CHEYENNE - The Republican candidates for House District 9 in Cheyenne differ sharply on whether to increase the state fuel tax to pay for highway maintenance.

Marirose Morris, a 64-year-old arts administrator in Cheyenne, said she would support an increase in fuel taxes, but she is against a separate proposal to turn Interstate 80 into a toll road for tractor-trailer trucks.

Morris noted that Wyoming's fuel taxes are the lowest in the area, and state highway funding needs are large. Increasing the fuel tax, she said, would increase the amount big trucks plan without creating a new bureaucracy to administer a toll system.

"Highway users would be paying their share for highway improvements," Morris said.

David Zwonitzer, a 55-year-old auctioneer and business owner in Cheyenne, said he's against raising fuel taxes or creating toll roads to pay for maintenance on I-80.

"I-80 is part of the federal highway system and pressure should be put on the federal government to increase funding for their share, and the state should only be using matching funds," said Zwonitzer, the incumbent in the race.

The winner of the Aug. 19 primary will face Democrat Anthony M. Reyes of Cheyenne in the general election. House District 9 encompasses a portion of northeast Cheyenne.

Both Republican candidates have strategies to help Wyoming residents cope with rapidly rising property taxes.

Zwonitzer, who is running for his second elected term in the House, said the Legislature needs to continue its efforts to expand property tax relief programs. Lawmakers expanded a number of programs last year, although they failed to pass a more comprehensive bill.

Morris instead suggested increased efforts to inform property owners about existing state tax relief programs, such as the tax exemption for veterans. She also suggested a cap on property taxes for those who have owned their home for 30 year or more.

"This would help seniors who are living on a fixed income and have paid rising property taxes over their lifetime to avoid further increases," Morris said. "Yet it would allow the tax base to fluctuate with the market as it has in the past."

She also said the Legislature can help extend health care to more Wyoming residents by "creating and supporting innovative programs that improve health care access and affordability for the citizens of the state"

Zwonitzer said the state should look into partnerships with other states in the Rocky Mountain region to create larger health insurance pools to drive down soaring costs.

Both candidates also expressed strong support for the state community college system. Morris said community colleges are an important part of the state education system and deserve funding consideration on par with the K-12 and university systems.

Zwonitzer said that community colleges are the "backbone" of the state education system and they are well governed. He said he introduced legislation last year to create a tiered system of tuition fees based on whether students are in-county, in-state or out of state.

"Community college rates should be similar to those of other universities," Zwonitzer said.

The candidates differ slightly on whether to increase penalties for drunken driving. Morris said drunken driving is a "very serious problem" in the state, but the penalties are already strict. The real issue, she said, may be with the way judges are imposing the penalties.

Zwonitzer said he supports "some minor form of jail time" for first-time drunken driving offenders.

He also supports a statewide smoking ban, as long as there are exceptions for some business. Morris does not support a statewide smoking ban, because she said it's a local issue.

The candidates also have slightly different positions on how to spend the anticipated state budget surplus.

Zwonitzer said he would like to see the state save a large chunk of the anticipated budget surplus, while some funds should go for highways, The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust fund, improving state parks and creating matching fund programs to encourage "quality-of-life" projects and infrastructure.

Morris said her priorities for spending the anticipated budget surplus are health care, work-force training and retention, better-paying jobs, education, innovative long-term adult care programs, natural resource protection and management, energy development and delivery, community infrastructure and highways and reserves.

"Creating another trust fund to support highways on into the future would be a favorable use of revenue surplus," Morris said.

In order to diversify the state economy, Zwonitzer said the state needs to continue to encourage high-tech businesses to relocate and start up in Wyoming, and it needs to continue to promote tourism. He said he also supports the Wyoming Business Council's Business Ready Community Grant and Loan Program.

Morris said the state has worked in the past to diversify the state economy and it stands ready to do so again. The continued support of the Wyoming Business Council is a good example of an effort to grow the economy, she said.

Both candidates said that the marketplace will help sort out the state's work force and housing issues.

Reach reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at jared.miller@trib.com.

BIO BOXES

House District 9 n encompasses a portion of northeast Cheyenne

David Zwonitzer

·Party: Republican

·Age: 55

·Home: Cheyenne

·Occupation: Auctioneer and business owner

·Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wyoming

·Family: Married; two children

·Political experience: Two years in the House

Marirose Morris

·Party: Republican

·Age: 64

·Home: Cheyenne

·Occupation: Arts Administrator

·Education: Bachelor's, office management, Seattle University; bachelor's, health information management, Regis University

·Family: Married; five children

·Political experience: None