Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 1

nr r. 4 SCAN WITH I lONfFOft I soul L. SMARWONf CY '3457 (VALUE 65.32) 1 TOO Wednesday, January 9, 2013 ASPERF Mbime Womin's News Source Founded in 1891 $-75 IT 9 1 We need to disagree a House speaker calls for lively, civil debate ronmental and international forces." Lubnau said coal production is down 9 percent from 2011, meaning a $135 million loss in revenue for the state. He saidbe willlookfor ways to get Wyoming coal to international markets and bring back energy dollars that the country has been sending overseas. A gain in coal revenue will be a Please see HOUSE, A2 By KYLE ROERINK Star-Tribune staff writer CHEYENNE State Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau shed a tear Tuesday as he gave his first speech as the chamber's new leader.

The Gillette Republican told his son he will have to find a new math partner for the next eight weeks. "But I am available by phone if you got problems," Lubnau said. After thanking his friends and family, Lubnau vowed that no tax dollar wiU be wasted in the 62nd leg -islative session. "Our primary tax-paying mineral industries are not as robust as they once were," he said. "Our coal industry is under stress from envi OUKREENAND YELLOW FRIENDS DITCH THE CALORIES, KEEP THE ENJOY, CI Watch live video of Gov.

Matt Mead's State of the State message to the Wyoming Legislature beginning at 10 a.m. today. Mead will be followed by Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kite's State of the Judiciary message. Go to the state of Wyoming home page at Wyoming, gov, where the link will be prominently displayed. Follow Star-Tribune Twitter coverage at wyleg.

Senate president warns against lies, fringe parties Jackson stands behind rodeo prayer A 11; auMKasinw-nmc State Senate Majority Leader Dl Bebout, left, preswrts Senate ftwWwtt Tony Rou wtth a mbtUtm pvel Tuesday durtrrg tte first day Bf the 62nd Wyoming Legislature at the state Capitol In Cbeywm. ByMEAOGRUVEB The Associated Press Concerns raised by the American Civil Liberties Union aren't budging Jackson officials to do away with a publfcjjrayer said over a loudspeaker before the town's summertime rodeo. Mayor Mark Barron said the council doesn't plan further changes after the town took steps last month to make the prayer nonsec-tarian. The town council didn't take up the prayer at its meeting Monday. "I'm not ready to take up a battle with the ACLU.

I'm just trying to run a little western rodeo," Barron said. An ACLU attorney, Jennifer Horvath, said Tuesday she hoped the council would reconsider. She stopped short of threatening to sue, though. We'll see what happens at this year's rodeo," Horvath said by email. The ACLU wrote to town officials in December, saying some rodeo attendees felt pressured to participate in the prayer, which mentioned the Bible and Jesus Christ.

The ACLU claimed violation of separation of church and state. "The federal courts have repeatedly held that officially sponsored prayers and religious exercise is the letter read. The town last month revised its contract with the rodeo organizer to include a new, nonsectarian prayer to be said at the rodeo. The prayer doesn't make Christian references and is addressed to not "God." The minor changes are Please see PftAYEK, A2 campaigns that are so ugly, filled with such viciousness, anger and lies and some of you were the recipients of those tactics," Ross said. He deplored the emergence of fringe parties with extreme agendas that have an attack-only "And of course the litmus test of purity," he added.

These fringe parties cannot be allowed to determine the fate of the state, he said. Ross did not identify the groups making the attacks. Please see SENATE, A2 By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE Members of the Wyoming Senate organized themselves Tuesday and received some somber advice from their new president. The "national vitriol of poli ties'' has filtered down to Wyoming, said Senate President Tony Ross, a Cheyenne attorney. Ross said he has been in politics since the late 1970s, when he was the Senate's attorney.

"Unfortunately I have seen in the year 2012 something I've never seen in Wyoming politics before, Lummis chairs House subcommittee lieves the jury is still out on climate change. She said Tuesday that she's excited to lead the committee and find answers to that and other ques -tions. "This subcommittee's focus oh the science of energy development and use is a perfect fit," she said in a Please see LUMMIS, A2 the environment are jurisdiction and oversight of energy research, development and demonstration projects. The committee also oversees a litany of hot topics such as environmental standards, alternative fuels and climate change and has the power to investigate each. Lummis, a Republican, said at a November debate that she be By ADAM VOCE Star-Tribune energy reporter Wyoming Rep.

Cynthia Lummis will chair the U.S. House of Representatives' Science Subcommittee on Energy. Among the many responsibilities of the committee split from a previous subcommittee on energy and I Ml I Index Weather High: 47" The Grouch She has a great opportunity now to call in that jury. Advisers C3 tetters A8 Public record A6 Casper Markets Puzzles C8 Classifieds C6-12' Movies C3 Sports Comics B3-4 Weather B6 Enjoy! CI Opinion A7 Wyoming A3 18134M274S Some restrictions apply. NEWCnrrier NEW I.

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