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By Bill Sniffin, editor
Sure he misses it, but. . .
This is how former lawmaker Eli Bebout described his feelings as he watched the work of the lawmaker from the sidelines during the ongoing session.
Bebout is no ordinary observer. He is the only one in Wyoming history to serve as both Speaker of the House (1999-2000) and President of the Senate (2017-2018). He served a total of 28 years in the Wyoming Legislature.
He says: “All this time it would never have happened without the support of my wife Lorraine and my extended family. Especially my mother Dessie, my brother Nick, my sister Ruby and my uncle Mike Svilar. “
When asked if he was calling lawmakers for advice, he definitely said no. Ask questions yes. Tradition demands that he stay out of it. Yet he says that he is often called to an opinion and he gives it to them.
Bebout, 74, is a two-time survivor with esophageal and throat cancer and is grateful that he is alive and in good health. He hunts, fishes and still plays golf.
Riverton resident Bebout has been committed to power generation in Wyoming for the past 50 years. He is very concerned about the direction the country is headed under President Joe Biden’s administration.
He is amazed at the trend to shut down coal-fired power plants.
“Coal power plants provide the basis for electricity,” he said.
One of the main causes of the recent power crisis in Texas was the removal of so many coal-fired power plants from the state’s power grid.
“Wyoming is in the same place. If we take these plants offline and then there is a crisis, we could be like Texas, ”he said.
The operators of several coal-fired power plants in Wyoming, such as B. Rocky Mountain Power, plan to shut down these power plants in the next few years. Bebout wants to stay open and use the CO2 obtained from it for other projects.
Bebout complained that new coal-fired power plants are being added every month in China, but here in America they are being shut down.
“Similar arguments apply to all fossil fuels in our state and country,” he said. “Why try to turn it off? We need a responsible development of all our minerals. ”
As a lawmaker, Bebout said he never signed those absolute pledges, such as vows not to levy taxes, that tie a lawmaker’s hands when he or she works on legislation.
“I would vote for what makes the most sense for my constituents and for Wyoming,” he said, calling himself a “big tent” Republican. “That seems right to me.”
Currently, it is one of the biggest problems facing the state to cut spending in order to balance the state budget.
“We need to responsibly reduce all government spending, including education, diversifying the economy and broadening the tax base,” he said.
The state is facing tough times where it can hire a company with 100 employees but it does not generate any tax revenue for the state, Bebout said.
“Still, we have to spend $ 18,000 each to raise their children,” he says.
Bebout concluded, “The key is the quality of the Wyoming people who love our state. At the end of the day, you still love Wyoming. There are many people like us who love our state. We have some differences, but we all want what is best for the state. ”
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