Wyoming News Briefs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — The general in charge of the military response to civilian emergencies says officials are weighing whether to make it easier to call in military planes to help fight wildfires. Under current rules, they can't be called up unless all the civilian and commercial firefighting aircraft are in use or unavailable. The firefighting planes are based in Wyoming and three other states.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A bill stripping the Wyoming superintendent of public instruction as head of the state Department of Education has received preliminary approval in the state House. Senate File 104 would replace the superintendent with a director appointed by the governor. It has already passed the Senate and needs two more votes in the House.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Democratic state Sen. Sen. John Hastert says there's still a good chance his measure to add nearly 18,000 people to Medicaid rolls in Wyoming will be heard on his chamber's floor. The Senate Labor Health and Social Services Committee yesterday voted against the measure, but the panel didn't hold the bill. The measure still needs to survive the Senate Appropriations Committee to make it to the floor.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge in Laramie has ordered the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees to identify the finalists for university president after they get those names from a search committee. The Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Tribune Eagle and The Associated Press sued the trustees last fall after they closed the search off from the public. The trustees say they might appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court.