Steinmetz readies for Senate

Bri Brasher
NLJ reporter
 
Sen.-elect Cheri Steinmetz has represented our neighbors in Goshen County in the Wyoming House of Representatives since 2014. This term, Steinmetz will increase her reach in Wyoming after winning the seat for Senate Dist. 3 to also serve Weston and Niobrara counties.  
“I am thankful for the overwhelming victory in Goshen, Niobrara, and Weston counties,” Steinmetz says on her website. “I am humbled and honored by the support from my friends and neighbors. I look foreword (sic) to serving them in the state senate.”
Steinmetz answered several questions for the News Letter Journal about her upcoming role in the Senate, starting with her past work in the House. In her position as the Goshen County representative, Steinmetz said, she served on the Agriculture, State, and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee, and she served as vice chairman of the Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee. Additionally, Steinmetz’s fellow legislators elected her to serve as the Republican House caucus treasurer. 
Managing finances and a busy schedule seems to be nothing new for Steinmetz. She and her husband, Corey, own and operate Ameritas Financial Services, which according to Steinmetz, specializes in insurance, risk management and investments. They also own Home on the Range — a ladies boutique in Torrington — and they still own a few cattle. Steinmetz’s interest in the well-being of Wyoming and its people runs deep, as do her family roots. 
“I am a fourth-generation Wyomingite, raised on the family farm north of Lingle, where I learned the value of hard work, integrity, honesty, independence and responsibility. My husband, Corey, and I intentionally raised our family and built our business in Goshen County among our family, friends and neighbors,” Steinmetz said. 
According to Steinmetz, she will continue to serve on the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee in the Senate, but she will also work in a new capacity with the Transportation Highways and Military Affairs Committee. She said she will receive other committee assignments when the legislative session convenes in January. Steinmetz explained that in the 2019 general session, she will propose two bills dealing with elections – one of which addresses a process to handle election disputes and election integrity and one of which is designed to help counties afford election equipment due to outdated equipment and looming costs to update. Another bill creates an endowment fund for the Cowboy Challenge program administered for at-risk-youth at the National Guard Camp in Guernsey. Steinmetz said the bill was presented to and sponsored by the Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee. Her work does not stop there. 
“I am proposing a bill to create an endowment fund for our local county fairs, which mirrors the State Fair endowment bill we passed last session,” said Steinmetz. “It is my hope this bill will allow for generous support and increased enthusiasm for our county fairs while offsetting costs.”
Last, Steinmetz is working on a bill to lower the blood alcohol content for motor boats from 0.10 to 0.08 to match the limits of operating a motor vehicle. Steinmetz provided her email and phone number to encourage input: cheri.steinmetz@wyoleg.gov and 307-534-5342. 
Steinmetz juggles work as a senator-elect, a businesswoman, a wife, a mother and a grandmother. When asked what keeps the fire going, especially when juggling such a busy schedule, Steinmetz said her motivation lies with her family. 
“I do this job for your children and mine and especially for our grandchildren. I want them to have the same opportunities and responsibilities as we received from those who came before us. I want Wyoming to remain a place we are proud to call home,” Steinmetz said. “It is my goal for our state to be the most family-friendly, business-friendly and free-est state in terms of individual liberty in the nation. I believe in you and your right to establish your own destiny.”
Continuing to learn and grow herself, Steinmetz recently attended the 19th annual Western Legislative Academy, a program of The Council of State Governments West in Colorado Springs, Colorado. According to its press release, CSG West is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and the WLA is an annual training program for leaders in their first four years of cumulative services. The press release states that “admission to the WLA is very competitive with just 36 participants completing the academy as part of the 2018 class. Out of 99 received applications for this year’s class, Senator Elect Cheri Steinmetz was selected to attend representing Wyoming.” 
The release also explained that participants are selected for the training program based on their dedication and commitment to serve, as well as their desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness. Steinmetz is quoted in the release as saying, “The training I received at the WLA has not only made me a better Legislator, it has made me a better person as well. The WLA has equipped me to better serve my constituents in Goshen, Niobrara and Weston Counties and the citizens of the State of Wyoming.”
While her work is far from done, Steinmetz can close the election chapter of her legislative journey, at least for the time being. Steinmetz reflected on the campaign experience. 
“The campaign was another wonderful experience meeting new friends and reconnecting with others. I remain thankful to my constituency, who delivered a decisive win in both the  primary and general elections, with our campaign receiving the most votes and the greatest margin of victory of any Republican Senate candidate in the entire state,” said Steinmetz. “Though campaigns and the job of governing can be contentious at times, I will always hold myself to the standard of civil discourse and respect for all people even when we disagree.”