Republicans address concerns

Walter Sprague
NLJ Arts & Culture Reporter
 
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the Weston County Republican Party Precinct Committee Meeting took place at the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center. While a few minor issues were discussed, and vacant precinct seats were addressed, the main focus of the meeting revolved around the issue of redistricting. 
With the current 60 districts in the state, and the way they are drawn, there was an almost universal consensus stated at the meeting that the four largest districts are able to control much of policies that come out of the state house. This is a problem for more rural areas, such as Weston County, it was noted, and for the policies of conservatives. With the desire by most Republicans to see the redistricting adjusted to follow county lines, instead of the current districting by population densities, the Weston County Republican Party feels that this will give the rural counties more influence concerning those issues that affect less populated areas of the state. 
Voiced at the meeting was a major concern that the cultural and political influences of the larger cities will have a negative impact on the more conservative rural counties in the state. To help address these issues several guests spoke at the meeting. These included Ogden Driskill, a member of the Wyoming Senate, representing District 1. 
Also speaking were Cheri E. Steinmetz, the senator from District 3. Other speakers were Pam Gualtieri, Don Taylor, and Kari Drost. Special guest speaker Chip Neiman, who is running to represent the Wyoming House, District 1, made a particularly strong call addressing the moral decline in our society, and the need for God to be involved in the political process.