Unlikely leader represents House District 22 well

Written by Meg Lanker

Thursday, 26 February 2009 18:22

Last election, I organized for Gary Trauner’s campaign. He ran for the U.S. House seat left thankfully vacant by Barbara Cubin. I worked non-stop, coordinating campaign events, finding volunteers to make calls every night, etc. Side effects of this job: I found out I could outwork the other guy and still lose. I was also amazed by the sheer amount of energy required to run for office. Even the most qualified candidates can be blunted by bone-soaking exhaustion.

I felt that exhaustion after Trauner lost the election. But instead of it distancing me from the political arena, losing sharply honed my will to be involved in politics. I kept my eyes open for the next opportunity. Andrew Simons, who worked on the Trauner race in Teton County, told me about an unbelievably close state House race—the Democratic candidate, Jim Roscoe, won in the general election by a mere four votes—2,991 to 2,887. But due to 11 voter registration errors in House District 22, the State Canvassing Board ordered on Nov. 12 that a new election had to be held in Alpine Nov. 25. Andrew was now managing Jim Roscoe’s special election campaign. I immediately drove eight hours to Jackson and volunteered for now Rep. Jim Roscoe D-Wilson. Side effect of the special election: Not only did Jim Roscoe win, he proved that an everyday person can win.

Many Wyoming districts have a history of sending the same politician back every election cycle. Side effects: Districts can wind up electing a politician to warm a seat and people thinking of running are intimidated by trying to unseat the incumbent. Jim is the antithesis of a career politician. He has never held public office of any kind until now. He is plain-spoken and hard-working, beginning his own general contracting firm in the early nineties. When I asked Jim later about why he chose to run, he said, “I felt as though I truly have the same goals and values of this diverse district and could represent it.” Side effect of Jim Roscoe representing HD 22: He balances keeping constituents happy in heavily Republican Sublette and Lincoln counties and strongly Democratic Teton County.

One issue surrounding Jim’s district was whether or not to impose an ad valorem tax on helium in Sublette County—essentially, whether or not to tax helium in the same manner as other minerals. Exxon Mobile sent lobbyists to vigorously oppose House Bill 287, which proposes the helium tax. Jim is co-sponsoring the bill, along with several other legislators. It’s not surprising they oppose it, considering Exxon Mobile is the only company producing helium in Sublette County—25 percent of the world’s helium market at its Shute Creek facility. Currently, Exxon doesn’t pay ad valorem taxes on the helium it produces from federal land, but the bill plugs the loophole. Side effect of the bill: Wyoming gets a $2 million chunk of a mineral tax that is not dependent on the coal-bed methane industry.

Jim fought hard for the bill, as 20 percent of that $2 million goes to energy industry dependent Sublette County—a county that saw employment slow significantly in 2008. According to the FDIC’s Regional Economic Conditions report, employment growth in Sublette County was 14.1 percent in 2006, 18.9 percent in 2007, but was only 5.2 percent in 2008. Employment growth in Sublette County is slowing and unemployment rose in 2008 for the first time since 2003. Jim is concerned about the people of Sublette County getting a fair deal, as they should.

On Feb. 9, Jim told the Casper-Star Tribune that he thought he’d waited too long on getting in two bills, but one, the helium tax bill, might move through the House. Wednesday, the bill went back to the House with a minor amendment and the House did not concur. Jim’s next challenge is to work with the co-sponsors of the bill to see the amended version pass in the House. Side effect: This beneficial bill may now die due to possible House and Senate squabbling over trivial details.

HD 22 is now seeing Jim, who felt “lost and bewildered” on his first day in the legislature, co-sponsoring and working to pass legislation that only benefits his district, but the entire state of Wyoming. When I volunteered with his campaign, I didn’t knock on any doors during the canvasses in Alpine because Jim wanted to talk to each voter himself. After one canvass, Jim and Andrew wrestled with flashlights, wires and signs, hanging them up on an extremely windy night. Jim got back in the car, and said, “Boy, are you guys tired? I sure am tired.” Walking an entire precinct is draining, so it’s no wonder Jim was worn out. What strikes me most about Jim is he never had any intention of running for office, but saw it as “a new road to try.” Side effect of Jim trying a new road: House District 22 has strong, common sense representation from a leader coming into his own.

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