Senators grill Wyoming governor on proposed changes to Endangered Species Act

Gov. Matt Mead did not write the draft bill that would overhaul the nation’s bedrock conservation law, the Endangered Species Act, but some senators grilled the Wyoming governor as though he had in a meeting Tuesday in Washington D.C. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-AK, asked Mead why the draft bill, which was sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso, didn’t give states veto power on listing decisions, while the democratic senator from Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, questioned an aspect of the bill that invites states to report on the job performance of individual federal employees. Mead’s position center stage was not unwarranted. Barrasso first introduced his draft by selling its inspiration: a series of recommendations in 2016 and 2017 from the Western Governors Association that followed a request from Mead to take the difficult issue by the horns. The draft would change the Endangered Species Act substantially, in ways proponents say give states a role they were originally intended to have, without restricting the authority of federal agencies. A number of conservation groups have been hesitant to endorse the bill early on — praising the approach instead. Others are boldly critical of Barrasso’s intentions...MORE

The draft bill is embedded below or is available online here.