By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – Wyoming lawmakers are looking at increasing the minimum sentence for someone convicted of first degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Representative Lori Millen of Cheyenne wants to set the minimum sentence at 15 years. "These are our children," she says, "I believe that those who prey on our defenseless children should feel the full measure of the law."

By Addie Goss & Peter O'Dowd

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – A legislative committee is hearing from a hoard of people on a proposed statewide smoking ban in public places. Health professionals and cancer survivors are among the supporters who say people need to be protected from second-hand smoke.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – A Laramie Representative is frustrated with a bill that makes it a felony for those who forge drug prescriptions.

The bill's sponsor, Speaker of the House Colin Simpson, says the new law may act as a deterrent to prescription drug abuse. But Democrat Cathy Connolly says a felony charge would be heavy-handed: "I would say that we should acknowledge that there is a drug problem. The way to do that is to arrest people for misdemeanors and give them an opportunity to get help."

Cheyenne, Wy – A Senate committee has voted down a bill that would have expanded the definition of a victim in homicide cases and other crimes to include "unborn children."
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-to-2 to reject Senate File
97, titled the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act."
The bill would have allowed prosecutors to count "unborn
children" as victims when prosecuting violent crimes against
pregnant women.
Abortion rights activists opposed the bill, saying it was aimed
at undermining abortion rights.

By Bob Beck

By Bob Beck

By Bob Beck

By AP

Rawlins, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management has authorized the establishment of four special offices to expedite and accelerate the development of renewable energy resources on
public land. One of those offices is to be located in Wyoming.

The other offices are planned for Arizona, Nevada and California.

Outgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a statement last week that the primary job of the four new renewables offices is "to expedite development of wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources on public lands."

By AP

Cheyenne, Wyo. – The Wyoming House of Representatives has given preliminary approval to a bill that would make forgery of a drug prescription a felony.

House Speaker Colin Simpson is sponsoring the bill. The Cody Republican says he's heard from police that 10 people died from abuse of prescription drugs in three months last year.

Simpson says passing it would allow law enforcement agencies to charge people who forge prescriptions at an appropriate level.