Letter: Legislature should be held accountable

Dear Editor,

As the newly elected chairman of the Sweetwater County Democratic Party, I’d like to publicly thank our democratic legislators for all the hard work they put in during the recent legislative session.

These dedicated individuals spent months away from their homes, families, and jobs in order to serve the people of Wyoming. They worked tirelessly in the face of adversity and still maintained the energy and courage to fight for the ideals we hold dear.

They fought to preserve basic human rights, and stood up for education, healthcare, and a woman’s right to choose. They sought out common sense decisions when it came to budgeting, public lands and second amendment rights. I applaud their passion and dedication to making Wyoming a great place to live.

In a recent letter sent to newspaper across our state, Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Matt Micheli stated, ”(Legislators) debated and worked through solutions to address Wyoming’s education funding shortfall and set us on a path to make necessary reductions while not cutting quality in the classroom.”

The very next day the Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner published an article about Sweetwater School District No. 2 cutting 13 staff members due to budget cuts.

There is no doubt that this will include teachers and paraprofessionals who work directly with students in the classroom. Even Mr. Micheli should realize that quality will be lost.

Frankly, these cuts seem like an excuse for Republican lawmakers to grandstand in the name of fiscal conservatism.

Spending dollars responsibly is a no brainer, but cutting it from education is nothing short of reprehensible.

This June, the state will be getting $83 Million in capital gains money that will go straight into the LSRA, otherwise called the “Rainy Day Fund,” yet with this knowledge, Republicans still pushed for deep and painful cuts. Wyoming families, students, and educators deserve better.

How much more must our state suffer under the short-sightedness of GOP control? It’s time the people of Wyoming held Republican lawmakers accountable.

Election Day is Nov. 6, 2018, and I urge everyone to practice due diligence when choosing candidates.

RJ Pieper

Rock Springs