Wyoming Supreme Court Hears Hill Case Tuesday

The Wyoming Supreme Court heard about an hour of arguments Tuesday in Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill's lawsuit challenging a new law enacted by the legislature and Gov. Matt Mead last winter that stripped her office of many of its powers and duties. The change occurred in the middle of Hill's four year term. The Superintendent reamins one of the five statewide elected officials, but no longer runs the Wyoming Department of Education.

Angela Dougherty, the attorney representing Hill and two citizens, said while the legislature can limit the Superintendent's authority in administering the state's education system, it can't transfer those powers and duties to the Governor or an unelected director because the Superintendent would have no "general supervision" over the education system.

Peter Michael, interim State Attorney General said that all previous supreme court decisions, including a landmark case on providing uniform public education statewide, recognized that the legislature was constitutionally responsible for overseeing the statewide education system. The court took the matter under consideration and said it would issue a decision later.