Wyo. Supreme Court Hears Superintendent Lawsuit

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday on whether the state Legislature can determine the powers and duties of the state superintendent of public instruction.

State Superintendent Cindy Hill's lawsuit was filed in January after the Legislature and Gov. Matt Mead enacted a new law stripping her office of many of its powers and duties.

The change occurred in the middle of Hill's four-year term. The superintendent remains one of the five statewide elected officials but no longer oversees the Wyoming Department of Education.

Hill says the law made a fundamental change to state government and should have required an amendment to the state Constitution.

The state contends that the Legislature has the constitutional authority to determine the powers and duties of the superintendent.