‘Rural voice is disappearing’: Wyoming House Speaker Urges Hard Look at Constitution and Redistricting

Wyoming House Speaker Chip Neiman says the state needs to confront a basic question: are lawmakers actually following the Wyoming Constitution when it comes to representation? And if not, he argues, they should change it in the open — not ignore it, Gillette News Record  reports.

Speaking at a reapportionment subcommittee meeting in Newcastle on Sept. 25, Neiman (R-Hulett) warned that the political influence of rural communities is fading as population centers grow. He pointed to constituent complaints that some counties — including Weston — don’t have their own senator or representative, despite what many residents read in the state charter.

“When we swore to uphold that constitution, we have a responsibility,” Neiman said. “If we can’t abide by it, then we need to change it so that we can.”

What kicked this off

• The Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee created the subcommittee on May 8 in Lander, announced the Newcastle session on Aug. 15 in Casper, and tasked it with gathering input on constitutional apportionment, the history and principles of redistricting, and community proposals.
• At the Newcastle meeting, Weston County residents brought forward several reapportionment ideas for the panel to consider.

Neiman said rural voters shoulder huge property tax burdens but risk being outvoted by a single city because of population concentration—he cited data suggesting it can take the combined population of 11 rural counties to match Gillette.

“We are speedily moving toward a rural representation that is quickly disappearing,” he said.

He likened the desired balance to the US Senate, where smaller states retain leverage regardless of population. Neiman didn’t unveil a specific map but floated two big moves:

1. Amending the Wyoming Constitution to better protect rural representation.
2. Challenging federal redistricting requirements if they’re undermining fair governance in Wyoming.

Subcommittee chair Sen. Cale Case (R-Lander) cautioned that any plan boosting rural clout will likely be seen by Cheyenne, Casper, or Gillette voters as diluting their “one person, one vote” weight — and could invite a lawsuit.

He also noted a political reality: lawmakers can propose constitutional amendments, but voters ratify them.

“If big-city voters won’t ratify, we’re right back where we started,” Case said, questioning whether a constitutional change could actually pass.

The subcommittee will spend the next few weeks gathering material, may hold a follow-up Zoom, and aims to report back to the Corporations Committee by mid-October. Recommendations are still TBD.

Neiman, who represents northern Crook and Weston counties, said his duty is to carry the message he’s hearing back home — even if it’s contentious.

“These folks love this country and they love our constitution,” he said. “We have a responsibility to do something about this, and we can’t just hope it will go away.”