Legislators push upgrades

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, and Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, met with the Weston County Commissioners on May 5, asking for their support for the facility portion of an upcoming bill to be considered at the first special session in Wyoming since 2004. 
Lindholm explained that Wyoming will receive $1.25 billion through the federal CARES Act, which is intended to provide aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Lindholm and Driskill are pursuing a portion of the money for hospital upgrades. 
As reported in the Sundance Times, Lindholm said that after all the priority expenses are taken out of the $1.25 billion,  there will be $625 million left that will go back to the federal government if it is not spent. Lindholm said in the article that the money is not taxpayer money and did not exist at all before the CARES Act. 
“The Federal Reserve printed these funds,” he said. “This is a flat currency at the level of hyper-inflation. I certainly don’t agree with how the federal government came about obtaining these funds, but that’s what they did.” 
The Crook County legislators have stated that they plan to use the notion of preparing for a future pandemic as a way to build a new hospital in Crook County and provide upgrades to other facilities in the state, including Weston County. 
Both Lindholm and Driskill admitted that they have been criticized for their position on spending the money for a new $45 million facility. 
“We have got a lot of grief. The constitution makes it hard to direct distribute to businesses or people,” Driskilll told the commissioners. 
During the meeting, Lindholm acknowledged receiving an email with the subject line “against CARES money being used to build new hospital.” 
Both legislators claim that an upgrade to the facilities here would allow for the hospitals to respond to a future pandemic and it would cost the taxpAyres “nothing.” 
Lindholm, however,  had a word of warning about inflation, according to the Sundance Times. 
“We know inflation will be coming, and it will be coming at a high rate due to this decision,” Lindholm said in the article. “So the CARES Act will ultimately mean it costs individual citizens more to buy basic goods.” 
He noted that sending the money back would not affect the inflation. 
“It’s not a great situation and I recognize that, but this is also the hand we’ve been dealt,” Lindholm said. 
Both Lindholm and Driskill told the commissioners they look forward to any feedback on the proposed project, whether for or against.