Democratic state Rep. Ken Esquibel would like the Legislature to continue working to close the wage gap between men and women in Wyoming, so more of the state's talented young women will be able to stay or return to the state after going to college.

"We still rank last in the disparity between what men make and what women make," Esquibel said.

He said the mineral industries and railroads create many good-paying jobs for men, but it is essential the Equality State work to diversify its economy so women, too, will have similar opportunities.

Becket Hinckley, a senior assistant district attorney in Cheyenne, said education is directly tied to economic diversification, and it is imperative, then, that the state's education system be the best.

"Businesses want to move where the citizenry is well-educated and the primary, secondary and post-secondary schools produce top-notch young people," Hinckley said.

Hinckley is challenging Esquibel to represent House District 41 in the state House of Representatives, the district that covers Cheyenne.

Esquibel said he hears from his daughters and from their friends about a relative lack of opportunities for women in Wyoming.

"It's an issue close to my heart since I have daughters of my own, three young ladies, so I'm going to continue to do the things that need to be done," he said. "Wyoming's not ever going to be a New York or (Los Angeles) but Wyoming is centrally located in the U.S., it has no corporate income tax, the schools are good, we have clean air, clean water, low crime. If we can start improving amenities that help attract businesses, I think they'll come."

When asked about the Cowboy State's drunk driving statutes, Hinckley, a former legislator, said he wants more stringent rules for people convicted of driving under the influence.

Hinckley was one of the primary sponsors of the bill making it a felony to have four convictions in five years, but he thinks the law is too lenient. He said the DUI statutes should be the same as they are for misdemeanor marijuana possession, where the third offense is a felony:

"I believe three DUIs in a lifetime should be the law," he said.

When asked about his priorities for what to do with the projected, substantial budget surplus, Hinckley emphasized investments in infrastructure:

The Legislature should spend as much of the revenue surplus as possible to start work on the billions of dollars of backlogged maintenance of Wyoming highways and roads, Hinckley said.

He would also like to see any excess dollars spent on power transmission lines, bridges, water storage, education improvement, economic diversification, the wildlife trust fund, health care and tax incentives for alternative energy.

Esquibel said highway maintenance is also his top priority for the expected revenue surplus. And he wants to fund the homestead tax exemption, as well as a pilot health insurance project in Laramie County - in cooperation with Wyoming Health Information Network - that would offer health insurance to 500 working individuals whose jobs do not provide the benefit.

The project would emphasize preventative care and require participants to have a personal health savings account, he said.

"Next (on the list) would be more funding toward community colleges," Esquibel said. "I think UW and K-12 are doing pretty good. But I would like to see more money go toward our athletic programs there at UW, because citizens take great pride in the teams and they want to see us be more competitive."

The candidates differ on a proposed fuel tax hike: Hinckley opposes the idea, but Esquibel said he would vote for it with one caveat:

"Only if they offer a one-third reduction in vehicle registration fees," Esquibel said. "That way fifty percent of the (new fuel) taxes would be paid by out-of-state residents, and in-state residents would be money-ahead unless you drive an old vehicle a lot of miles. It has to be an attachment in the same bill. Then we can reimburse our county assessors out of our general fund what they lose (from lowering the vehicle registration fees)."

To help make health care more available to Wyoming residents, Hinckley said he wants to expand the number of Wyoming medical school slots at the University of Washington and add physician assistants, he said.

He also said the federal government must allow insurance companies to start competing across state borders for insurance customers.

Hinckley added that after a few months of studying the issue of smoking in public places, and after looking at what all of the surrounding states have done, "I am willing to take a second look at a statewide smoking ban because of the health benefits that might flow from it," he said.

Esquibel said one of the surest ways to reduce the cost of health care in the state is to develop a plan, such as the Laramie pilot project, which helps "move people away from emergency room as health care provider and into the doctor's office," he said.

(Star-Tribune Capital Bureau reporter Joan Barron contributed to this report)

Contact reporter Chris Merrill at (307) 267-6722 or chris.merrill@trib.com

House District 41

Representing Cheyenne

Ken Esquibel

Party: Democrat

Age: 49

Home: Cheyenne

Occupation: Railroad engineer

Education: Attended Black Hills State University

Family: Married, three daughters

Political experience: Incumbent legislator, state House of Representatives

Becket Hinckley

Party: Republican

Age: 38

Home: Cheyenne

Occupation: Senior assistant district attorney

Education: University of Wyoming College of Law, Stanford University bachelor's in political science

Family: Married, two daughters

Political experience: Served two terms in Wyoming House, did not seek re-election in 2006

Representing Cheyenne

Ken Esquibel

Party: Democrat

Age: 49

Home: Cheyenne

Occupation: Railroad engineer

Education: Attended Black Hills State University

Family: Married, three daughters

Political experience: Incumbent legislator, state House of Representatives

Becket Hinckley

Party: Republican

Age: 38

Home: Cheyenne

Occupation: Senior assistant district attorney

Education: University of Wyoming College of Law, Stanford University bachelor's in political science

Family: Married, two daughters

Political experience: Served two terms in Wyoming House, did not seek re-election in 2006]]->