In Senate District 9, Seabeck hopes to unseat Rothfuss

Democrat Chris Rothfuss has represented SD-9 since 2010. But Republican Diana Seabeck will challenge him in the general. The candidates disagree on abortion, climate change and Medicaid expansion.

Welcome to the Laramie Reporter’s 2022 Elections newsletter. This newsletter seeks to introduce Albany County and Laramie residents to the candidates who have filed to run and to explore the issues surrounding what promises to be an interesting, impactful local election.

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Wyoming Senate Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss will face challenger Diana Seabeck in the general election.

Rothfuss teaches at the University of Wyoming and has represented Senate District 9 since 2010. He has served as Senate Minority Leader since 2013, serving on several committees. He has generally championed Democratic and progressive causes, as well as blockchain technology development, such as cryptocurrency.

Seabeck has worked as a speech language pathologist and special education case manager with Albany County School District No. 1. She has not previously run for public office but describes her own political stance as “compassionate conservatism.”

Senate District 9

Rothfuss and Seabeck differ greatly in their approaches to the most pressing issues facing Wyoming.

Rothfuss said he would like to diversify Wyoming’s economy away from its current dependence on fossil fuels and said this is part of a larger commitment to take action on climate change.

“With our nimble legislative process, the state of Wyoming has the capacity to be a global leader in addressing climate change,” Rothfuss writes in answer to a questionnaire for the Laramie Reporter. “We should lead. Instead we resist change and stifle innovation. We steadfastly choose to be left behind.”

Seabeck also objects to the overreliance on fossil fuel tax revenue, but doesn’t think Wyoming should consider a state income tax. Nor does she believe the state should take action on climate change.

“Climate is a global phenomenon that fluctuates over time,” she said. “Wyoming should have a mix of fossil fuels and renewables. As markets develop, transmission lines are built and innovations occur, energy production will become cleaner and more efficient.”

One of Rothfuss’ main priorities is Medicaid expansion, which he called “the single most significant and effective option the legislature has available to improve access to affordable healthcare for all.” He noted it would net the state $177 million over the next two years.

The best available research shows that Medicaid expansion “is linked to gains in coverage; improvements in access, financial security, and some measures of health status/outcomes; and economic benefits for states and providers.”

But Seabeck is not convinced Medicaid expansion would be good for Wyoming.

“The state should explore all other ways and means to find solutions for the people needing services and the hospitals paying the bill,” she said.

Seabeck is running on a campaign of education reform. According to a campaign blog post, that includes more money for schools and more local control.

“I believe that taxpayer educational dollars should be spent for improved classroom instruction not for unneeded mandated administrative functions,” she writes. “Schools should be required to maintain high academic standards and social promotion policies are not compatible with this objective.”

Rothfuss, also an educator, supports increased funding for Wyoming schools and colleges, as well as UW.

The state senator has previously sponsored a non-discrimination bill that failed to become law. He said he still believes Wyoming should adopt a non-discrimination statute prohibiting employers from firing workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Seabeck said Wyoming does not need such an additional statute.

Rothfuss said Wyoming should enshrine an individual’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy while Sebeck suggested abortion should be illegal within Wyoming.

Rothfuss and Seabeck answered a series of questions from the Laramie Reporter about their backgrounds, opinions and hopes for the 2022 election.

Laramie Reporter: What should voters know about your background, profession and interest in politics?

Chris Rothfuss: I have served as the Wyoming Senate Minority Leader since 2013 and was first elected in 2010. I chair the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation, and am the ranking member of the Education Committee and the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee. I am a member of the UW Honors College faculty. I earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and a master’s in applied physics from the University of Washington, and a master’s in chemical engineering and a bachelor’s in international studies from the University of Wyoming while competing as a member and captain of the debate team. Heather and I chose Laramie to raise our four wonderful children.

Diana Seabeck: From my early years actually, I have had an interest in laws, rules, constitutions, by-laws — in other words, in all the ways organizations and governments operate to accomplish their stated purposes. My job positions have given me opportunities to facilitate groups of people to come to decisions while operating within laws and regulations, supervise employees, oversee as many as ten active budgets at a given time, help to create cooperation between local agencies, teach classes of parents and teachers, facilitate graduate students in learning to practice their profession, and care for people in the process.

Reporter: If elected, what would be your priorities in office?

Rothfuss: If re-elected, I will:

• Fight for ‘The Equality State’ against discrimination, hatred, and inequity.

• Provide access to affordable healthcare — including mental health — for all.

• Protect and fully fund our exceptional public schools, colleges and university.

• Diversify our economy and revenue structure away from its reliance on fossil fuels.

• Keep public lands in public hands.

• Guarantee a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health.

Seabeck: My interests are how the state can encourage entrepreneurship for local businesses, fostering and enabling small businesses to flourish; to promote solutions to problems of health care, substance abuse and mental health services that are generated from the stakeholders in local towns and counties. I am interested in real measures that will improve student outcomes, ensuring that education dollars are targeted directly for teachers’ salaries and students, increased governmental accountability through a budget simplification and cash-based budgeting; property tax reform.

Reporter: What are the biggest issues facing the Wyoming Legislature today?

Rothfuss: Acrimony and misinformation. The collegiality of the legislature has declined over the past decade as loud, confrontational and often misinformed voices have taken the stage in support of political theater over pragmatic solutions. They have embraced political purity tests and hostile, polarizing rhetoric, rather than thoughtful compromise and meaningful constructive legislation on behalf of the people of the state. We need to get back to work solving problems rather than manufacturing them — real or imagined. We need to spend more time on good legislation and less time on bad social media.

Seabeck: How to care for people in need in our state without depending on the expansion of the federal government’s Medicaid program.

Reporter: What does the Legislature do well? What should it improve upon?

Rothfuss: What we do well … We can respond quickly, often addressing needs within the same year. We have a public process that allows us to listen and communicate directly with stakeholders and the public. We are easily approachable — just a phone call away or a chat at the grocery store. We have incredibly thoughtful constitutional prohibitions against vote trading, legislative pork, and amending outside of the purpose of the bill that stand in stark contrast to the practices of the U.S. Congress. What we can improve … We need more members that will vote for what’s in the best interest of the people, rather than what will get them re-elected. We must improve our ethics and personal conduct rules to better handle conflicts of interest and inappropriate behavior by legislators. We need a legislative system that reflects the diversity of the state.

Seabeck: The Legislature does not do well at oversight. As there is effective oversight, government improves and the taxpayers get the accountability and transparency they deserve for their tax dollars. For example, the departments and agencies of state government do not have to have outside audits of their budgets.

Reporter: What role should the state government play in addressing climate change?

Rothfuss: Wyoming produces over 7 quadrillion btu of energy each year. That’s a lot. We export more than 13 times what we consume, second only to Texas in total exported energy.

With our nimble legislative process, the state of Wyoming has the capacity to be a global leader in addressing climate change. We should lead. Instead we resist change and stifle innovation. We steadfastly choose to be left behind. We should have chosen to lead over a decade ago, but it is not too late for us to play a leading role.

Seabeck: Climate is a global phenomenon that fluctuates over time. Everyone wants to have clean air and water and plentiful energy to maintain our quality of life and to grow prosperity. Wyoming should have a mix of fossil fuels and renewables. As markets develop, transmission lines are built and innovations occur, energy production will become cleaner and more efficient.

Reporter: Does Wyoming need to consider a state income tax or otherwise diversify its revenue?

Rothfuss: Absolutely. Nearly 70% of our state revenue is derived from the mineral extractive industry — primarily coal, oil and natural gas. That is unsustainable. Our current revenue structure will eventually break the state. We must broadly diversify our tax structure at the same time we diversify our economy. We need a comprehensive tax overhaul that fairly, broadly and progressively diversifies taxation across all people and industries that can afford to pay more. At the same time, we must reduce the burden where it is excessive — such as property tax on the homes of our low-income and fixed-income friends, family and neighbors.

Seabeck: In a period when people are experiencing serious inflation and have to make critical decisions about how to spend their money is not the time to tax their personal income. We need to significantly promote small businesses as much if not more than trying to entice large companies to come to the state.

Reporter: Should Wyoming expand Medicaid?

Rothfuss: Medicaid expansion is the single most significant and effective option the legislature has available to improve access to affordable healthcare for all. MedEx would provide $177 million in federal funds to the state over the next biennium, while actually reducing the overall state budget by $32 million — we would save money. These additional federal funds would provide direct access to primary care for our most vulnerable Wyomingites, while reducing the uncompensated financial burdens on our hospitals and emergency rooms. I will continue my leadership role in supporting additional funding for public health, resources for mental health and suicide prevention, stronger requirements for cost transparency and uniformity, and full reproductive healthcare rights and access.

Seabeck: Wyoming uses federal Medicaid funding now and it is unclear if Wyoming takes advantage of all the waivers possible. It’s a system with many problems for providers and enrollees. People who are on Medicaid generally do not receive the quality of services and choice of providers as those who have private insurance. Wyoming has current day problems with Medicare reimbursement. The state receives only 55% reimbursement for Medicaid services. Expanding it will grow the numbers of people who are not getting the services they need. It won’t improve access. As money becomes tight in the future, expansion may actually hurt services to the most disabled and the medically underserved. The state should explore all other ways and means to find solutions for the people needing services and the hospitals paying the bill.

Reporter: What role should the state government play in addressing the housing shortage seen in Laramie and other communities?

Rothfuss: First, the State Legislature needs to get out of the way. Our cities, towns and counties have sound ideas and local expertise, but the State Legislature will not relinquish authority — we should. Let’s free Laramie and Albany County to find local solutions. Second, our state can and should provide additional tools to communities to address their housing needs. We can facilitate investment of state and private resources in housing development through bonding, trust funds, state loans or other instruments that would simultaneously solve local housing needs and provide a return on local investment.

Seabeck: The state should encourage each local county and municipal government to form a task force including builders, developers, landowners, government and residents to analyze their own particular housing shortage situation. These stakeholders should identify their challenges, including local building code barriers, and determine what it would take to start to build, including what state and local monetary incentives/assistance to help there might be, if any. Then devise a local action plan to begin a solution.

*Reporter: If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, how should Wyoming’s state law change, if at all?

Rothfuss: As a Wyomingite, I strongly believe in individual freedom. The SCOTUS decision to repeal Roe v. Wade is the culmination of decades of work to undermine women’s rights, freedom and personal autonomy. There is no bigger government than a government that can force a woman to carry a child against her will. This ideological decision is a tragedy that will result in untold suffering. The Wyoming Legislature must recognize every person's right to decide if and when to have a child, repeal all prohibitions against reproductive freedom and constitutionally protect each individual’s right to personal bodily privacy and autonomy. Rather than attempting to eliminate abortion through the subjugation of women, the legislature should instead reduce the rate of abortion by supporting family planning and comprehensive care for mothers and infants.

Seabeck: Now that Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortions have not become illegal or unobtainable. The decision gave the decision back to the states where it belonged. Now the states have the right to protect all persons regardless of their state of dependency and Wyoming has done that. Infants, children, some elderly, persons with some types of disabilities are all dependent and it does not negate their status as a person under the law. Some states will no doubt allow the abortion of babies up to live birth. Abortion became illegal in Wyoming when HB0092 was passed by the full legislature in 2022; therefore, Wyoming has legislated that the dependency state of a fetus in the womb does not negate its personhood.

Reporter: Should Wyoming pass a non-discrimination statute, prohibiting employers from firing employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity?

Rothfuss: Absolutely. In 2015, I sponsored bipartisan legislation to protect the people from workplace discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity — it passed the Senate 24-6 before narrowly failing in the House. Workplace equality is essential for a strong Wyoming economy. We know that top companies avoid states that are unwilling to fully protect their employees and their family members from hatred and discrimination. Our failure to pass a non-discrimination statute continues to hold back Wyoming efforts for economic diversification. We can do better.

Seabeck: Wyoming has non-discrimination written into the constitution. Any breach of these sections should be prosecuted under the law. Wyoming Constitution:

• Sec. 2. Equality of all. In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal.

• Sec. 3. Equal political rights. Since equality in the enjoyment of natural and civil rights is only made sure through political equality, the laws of this state affecting the political rights and privileges of its citizens shall be without distinction of race, color, sex, or any circumstance or condition whatsoever other than individual incompetency, or unworthiness duly ascertained by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Reporter: If elected, what is one bill you would like to write, sponsor or introduce?

Rothfuss: Medicaid expansion, reproductive health rights, non-discrimination, Pre-K for all, access to public lands, open primaries, tax reform, environmental protection … There are so many. One bill will certainly not be sufficient. But one general interest that I would like to finally see addressed: the Wyoming Constitution has no guaranteed right to privacy. It should. I will (once again) bring legislation that would amend Article I of the Wyoming Constitution to provide that: ‘The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest.’

Seabeck: Some areas stand out for needed reform. The budget, property tax reform, election law reform, criminal laws and sentencing reform, and solutions to the scarcity of mental health and substance abuse services.

Reporter: Finally, why should the residents of Albany County vote for you?

Rothfuss: I listen. I work hard. I compromise and build consensus. I have been a highly effective and respected legislator for more than a decade. Experience and personal relationships matter in the Wyoming Legislature. I have them. And a strong minority voice is essential for a healthy democracy. It has been an honor to represent this community in the Wyoming Legislature. If re-elected, I will continue to be a strong and vocal advocate for the interests of Laramie, Albany County, and all of the citizens of Wyoming. I will continue to always put people first.

Seabeck: The U.S. and Wyoming Constitution supply the framework for me to recognize if new laws are needed or there is a need to abolish old ones. I will be a responsive legislator who reports back to the constituents. I will promote the actions of local residents to find solutions to local problems. I’ll seek out the needs, opinions, and the viewpoints of people in Albany County. I’ll research the issues and seek out expert opinions, as well as the opinions of constituents. I will search out the pros and cons to proposed legislation as well as look for any unintended consequences that may impact people in their lives or work.

*Candidates were asked about Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it in June, but Wyoming residents knew that ruling was coming. The court’s decision triggered a new state law banning most abortions within Wyoming’s borders. After Rothfuss and Seabeck submitted their answers, a Teton County District Court judge blocked the trigger law’s implementation in late July. The fate of the lawsuit, the legality of the trigger ban, and the future of abortion in Wyoming are still undecided.