Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

GILLETTE - A proposed bill would give local political parties the power to fill vacant seats in county elected offices.

House Bill 121, sponsored by Scott Clem, R-Gillette, would amend state statute to essentially cut the commissioners out of the process of filling vacancies on the County Commission.

The bill, which has been introduced, also has the support of six other legislators, including local Republicans Roy Edwards and Timothy Hallinan.

Commissioner Mark Christensen said the statute is "genius" and "already works fairly well."

"Gillette is the perfect example. The party and the large...