Redistricting amendment could save a senator's seat

A House Committee has approved a new plan for Wyoming’s new legislative districts, which would restore Senator Curt Meier’s seat.  Previously the committee told Meier that despite having two years left on his term, he would have to give up his seat and be moved into a district with Senator Wayne Johnson who lives in Laramie County.  But Meier offered an amendment that was adopted by the committee incorporating the non-voting prison population in Torrington to grab the necessary population.    Casper Representative Tim Stubson noted that it not only preserved a Senate seat, it achieved other objectives as well.  “It’s a locally driven plan, it was a plan area legislator’s and folks were in support of," Stubson said. "So I think it meets with the stated goals and guidelines that we’ve adopted through the interim and is an improvement on the committee plan.”  The committee also approved an amendment that would give Representative Jim Roscoe more of Teton County to represent and would keep LaBarge from being a split district.  The bill now moves to the floor of the House of Representatives.