Editor:

Representative Danny Eyre (R) is a personal friend. I supported his candidacy four years ago thinking he would stick up for the Republican platform and our area’s conservative values. Unfortunately he has fallen short on several key issues.

I am likewise disappointed by my friend Ron Micheli’s recent Letter to the Editor supporting Eyre. I also supported Micheli’s gubernatorial bid in 2010, but I cannot ignore the untruths perpetuated in his letter.

Micheli claims that Eyre “fights for smaller government [and] lower taxes.” This is demonstrably false. Simply look at Eyre’s voting record.

Just within the last two years, Eyre has voted to increase:

• fuel taxes (HB63, 2020)

• lodging taxes (HB134, 2020 and HB66, 2019)

• the five statewide elected officials’ salaries (HB54, 2020)

• legislators’ per diem (HB227, 2020)

• agricultural fees (HB194, 2020)

• tobacco taxes (HB205, 2020)

• vehicle registration fees (HB1 Amend. 3009, 2020)

He also voted to institute a new corporate income tax (HB220, 2019), allow increases to local sales and use taxes (HB47, 2020), and against measures to combat government waste (SF70, 2020).

Micheli tries to excuse these votes as “difficult decisions” addressing the state’s budget deficit. Had Eyre also voted to cut government spending, this might be plausible. However, Eyre refuses to cut spending until Wyoming taxpayers “pay their fair share.” (He told me this personally.)

Such thinking is backwards at best.

Eyre also voted to repeal the death penalty (HB166, 2020), deny citizens the right to sue the government over constitutional violations (HB 122, 2019), and oppose voter ID requirements (HB192, 2019).

In short, Eyre votes more with tax-and-spend, big-government “Republicans” in Cheyenne than with his constituents.

To be fair, Micheli correctly identifies Eyre’s “pro-life and pro-family voting record.” However, his opponent fully agrees on those issues, so they are not distinguishing factors in this race.

Because of Eyre’s disappointing voting record, I voted early for Karl Allred. Karl staunchly defended our conservative values as a local and state Republican Party leader. He knows Wyoming issues and has pledged to support the Republican platform—especially on low taxes and limited government.

Micheli wrongfully accuses Karl of “false and misleading attacks.”

Yes, Karl has pointed out Eyre’s voting record, just as I have here. But highlighting a publicly-available voting record does not amount to “half-truths and misleading inuendo.”

Micheli also claims that “[Eyre] is a good legislator because you can trust him.”

Unfortunately, when it comes to your tax dollars, Eyre has proven otherwise.

It’s time we send someone to Cheyenne who will seek to reduce the size of government before reducing the size of your paycheck. That someone is Karl Allred.

Parker Jackson

Lyman