Steenbergen: Legislature Didn’t Deal With Problems

Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen says the 2015 Wyoming Legislature didn't do a very good job of tackling the issues facing Wyoming.

He says a prime example is Medicaid expansion. Lawmakers voted down expanding the program to cover 17,600 state residents who currently don't have health insurance, leaving state hospitals facing the continuing problem of uncompensated heath care costs.

"If you don't like Medicaid expansion fine, come up with your own solution" Steenbergen says. He says instead the legislature seemed to take the attitude that if a problem is ignored it will eventually go away.

Now, he says, the legislature will still have to deal with the problem in 2016. He says that while he doesn't like the Affordable Care Act, the fact is it's the law. Now he says Wyoming will continue to pay taxes that won't benefit the state.

He says on quite a few big issues legislators either made no real attempt to solve problems or else weren't able come up with an answer because the two houses of the legislature wouldn't compromise on a solution.