senate have new leaders after secret votes

Freedom Caucus in control of the House. Uff.

December 5, 2024

A bill to incentivize utilities to take steps in regard to wildfires in exchange for liability limitations has failed in committee.

December 9, 2024

December 11, 2024

The Freedom Caucus has taken over committee assignments.

Wyoming Legislature announces 2025 committee assignments

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Thursday, November 20, 1924. The marriage of my father's parents.

Which was oddly a Thursday. I think of most weddings being on Saturday.

At least they are now.

The wedding was in Denver, where they had met and where my grandfather was working. They'd live there until 1937, when they'd move to Scottsbluff. In that time they had all of their children save for one, who would be born in Scottsbluff, the first one being born in 1926 and my father being born in 1929.

They were both 23 years old. He had been on his own since age 13. She was living with her parents in Denver, where they had moved after her father had closed his store in Leadville. Her parents were of 100% Irish extraction, with her mother being from Cork. His parents were of 100% Westphalian extraction. They were both Catholic, although I don't know what church they were married in. Likey one of the Catholic churches downtown.

The American Automobile Association of State Highway Officials approved a resolution recommending that states agree to a consistent system of numbered highways.

Last edition:

Tuesday, November 18, 1924. Adding to the public domain.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, 1950s, 1954, Army, Black Hills, Calvin Coolidge, Commentary, Medicine, Personalities, Public Land, South Dakota, United States Forest Service

Monday, September 9, 2024

Something for Wyoming populists to consider.

Last week Governor Gordon asked the Federal Government for emergency funds due to the recent fires.

In today's Trib we learn that Park County, Lincoln County, Rock Springs, Carbon County, Albany County, Converse County and the city of Sheridan are sharing $3M in Federal grants for safer streets.

Nearly every sizable community receives Federal grants for Emergency Services.

Harriet Hageman, in the primary, noted the money she'd "brought back" to Wyoming, which was a neutral way of saying the money she'd brought in. The state brings in more money than it sends to the Federal government.

So, with populists about to take over the state House, maybe, it'll be interesting to see how they approach this. With Federal money comes Federal influence. Will they eschew it, ignore it, or migrate towards the middle?

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Lex Anteinternet: Bloody 287

Lex Anteinternet: Bloody 287: I've traveled it countless times myself, that stretch of highway between Laramie and Ft. Collins. It's not a great road. Yesterday, ...

A petition for guardrails.

Implement Guard Rails on Highway 287 for Safer Travel

Friday, February 23, 2024

Bloody 287

I've traveled it countless times myself, that stretch of highway between Laramie and Ft. Collins.

It's not a great road.

Yesterday, three UW swimmers were killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 287 in northern Colorado. Two more were injured. They were 18, 19, and 21.

In September of 2001, eight members of UW’s cross-country team were killed in a two-vehicle collision south of Laramie on U.S. 287 near Tie Siding.

In September 2010, UW football player Ruben Narcisse, 19, of Miami, Florida, was killed on U.S. 287 six miles south of the Wyoming state line after the driver of the vehicle he was a passenger in fell asleep. That one, I guess, you can't blame on the road.

Seems like something should be done.

Appendix:

Governor Gordon Issues Statement Following Fatal Car Accident Involving University of Wyoming Swimmers

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has issued the following statement after learning of a single-vehicle car accident that claimed the lives of three members of the University of Wyoming swim team on Thursday on U.S. 287 in northern Colorado.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the tragic deaths of three University of Wyoming student athletes in a motor vehicle accident on US 287 in Colorado. Jennie and I join the entire university community and all of Wyoming in mourning this loss, and we ask you to keep their families, friends and loved ones close to your hearts during this difficult time.”

Lex Anteinternet?

This blog has been around since 2009. In the very first post, we asked the question: "What the heck is this blog about?"

Our answer to the question was: "The intent of this blog is to try to explore and learn a few things about the practice of law prior to the current era. That is, prior to the internet, prior to easy roads, and the like. How did it work, how regional was it, how did lawyers perceive their roles, and how were they perceived?"

We also noted: "Part of the reason for this, quite frankly, has something to do with minor research for a very slow moving book."

All of this is still true, but the focus of the blog has changed somewhat. It now focuses on the era from 1890 to 1920 in general, rather than on the law and lawyers specifically, although that may be far from obvious. It's also become the location where we comment on anything we feel moved to comment on.

We hope you'll feel moved to comment as well. While we moderate every comment, so as to weed out Spam, we greatly appreciate the comments where they are offered, and hope to see more.

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