In my column, Independent Notes, I often write about energy related matters. There’s a simple reason — so much of what we have in Wyoming is related to energy. We develop our infrastructure in our communities, build our schools and basically run much of our government process with the energy related dollars.

This time a change in my column — I’m going to talk about health care. In addition to my committee assignment related to energy I serve on the Labor and Health Committee. A variety of topics come before this committee chaired by my Lincoln County colleague, Senator Fred Baldwin. Because the topics are often controversial, I’ll lean over to Fred and say, “You don’t pay me enough to serve on this committee.” He smiles and gives that look of “get back to work,” and I do. The joke in that statement, it’s a citizen Legislature and payment during session is a less than adequate motel reimbursement. Yet, our decisions and votes affect so many.

This past summer as we opened the interim work of Labor and Health, with a bills addressing the time delay in receiving insurance companies reimbursements for various procedures. As we worked the bill at the first meeting in Casper I, along with great strong willed representative from Fremont county felt like the companies were not meeting their timely obligations. We were rewarded for our push back with an assignment to a subcommittee tasked with bringing a solution back to the main Labor and Health Committee. That meant more trips to Casper. I should have kept my head down, however, we took care of the assignment, but more important we found common ground with all the parties involved, the hospitals, medical society, insurers and more.

That’s what this picture with Independent Notes is all about. It depicts a final solution with several parties as they made their report to the Labor and Health Committee this week. The picture is the view I have as a member of that committee. They all came together to testify that a solution had been reached to expedite the process.  I decided to share the photo with you, because it exemplifies an example of what can be accomplished. This took months of work and multiple “road warrior” trips across the state, but hopefully we see improvement.

Now, back to minerals and energy — the driving energy force of this great state!