Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, said it would help the prospects for more funding for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex in this legislative session if complex leadership can show progress in soliciting large endorsements.

Those are needed to help cover the funding gap between the $10 million received from the state and the nearly $20 million the proposed project is expected to cost. 

There’s time until the session, she said at a January discussion between county commissioners, various county and city leaders and legislators from across the Big Horn Basin, held at the Cody library. But not much. 

“I think there’s time between SHOT Show and when we convene to showcase efforts that have been made,” she said. “And I suggest the new CEO do that, ASAP.”

That was the plan of a number of shooting complex joint powers board members and new CEO Patrick Giles in heading down to the annual SHOT Show firearms industry trade show to talk to representatives of companies that have supported similar such complexes in other states. 

The hurry, as Rodriguez-Williams urged, is because, as Sen. Tim French, R-Powell, noted, there are many legislators and Park County residents who aren’t fully in favor of the project. 

French has actually urged a pause on funding the project, instead of delivering the request for $5 million more in funding this year for the complex, as a way to first see, he said, if the board will come through with its end of the bargain to raise more than $6 million for the complex. 

He said the board already has $10 million, granted after last session, and said proponents told the Legislature there would be “no problem” in raising more than $6 million. 

“If these manufacturers are really interested in donating more money, they would have started doing it. Where are they?” French said, adding, “I’ll tell you, this is not as popular as people think.” 

Lee Ann Reiter, Cody mayor and a member of the joint powers board, said the issue with that idea is the marketing materials prepared to try and get endorsements is predicated on the complex having the features that would require the full nearly $20 million. 

“Either we set our sights high and go for it, or we settle for this garage, and nobody will go for this garage,” she said. 

Other proponents of the complex, such as Commissioner Lloyd Thiel, acknowledged there are a variety of opinions on the complex, but said the state should provide all of the funding originally agreed. The $2.5 million from the state travel department and $2.5 million from Wyoming Game and Fish had been included in the initial bill for the complex. But the legislative theatrics in the last session, culminating in turning down a supplemental budget, nearly sunk all funding for the complex until legislators — one of the leaders being Sen. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, were able to finagle $10 million from general funds. 

All county legislators supported that measure, but French said that should be enough to start, added to the funds the board said it could raise. Then by the time the building, road and other infrastructure is finished next fall, he said it’ll be close to the 2027 session, when legislators can address again whether more funding for the complex would be appropriate. 

French said his intention was to pause the complex, not kill it. 

That puts him somewhat at odds with Laursen, who has been one of the top supporters of more funding for the complex. 

“I’m hoping we can get it to the shooting complex, others are hoping not …,” said Laursen, adding that if not the money will go back to the two departments. “This is a state facility, the state owns the land. If we want it to fail, don't give them the money.”

Thiel, later seconded by a Washakie County commissioner, said it simply: “Let’s do what we said.”

Commissioner Dossie Overfield said if that is too hard a lift this year, maybe there could at least be a compromise and the Legislature could approve half. 

Whatever happens, it likely won’t be too long before the question of more funding is answered in the short budget session. Laursen said they should know if the funding would make it by Feb. 20, the last day for a bill to be read in the committee of the whole in the chamber of origin.