Hey Answer Girl -

I keep hearing about "super delegates" this political season. What are they? How does one become a superdelegate? Does Wyoming have any and if so, who are they? Do they have any power?

-Vickie in Casper

Superdelegates are party leaders or elected officials chosen as unpledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention. That means they automatically get a vote at the convention, and they have no obligation to any candidate.

While the Republican Party also has unpledged delegates, the term "superdelegate" - and certainly all the superdelegates you're hearing about right now - are a Democrat thing.

Because superdelegates are often elected officials or party activists, becoming very involved with a certain political party is a pretty good way to become one. Getting elected is an even easier way. Gov. Freudenthal, for example, is an automatic superdelegate because he's the governor.

Wyoming has five superdelegates: Gov. Freudenthal, Cynthia Nunley of Lander, Rep. Pete Jorgensen of Jackson, Nancy Drummond of Sheridan and John Millin of Cheyenne. So far, Freudenthal, Jorgensen and Millin have publicly announced that they're voting for candidate Barack Obama at the convention. Nunley and Drummond have yet to publicly commit to anyone.

The special thing about superdelegates is that they can change their vote at the last second. Even though three Wyoming superdelegates have announced their decisions, they could all decide to vote for Hillary Clinton instead.

They have a big decision to make. While regular delegates must vote one way or the other depending on who they were sent to vote for, superdelegates can vote for anyone. The reason you're hearing so much about them right now is because they could be the tiebreaker in electing the Democratic nominee for president this year.

That's what I'd call power.

Hey Answer Girl -

Why were the people of Wyoming never given the chance to vote on the location of the state capital? A location in the center of the state like Thermopolis or Lander/Riverton area would have been a far more beautiful location and more representative of the state than a Nebraska/Colorado border town that without our tax dollars would be little more than a collection of truck stops and firecracker stands.

-William M.

The people of Wyoming did vote on the location of the state capital - almost a century ago. And the Legislature voted again in 1993.

The proposal in the early 1900s included moving the capital to Lander, a more central location in the state, and constructing a new capitol building instead of fixing the existing one. But the proposal was voted down, and the capital (and capitol) stayed in Cheyenne.

By the time the Legislature voted again in 1993, said state Sen. Jayne Mockler, it would have been really expensive to move the capital to a different city (we're talking in the $1 billion range), so it was again decided that Cheyenne would be the capital.

Furthermore, those of us who memorized state capitals in fifth grade would be quite confused if the capital of Wyoming changed, just as we would if Vermont ousted Montpelier or Illinois went from a capital in Springfield to a capital in a slightly larger or more representative city (Chicago).

Hey Answer Girl -

Natrona County has a lodging tax. Voters passed it, but at the time it was passed, the assurance was that this tax wouldn't be charged to Natrona County residents. But when we remodeled our house and stayed in a hotel, we were charged the tax. Are hotels charging this tax to county residents?

-Richard

It turns out the lodging tax does apply to county residents.

According to Kurt Box, CEO of the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (the outfit in charge of the 3 percent lodging tax), state statute says taxes either apply to everyone or to no one. Only tax-exempt organizations and some governmental groups can get away with not paying the lodging tax.

The idea that the tax wouldn't affect Natrona County residents came from the thought that most county residents wouldn't need to stay in a hotel within the same county.

"The vast majority of the lodging tax is produced from visitors from outside Natrona County," Box explained. "So unless they're staying in lodging properties (hotels), residents don't pay."

Another way to get out of paying the lodging tax: stay in a hotel for more than 30 days and pay in advance. The tax doesn't apply to long-term residents of hotels.

Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com

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Answer Girl tackles your questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your question by email to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at 266-0589.