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Attorney General asks Legislature for litigation fund and two natural-resources lawyers to defend Wyoming—s water rights
Summary
Attorney General Kautz asked the Joint Appropriations Committee for a contingency to prepare technical studies and outside counsel to defend Wyoming—s water rights—centered on the Colorado River—and requested two HB 300 attorneys to handle growing federal natural-resources litigation.
Attorney General Kautz told the Joint Appropriations Committee that Wyoming must "be proactive" in defending water rights and asked the Legislature for additional funding to do so. The request centers on interstate compact disputes, above all the Colorado River, and would pay for technical experts and outside counsel to support a likely lengthy legal fight.
Kautz said an initial exception request is aimed at producing the technical evidence and legal posture the state would need if litigation occurs. "This particular ask, this $5,000,000 ask, our estimates are that it's gonna be about, under this biennium, about 5,400,000," he told the committee, noting the total includes prior balances the office holds and would be split between technical work and outside attorneys.
Why it matters: Wyoming holds…
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