State of Wyoming Archives: on Technology

Mark Gordon: Improve broadband internet for rural tele-health & more

Lives are being saved now because of advances in tele-health. Neurologists in Casper are connected by internet-video to emergency rooms and can help treat stroke patients by getting them life-saving drugs in time for them to have the most benefit.

Advancements in technology like this improve the quality of life in Wyoming, solve complex challenges, create jobs and will allow entrepreneurs and established businesses to see even our smallest towns as fertile ground to grow a company.

John Barrasso: America's Water Infrastructure Act :good for entire nation

U.S. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He spoke on the Senate floor on the need to pass America's Water Infrastructure Act. Barrasso said that President Trump has called on Congress to take up major infrastructure legislation.

Last week, both Barrasso and EPW Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware, announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on the comprehensive water infrastructure legislation with the leadership from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill is the most sweeping infrastructure package to be considered this Congress. It grows the economy, keeps communities safe, cuts red tape and lowers the deficit.

Mark Gordon: Support Blockchain technology: uptick in trust companies

Gary Trauner: Strong proponent to keep "Net Neutrality" in place

Charlie Hardy: Invest in public transit

These policy priorities reflect progressive values that I have championed for decades as a public speaker, writer, priest and pastor.

Liz Cheney: Internet sales tax is just another way to tax people more

CHENEY: We talked about ObamaCare; I would not have participated in the "gang of six".

Q: But he passed it without a single Republican vote.

CHENEY: This is not just about voting; it's about whether or not the Republicans have new voices to stand up and mobilize people on our side to begin to roll this back. Secondly, Senator Enzi's hallmark piece of legislation that he's done with Dick Durbin, one of the most liberal members of the United States Senate. That's the Internet sales tax. And I fundamentally believe either you're on the side of the government has got plenty of money, we need to have people more of their own money, or you're looking for ways to tax people more. The Internet sales tax is a way to tax people more. As Wyoming senator, I would, every single day, be fighting to help people in Wyoming keep more money in their own pockets.

Matt Mead: Diversify Wyoming economy with petaflop supercomputer

Matt Mead: Expand state teleconferencing & state cloud computing

I was pleased to announce last year that, for the first time, we managed, through cloud computing, to get state employees on the same email system. This cloud computing system provides for greater collaboration. Cloud computing makes our email a stronger tool by providing, for the first time, an easy method for every state employee to email any state employee and for the public to do likewise.

The backbone of IT technology is broadband. When I took office, the state's major broadband provider had only two towns in Wyoming capable of high speed gigabit broadband. Thanks to a public-private partnership, this company expanded this capability to an additional 18 Wyoming communities.

Matt Mead: Additional $52 M in highway funding

The highways, especially, are important for business, personal, and tourist travel. I support additional supplemental appropriations this year for highways.

Highway construction needs a reliable source of added funding (on top of those sources that now exist like gas taxes and federal funds). The recommended $52M in supplemental funding this year makes reasonable progress on highway construction. Those dollars should be used to do what is needed most in 2011.

Matt Mead: Recruit mega data centers: we have the weather & the land

I support funding to recruit mega data centers. In Wyoming, we have what those centers need. We have the natural advantages:
• we have a favorable weather climate with a low number of required cooling days;
• we can produce abundant, relatively inexpensive electricity;
• we have relative safety from natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, and
• we have available land.

I supported the bill passed last year that exempted qualifying computer equipment from sales and use taxes. I thought last year's bill provided an attractive and appropriate incentive for businesses--and I would call for reasonable additions this year, like for computer software, to improve upon it.