Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 17

star Wyoming Bl Thursday, Jan. 3, 1985 Star-Tribune, Casper, Wyo. Board delays property assessment increase Members voted 2-1 to postpone rule until March 1 to give Legislature time to act tion resolution also called for the "restoration of accountable and credible actions and decisions by the state Board of Equalization in carrying out the mandates of their positions as provided by Wyoming law." Last month Lummis, who has advised Gov. Ed Herschler he will not accept a reappointment this year, blasted the Joint Revenue Committee and the Legislature for failing to act on property tax reform in the 1984 budget session. The joint committee, headed by Rep.

Ron Micheli, R-Uinta, will re-introduce the package when the Legislature convenes Jan. 8. One of the bills calls for a two-year moratorium on property valuations until the statewide property reappraisal is completed in 1987. The Wyoming County Assessors' Association adopted a resolution calling on the Legislature to declare a two-year moratorium on property assessments until the statewide property reappraisal is completed. The association's resolution said a substantial tax increase went into effect in a majority of Wyoming counties in 1984 as a result of the board's directive mandating an assessment ratio of 8 percent of market value on non-agricultural lands.

School districts in five Wyoming counties which did not comply with the 8 percent directive lost a total of $490,223 in state public school aid last year. Those counties were Laramie, Carbon, Sublette, Teton and Weston. The county assessors' associa By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune staff writer CHEYENNE The Wyoming Board of Equalization voted 2-1 Wednesday to delay until March 1 its rule requiring all property except minerals to be assessed at 10 percent of current market value. Board member Doran Lummis, who made the motion, said the March 1 date will give the 1985 Legislature time to act. Normally property valuations are set Feb.

1 for the tax year. Lummis said his position was consistent with the 1981 legislative sunset audit of the ad valorem tax division of the Wyoming Revenue Department. The audit said inaction by the Board of Equalization had eroded the state's tax base and recom- act. After the vote, Anselmi said adoption of the motion was a "slap in the face" to him. Anselmi also predicted the Attorney General's office will rule the board cannot adopt a percentage factor for the future.

But Hakala said the board must insist upon fair and equal valuation. Poor people, he said, are paying more property taxes than the rich. The board also voted to appoint an ad hoc committee to work on its proposed controversial rules to change the method of valuing minerals. The board's proposed 10 percent factor and the mineral valuation rules were almost uniformly opposed during public hearings Dec. 20-21.

mended the board establish a system of determining assessments that will not be crippled by inflation and will provide for the fair assessment of property. "Since inaction and inflation caused our present problems, then the system we recommend which is based on current market value, updated yearly, will answer the legislative mandate," Lummis said, reading from a prepared statement. He added that the board also must be guided by the Wyoming Constitution, which requires uniform and equal property assessments. Board member R. A.

Hakala voted with Lummis but board Chairman Rudy Anselmi opposed setting any percentage factor until the 1985 Legislature has time to State lawmakers favor raising drinking age But they oppose raising speed limits AT) Lr ,4 yry: Imi mm 1 rfn llf i ii Sin i i in I. Turn hit rl AP Legal paperwork '1 Border to Border Cheyenne boy killed in accidental shooting CHEYENNE (AP) A 9-year-old Cheyenne youth was "accidentally shot" and killed on New Year's Eve by a 14-year-old youth, according to Cheyenne Police Sgt. Rick Hefferman. The victim was identified as Shawn Sisseck. Police said Sisseck was at the home of the older boy, whose name was not released, planning to attend a skating party.

The older boy's father left the home to get money for the party and the boy began showing Sisseck his father's firearm and it accidentally went off, the police said. Paramedic Michael Harris said Tuesday the Sisseck youth was taken to DePaul Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest and he was pronounced dead on arrival. Cody students raise $3,417 for Overy CODY (AP)-Cody High School students raised $3,417 for an injured Rock Springs High School football player during an 85-hour radio marathon which ended at midnight Sunday. The students raised the money for Nathan Overy, 17. Overy collapsed on the field during a football practice in September, remained in a coma for four weeks and is now undergoing physical therapy.

This is the ninth year Cody students have staged a fund-raising marathon at the educational FM station KYDZ. Last year, the marathon raised $3,200 for a Cody boy accidentally shot in the throat. Worland man makes first court appearance WORLAND A 33-year-old Worland man made his initial court appearance Monday on a vehicular homicide charge stemming from a pre-Christmas highway accident that claimed the life of a Lovell man and his two children. Bruce Dangel appeared before Justice of the Peace John Worrall on three counts of vehicular homicide, a high misdemeanor charge, and was then released from jail on $2,500 bond. Authorities say Dangel was driving a water truck that went through a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck near Worland on Dec.

22. The collision killed Timothy Thomas, 28, and his two children and injured his wife. A blood alcohol test given to Dangel showed no sign of alcohol in his bloodstream, said Washakie County Attorney Larry Berryman. And the Highway Patrol report showed that roads were dry when the collision occurred at 12:30 p.m. Berryman said each count carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

State board eyes plan to certify new teachers CHEYENNE (AP) The Wyoming Board of Education will consider a new plan for certifying future teachers in the state when it meets Jan. 10-11. The Wyoming Professional Standards Board is recommending that the state revise its standards and adopt a plan used in most other states. That plan calls for certifying a teacher or administrator if he graduated from an accredited teacher training program approved by the state board. Currently, the Education Department analyzes a teacher's transcript and each specific credit earned, "The advantage of the program approval is that the state could have a genuine impact on teacher training," said Audrey Cotherman, deputy superintendent of public instruction.

"We could emphasize quality rather than quantity, and comprehensive, total programs rather than an assortment of classes." With the opening of the Legislature less than a week away, legislators have inundated the state Legislative Service Office with their proposals. Records clerk Betty Lee has been busy collating the hundreds of bills to be considered during the 40-day session this year. Schmidt proposes lottery Game would turn $12 million profit ROCK SPRINGS (AP) A state lottery could turn a $12 million to $15 million profit for Wyoming, according to a state senator who plans to sponsor a bill to create the lottery. Dick Schmidt, D-Sweetwater, just elected to his first term in the Senate after serving two years in the House, said similar legislation has been introduced in the House in the past but has never cleared the Revenue Committee, "I'd like to try it this time from the Senate side," he said. Schmidt mailed his 22-page bill to the Legislative Service Office over the weekend.

He studied California's lottery in preparing his legif lation. Under his proposal, the lottery would be run by a new state commission. The five-member commission appointed by the governor would meet at least every month. Its members would serve five-year terms with no more than three members of any political party on the commission at one time. Schmidt's proposal says at least one commission member would have to have a minimum of five years experience in law enforcement.

Fifteen percent of the operation's profits would go to drug and alcohol abuse programs, 20 percent to recreation programs, 15 percent for social services, 20 percent to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and 30 percent to new building projects. State expenses in staging the lottery would be limited to 16 percent of the lottery's gross revenues. A director and two assistant directors would handle actual operations of the lottery. The director would be paid not more than 95 percent of the governor's salary, which is currently $70,000 per year. The legislation provides for an independent audit of lottery security.

Feds loan $977,000 for water systems CASPER Community Facility loans and Water and Waste Disposal loans and grants approved in Wyoming by the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) totaled $977,000 during fiscal year 1984, according to Michael F. Ormsby, FmHA State Director. The loans and grants were approved for the towns of Cowley and Kaycee to expand their water systems. Interest rates change quarterly with the current rate set at 7.5 percent or 10 percent, dependent upon the medium household income for the area. Community Programs are administered by FmHA District Offices located in Riverton, Wheatland or Worland.

Man injured in blast may sue pipeline firm CHEYENNE (AP) -Lawmakers headed for the 1985 Wyoming legislative session are inclined to raise the drinking age to 21, but they're not ready to raise the speed limits, according to an Associated Press survey. In both cases, legislators cited the "blackmail" of threatened loss of federal highway money as the reason for their positions, although safety was a reason for raising the drinking age. About $180 million over the next two fiscal years are at stake on the speed limit question, which has been a perennial topic of debate. But a recent federal commission indicated increasing the limit from the federally mandated 55 mph might be considered on rural highways. A bill has been prefiled for the session that would raise limits to 75 mph on four-lane interstates and 65 on other highways in Wyoming.

Surveys were mailed to all 64 House members and 30 Senate members in December covering a range of issues, including the drinking and speed limit questions. In the House, 26 Republicans and 11 Democrats completed the survey, 56 percent. In the Senate, nine Republicans and five Democrats responded, 47 percent. Only 11 freshmen responded. All but a handful of legislators sent in their questionnaires anonymously.

Among the senators responding, six said they would support legislation raising the speed limit and eight were opposed. But some supporters indicated they wanted assurances President Reagan wouldn't exercise the threat of withholding money. Only one Democrat indicated support. Among the House members, 15 said they would support speed limit legislation, 17 said they would oppose it, and two said "maybe." Again, support was weakest among the Democrats. The most popular change would be that of the prefiled bill, which is sponsored by a Democrat, Sen.

Jack Pugh of Green River, but some lawmakers favor a flat speed limit of 60 mph, 65 mph or 70 mph. A common response by opponents was that of Rep. Sheila Arnold, D-Albany: "I would like to see the speed limit returned to SHEILA ARNOLD Wants highway funds 4 Smw (I I.i'i"t- Ti- ANN STRAND Says seat bill will pass the original formula, 75 mph on interstates for instance, but cannot in good conscience support it when it will mean a loss in highway funds." Rep. Patti MacMillan, R-Albany, said it was a subject for federal debate and change. "Time and money are in short supply this session for additional unproductive debate.

I encourage our congressional delegation to provide us relief." Wyoming lowered its drinking age to 19 in the 1970s, and previous attempts to raise it have made little legislative headway. But this year might be different. House members answered the survey 21-12 in favor of supporting legislation to raise the drinking age to 21. Among senators, the responses were 9-4 in favor. Others said they were undecided.

Many of the supporters echoed the sentiments of one Senate Democrat: "I will probably have to but resent Washington blackmail." And opponents said they might relent in the face of funds loss. But Republican Rep. Craig Thomas of Natrona County said, "No one is going to really give up highway funds." Seven legislators said the age should be raised to reduce drunk driving and save lives on the highway. Five said if the drinking age were raised, so should the age of "majority" in Wyoming. One opponent said it "does not address the real problem of drunk driving and related deaths." Another question relating to highway safety was on child passenger restraint seats, which got unanimous support among Democrats.

"This will pass," wrote Rep. Ann Strand, D-Sweetwater. "Wyoming will not want to remain the lone state without this legislation." In the House, 14 Republicans were for legislation requiring the seats and seven were against. Five were undecided. All 1 1 Democratic representatives were in support.

In the Senate, the five Democrats supported such a measure, along with five Republicans, but four Republicans also were opposed. Some of the Republican House members made support contingent on proper exemptions and penalties. for compensating subcontractor employees injured or killed while working on Phillips' oil or natural gas pipelines. Lusty said no Phillips' employees were at the site of the explosion when it occurred. He said the company is investigating the accident and that it has not been determined who ordered pipeline workers to sever the pipeline.

Lusty said Buck Yerbe, a subcontracting pipeline inspector with Onshore Quality Control of Austin, was at the explosion site when the accident happened. Jung, who is recovering in Converse County Hospital from spine and hip injuries he suffered in the accident, charged that the explosion was the fault of the Phillips Petroleum Co. Jung said he and eight other Northwind pipeline workers were improperly ordered to cut into the gas pipeline, causing it to explode. "Phillips had us cut into a pipeline that was supposed to be blown down, and there was about one thousand pounds of natural gas left in it," Jung said. "I want to make it clear the accident was not the contractor's fault." Jung said Phillips' officials had assured pipeline workers prior to the accident that the line had been cleared of natural gas.

Don Owsley, spokesman for the Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Commission, said the commission's in-field investigation into the accident will be concluded by Friday. He said the in-office investigation could continue for some time. By JIM NEWSOM Star-Tribune correspondent DOUGLAS A Casper man injured in a Dec. 28 natural gas pipeline explosion near here may sue Phillips Petroleum Co. for compensation, the victims' attorney said Wednesday.

Phillips Petroleum Co. operates the Converse County natural gas pipeline involved in the explosion which killed one person and injured two others. The pipeline is located in the natural gas field, about 25 miles northeast of Douglas. Claude Roy Meek, a part-time employee with Northwinds of Wyoming, a Douglas-based Phillips' subcontractor, was killed in the accident. Lance Jung and Donnie Ford, also employees of Northwinds of Wyoming, were injured in the explosion.

Douglas McLaughin, a Douglas attorney, confirmed Wednesday that Jung has retained him for legal representation concerning the accident. He said several factors will determine whether injury compensation litigation will be filed. "It depends upon a lot of things, such as the posture Phillips takes towards Mr. Jung's injuries," McLaughin said. McLaughin said he was just retained Wednesday morning to represent Jung and has been able to conduct only a brief investigation into the accident.

Ray Lusty, a public affairs spokesman for Phillips in Denver, said Wednesday the Oklahoma-based oil company has no policy.