By james art 
Governor Mark Gordon believes that the residents of Wyoming, who have damaged the property during the historic season of wild fire in 2024, must be admissible for immediate and constant relief on behalf of the state.
On Tuesday, Gordon Issued a News Statement where he expressed “Grave Concerns” About the Joint Appropritions Committee of the Wyoming Legislature’s Recent Million Ildfire Relief, and InstEad Provide $ 100 Million in Loans for Wyoming residents.
Gordon believes that MPs have a “lack of understanding of the circumstances on the spot”.
“I have serious concerns about the loan program to restore and restore fire,” Gordon says in the statement. “I understand the intention of the legislature with the proposal, but there is no understanding of the circumstances on the spot. We need a program that is flexible and responsive to your needs. The loan program does not do this. “
Gordon took the issue on Monday on Monday, conducting mayoralties in a vest, Sheridan and Whitland, where he promoted his $ 130 million grant offer. The governor said he had heard “strong and clear” of these events, that the public prefers grants, not loans to restore his properties.
This contradicts what state repetitions. Abby Angelos, R-Gillette and Scot Smith, R-Lingle, told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday. They both stated that their constituents had expressed a strong preference for the loan program, as they believe that a grant program would include too many provisions to qualify for it, such as criteria dictating the replacement of fences that can to be purchased.
“The loan will put less regulation to the people who would use it,” Smith said. “The loan can do what you want without the government interfere with the process.”
The Budgetary Loan Committee has made a loan to adopt a loan program last week, which will include a 2% interest rate and will work on a 20-year cycle administered by Wyoming Diva and Natural Resources and the State Land and Investment Office (OSLI) .
As a result of a 2% interest rate, the state will technically make a small profit from the loan program, which legislators have said will be divided between administrative goals and the state.
Reporter John Merr, R-Gillette, told Cowboy State Daily that he sees this proposal as the most complicated with the federal loans given for Covid-19 relief.
“The only difference with this is that the pandemic is caused by the government’s actions, the fire is not the action of the government,” Mer said. The bear’s faith and many other Republicans The Government is to blame for the economic burden of the pandemic due to locking and other restrictions.
The loan program will also cover other natural disasters that occur when Wyoming’s movement.
Senator Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, told Cowboy State Daily that he believes that most people who need fire relief will already provide resources before government decisions come online. But he also said that some people may need the state program, because if they have already expelled their loan and allocate allocations through the federal government.
“This may be their only option,” Barlow said.
Loan complications
One of the problems that the governor has raised in his message about the press is that when they borrow money from the government of the state, the state must have first mortgage rights and banks must subordinate other loans.
“No one should want to complicate existing loans, compromise operational loans, or remove the banks from the script,” Gordon told the attendees, according to the press release. “The loan program is impractical, it can bring land owners from other loans and exaggerate you. That would be as bad as the fire for the first time. “
Senator Ogden Driskil, R-Devils Tower, tried to deal with this issue at the budget loan meeting on Tuesday. He accepted amendment to the additional budget to ensure that banks are first and foremost to receive security over the state in the event of a bankruptcy, a proposal that was accepted by the Commission.
Bob Bud, Director of Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust, said in a statement that the loan program will not be adequate in the treatment of ground invasive species, such as Cheatgrass, Medusahead and Ventenata, which usually appear after wild fire.
“You can’t go to a weed and pest neighborhood and ask them to treat invasive herbs on a loan,” Bud said. “There is a public benefit from the restoration of the local areol – for the wild, for agriculture and for the future prevention of fire.”
The final approval of the loans will be provided by the State Loan and Investment Board.
Gordon said he would be open to a split program with some of the money that goes to grants and another loan part.
“We can see the legislature focus on a loan infrastructure program on a case -by -case basis, when appropriate, and grants for invasive treatments that demonstrate a broad public benefit,” Gordon said. “Loans are simply unlikely to be practical for large -scale projects like the ones we have in front of us.”
Driskill also suggested the idea of putting 50% of funding for invasive grants, but the sword downloaded the proposal and stated that it could be considered at the legislative session in 2026.
Give complications
Angelos said it was said by lawyers to the service legislative service that the state could face constitutional issues by proposing a grant program to relieve fire.
Amendment 16, Section 6 of the Wyoming Constitution, indicates that no state entity can borrow, give money or make donations to or to the aid of any person, association or corporation, “except for the necessary support of the poor.”
Michael Pearlman, a governor spokesman, said their staff believes that fire grants will be constitutional.
“We believe that the grant program will be complied with 16-6, as the grants will serve the public benefit,” Pearlman said. “These grants are intended to maintain Wyoming’s agricultural industry viable in the affected areas. They would also have a public benefit in offering a large -scale protection of the landscape from future forest fires, as well as helping to restore the habitat of the wild through these large landscapes. “
There are also countless examples of the state that gives grants and loans to individuals and businesses for reasons other than to facilitate poverty, mostly through the Wyoming Business Council for local economic development.
The proposal of the Governor’s grant program aims to provide a set after landowners have first exhausted federal resources.
Smith explained that she would similarly see the loan program only as a solution for the last resort for people seeking help before first pursuing the grant and loan options.
Thehe Wyoming Office for Grates Management It has the resources of landowners who tour federal assistance and other fire restoration programs.
The legislature will discuss fire relief options in the coming weeks.
The Budgetary Loan Committee increased the detecting remedies offered by the governor to alleviate a fire from $ 20 million to $ 30 million, and also provided funds for a new helicopter to combat wild fires.
Leo Wolfson can be reached [email protected].