Gray Introduces Legislation To Name Highway After President Trump

Rep. Chuck Gray has filed legislation that would name a stretch of highway in Casper to the "President Donald J. Trump Highway."

JO
Jimmy Orr

February 14, 20222 min read

Chuck gray head shot 3 scaled

On a percentage basis, more people voted for former President Donald Trump in Wyoming than any other state in the 2020 presidential contest.

So why not name a highway after him?

It’s happened before. Last year, a 20-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 287 in the panhandle of Oklahoma was named the President Donald J. Trump Highway.

And it could happen this year in Wyoming.

Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, is the lead sponsor of a bill that would name a 10.6-mile stretch of highway in Casper — also known as Wyoming Boulevard — to take on the name of the 45th president.

The reasoning behind it is unknown as Gray did not return multiple attempts from Cowboy State Daily to discuss the measure.

The estimated cost of the project would be just under $7,000.  The bill allows for donations from the public to assist in the installation of signs along the motorway.

It won’t be easy to get the legislation passed as it’s not a revenue bill and in a budget session of the Wyoming Legislature, any non-revenue bill must receive a two-thirds vote by all legislators to be considered.

In Oklahoma, introduction was an uphill battle complicated by the fact an existing state statute stipulated that a person must be dead for three years before a highway can be named in their honor.

No problem. Lawmakers just repealed the statute.

One Oklahoma state representative who was not in favor of the bill mocked the passage shortly thereafter.

“Some legislators wanted to name a highway after former president Trump. But statute dictated that a person must’ve passed away before a road is named for them,” Rep. Forrest  Bennett said, “So what did we do? We just repealed that statute! Amazing what this body can accomplish when we really want something.”

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JO

Jimmy Orr

Executive Editor

A third-generation Wyomingite, Jimmy Orr is the executive editor and co-founder of Cowboy State Daily.