Bebout announces he will seek another term
By Martin Reed
Staff Writer

Riverton’s Eli Bebout late last week announced his intent to continue serving as state senator representing Fremont County.
“The issues that I decided to step up and pursue before the appointment and during the session are still there,” Bebout said in an interview on Saturday.
“It used to be to create the jobs and get the economy moving,” the 30-year local businessman said. “We don’t want to lose what we have. It’s a good time for our state right now.”
Bebout wants to see the state continue down a fiscally responsible road because he has seen Wyoming face lean fiscal periods during his experience as a legislator.
“I think I can bring some experience in that regard, having been there in those times when there was no money,” he said. “I think we need to be really fiscally conservative as we move forward and to watch our spending and to watch our growth” of government.
A Republican selection committee appointed Bebout in 2007 to serve the Senate seat vacated because of the death of longtime local legislative leader Bob Peck.
Bebout is no stranger to Cheyenne, serving for 14 years as a representative and culminating his service as Speaker of the House in 1999-2000.
“I think with my experience and knowledge of the system I can do some good for the county” and the Senate district, he said.
Bebout serves on the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee and the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee.
“I’m concerned about water,” Bebout said. “I want to protect our state’s water rights. ... Particularly in Fremont County water is so important. We’ve got to have water for our farmers and ranchers.”
Bebout also wants to work on the state’s loss of revenue due to low market prices for Wyoming’s gas.
“Last year we lost half a billion dollars, so we’ve got to be thinking from now what we can if a year or two or three from now it happens again,” he said.
Bebout supports continued development of coal in the state and the resurgence of uranium.
“Coal and uranium need to be a big part of our economy,” he said.
Bebout also has an eye on the state’s management of its community colleges.
“Central Wyoming (College) is so important to our community, our county and our state like the other six colleges, I just want to make sure we treat them fairly,” he said.
He wants to see the state’s leadership explore economic growth aside from energy.
“We can’t forget the diversification component of our economy,” he said. “We need to continue to attract people to live in our state and build an infrastructure so they have a place to raise families and have good paying jobs.”
Although the state is benefiting from healthy economic times, strong leadership is needed to prevent the effects of the next bust cycle, he said.
“We all struggle, life is never easy, we all work so hard ... then we get to a point when things smooth out That’s where Wyoming is at,” Bebout said. “But the real trick is to look to the future and sustain it.”