Kinskey stripped of Senate appropriations chair position

SHERIDAN — Wyoming Senate Vice President Dave Kinskey was removed from his position as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee last week.

Kinskey, R-Sheridan, was chair of the committee for the previous two sessions and was slated to continue as chair until Senate President Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, removed him from the role.

Whether the removal is allowed by Senate rules is disagreed upon by the pair. Senate rule 2-8 only refers to membership within a committee and says, “No change shall be made in any committee except by vote of a majority of the members of the Senate.”

The selection of a committee chair is not explicitly stated in the rule.

Driskill had attempted to meet with Kinskey during a trip to Sheridan, though he said Kinskey was unable to attend, first for a water leak and the next day because Kinskey thought his wife had COVID-19.

Kinskey was notified of his removal via voicemail and said he attempted to call Driskill back, to no avail.

Driskill said he had concerns about Kinskey’s performance as chair of the committee when members approached him with concerns.

“Dave either intentionally or unintentionally did not work with his committee, and the committee came to me about his inability to use them in any fashion. He just went and did things on his own and left them in the cold and didn’t work with them,” Driskill said. “...I’m not mad at Dave personally, I’m disappointed in his inability to follow direction or to work with his committee.”

Kinskey said he has not heard anything from members of the appropriations committee regarding his performance.

Kinskey’s virtual attendance of a management council meeting was effectively the final straw for Driskill. Driskill also said Kinskey only participated in the appropriations committee portion of the meeting before leaving the Zoom call.

“...I was bothered by that,” Driskill said.

The management council meeting is intended to outline topics of discussion for the Legislature during the upcoming interim session.

Kinskey wrote in an email to The Sheridan Press that he was one of four people to attend the council meeting via Zoom.

Kinskey said he thinks his removal as chair has more to do with politics and attempts to be frugal with state finances.

“The thing all seems so petty, that I think what it’s really about is I’m too conservative for him,” Kinskey said.

Driskill named Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, the new Senate Appropriations Committee chair.