The Wyoming House of Representative is the lower house of the state legislature. Similar to the U.S. House of Representatives, they work with Senators to create laws, set the state budget, and determine state tax rates. State Representatives are elected to a two-year term with no term limits.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Facebook
J. R. Riggins
Campaign Phone
307-262-8446
I am running for re-election to finish work the Legislature has started but not completed. Experience gained in my first term will help advance stalled efforts involving taxation, land policy, and economic development.
I bring 40+ years of experience in Wyoming's natural gas industry, one of the state’s primary economic drivers. That background provides extensive experience with regulatory and infrastructure problem-solving in a heavily regulated industry.
For decades, I have championed public land access by working with federal land management agencies through NEPA, Resource Management Plans, and Forest Plan revisions. My efforts have included successful appeals of RMP decisions, litigation preventing trail closures, and improving access.
I believe the ballot measure has a strong likelihood of passing. If so, I expect some existing property tax relief measures may be repealed or revised as part of a broader restructuring effort.
In 2025, the House passed legislation to backfill most of the anticipated local revenue losses, and I supported that measure. I support similar efforts again to protect essential local services while still providing meaningful tax relief.
I also supported the 4% cap on annual property tax increases. Had reasonable caps been in place earlier, I do not believe taxpayer frustration would have grown to its current level. I am concerned recent actions by the Board of Equalization could weaken those caps and undermine long-term property tax reforms.
We have always had a public land exchange program, and I think it provides a method to provide public land access where none exists. I think it can be advantageous for public recreation and an economic benefit.
When you say "public" are you including "state lands"? If so, I would urge anyone interested to consider if $90,000+/acre for state land that could not be monetized per the State Constitution was a fair exchange? It was a great deal for the state, but a poor one for the federal taxpayer.
The current structure is under revision now. Will the recommendations the legislature adopted meet our expectations? We will see.
Will teacher salaries go up as public sentiment appeared to demand, I expect they will.
Will student performance improve as a result? We expect so, because recent national student performance reports show continued declines in reading achievement and stagnant math recovery, underscoring the need for greater accountability and renewed focus on core academic skills.
Should we have dumped the recalibration recommendations as some legislators wanted. Push it off on future legislatures? I thought not.
The spectrum of social services has grown so large that it generates contempt even when it's applied to those with genuine need.
I am a strong supporter of programs such as Wyoming's Home-based Community Care Services that help those with genuine need, stay at home and avoid expensive institutional care. I also support our Childhood Development Center because I'm witness to some of the challenging situations young families face.
Let's not confuse these services with one's that cater to able-bodied adults whose life decisions place them in undesirable situations but lead to dependency instead of independence. Programs should lead to a way out of need.
