CHEYENNE - Administrative rules don't tend to draw a lot of people eager to learn more.
Yet they can incite a lot of attention and flared tempers in government circles, as the topic does lately in Cheyenne.
The most recent squabble was a recurrence of the chronic rub between elected officials on the State Building Commission.
It involved a rematch between Gov. Mark Gordon and Secretary of State Chuck Gray with some input from State Treasurer Curt Meier.
According to the Cowboy State Daily, Gray started the tiff during a discussion of an administrative rule concerning concealed weapons.
Gray repeated his criticism of Gordon regarding his handling of the firearms issue.
Gordon defended himself and Meier then spoke up. He was sick of Gray taking up work time by using the meeting as a political platform, he said.
While the voices of three men rose as they got more heated, the two women on the commission, State Auditor Kristi Racines and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, remained silent.
It should be pointed out that all three men are potential candidates for public office in next year’s election.
So are Racines and Degenfelder, but they were smart to stay out of it.
The forthcoming election means that everything dealing with government henceforth will have a tinge of politics and political motivation.
Gray has already started his campaign for governor, or something, by appearing at every major Republican event in the state and some in D.C.
His press releases often mention MAGA and President Donald Trump, which identifies his ideology, compared to that of Gordon, who is more of the traditional Republican camp.
Although Gordon is term limited, that fence can be broken by a quick trip to the Wyoming Supreme Court, many legal experts say.
Meier is expected to seek re-election if prospects for other offices fade.
Lots of conjecture at this point. Lots of “what ifs” — like what if U. S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis decides to retire, or to run for governor?
Politics also has a big role in the work of the Management Audit Committee, a step child as it were of the powerful Legislative Management Council.
The priority topic for this group is to examine the administrative rules and then determine if the agencies are carrying out a law as lawmakers intended it to be enforced.
The push to establish more power in the legislative branch and reduce it for the executive branch is in line with the politics of the White House.
Ergo, the Freedom Caucus-dominated committee has assumed it has authority to investigate state and local agencies and to issue subpoenas freely.
There is a historical parallel here, perhaps.
The early day Management Audit Committee also started out in high gear.
Support declined rapidly as executive branch agencies complained that the Legislature was trying to micromanage their programs; it was deemed over-reach. The program was modified.
In recent years, because of budget cuts, it was on a potential list of legislative programs to be de-funded.
It survived.
Sometimes it pays to remember past performance, given that history has a tendency to repeat itself.
And sometimes a meeting on administrative rules can be engaging.
————————————————————
Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net
