Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, January 6th. I'm Mac Watson.

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After Gov. Mark Gordon recommended funding WYDOT's $282.8 million budget pitch; Cowboy State Daily's Claor McFarland reports that lawmakers met on Monday in Cheyenne and asked questions amid budget shortfalls.

"They're anticipating somewhere between 400 to 600 thousand dollar shortfalls, in coming budgets. And they're asking for like 282 million for the upcoming biennium, which is about a $30 million increase from their most recent biennial budget. And Governor Gordon backs it. He supports this request. The Wyoming Legislative Joint Appropriations Committee, which is the tip of the spear in crafting the budget, didn't subject WYDOT to some of the just gouging questions that certain other agencies endured, but they asked a few things like, 'Does it really cost this much to outfit troopers with tasers? How are you doing hiring snow plow drivers? What would our turnover look like if we didn't give people raises?'"

The meeting of the state Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee at the state Capitol in Cheyenne marks the start of week three, in the committee's four-week budget-planning marathon. The full Legislature will also help craft the state's budget at the start of the Feb. 9 session.

Read the full story HERE.

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Trump's move to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry after Nicolas Maduro's capture could put downward pressure on prices, squeezing Wyoming oil producers already operating on thin margins. Cowboy State Daily's David Madison spoke to industry leaders and they are saying many questions remain unanswered.

"Given Trump's recent statements about upping oil production out of Venezuela, we asked the question, 'Is Venezuelan oil the new Argentinian beef?' in that here you have a president promoting a product from another country that could, that could conceivably compete with oil drilled right here in Wyoming. The answer is not quite as clear cut as it was with beef. The oil markets are more complicated. It's a different kind of crude oil coming out of Venezuela, but in talking to experts, a couple things came to light. One, is Venezuela's oil going to hit the market probably at some point, but it could take years, maybe 10 years, and maybe 100 billion in investment to get them up and running again at full capacity."

In October, Wyoming ranchers joined a national outcry when President Trump proposed importing more beef from Argentina to lower grocery store prices. Now three months later, Wyoming's oil industry wonders if it's facing a similar threat.

Read the full story HERE.

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A 75-year-old man died Sunday when his Chevy Cruze plunged off Wyoming Route 310 into Wheatland Reservoir No. 1 after going airborne for 90 feet. Cowboy State Daily's Scott Schwebke reports that divers recovered the victim after two hours.

"According to the Highway Patrol, a 75-year-old-driver who's driving a Chevy Cruze at a high rate of speed, for some reason, went off the highway. His car went airborne for about 90 feet. It struck the shore that it went into the water reservoir, one and a fisherman who happened to be nearby heard it, and guess walked over and saw the car slipping under the water, and the Sheriff's Department responded. They got divers on the scene, and you know, it wasn't visible at first, where the car was, but they used a kind of sonar tracking, which, you know, you use for fish and large objects in the water. They were able to locate it. It took about a coup