Commissioner Jim Willox Served As Expert Witness on Transportation Issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) welcomed Converse County Commissioner Jim Willox to the Senate where he served as an expert witness regarding the implementation of theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) during an Environment and Public Works Subcommittee hearing titled, “Implementing IIJA: Opportunities for Local Jurisdictions to Address Transportation Challenges.” During the hearing, Commissioner Willox discussed rural access for competitive grants, as well as other issues Wyoming towns and counties are facing while implementing the IIJA.
“Jim Willox is no stranger to local government and provided valuable insight into the challenges many towns in Wyoming are currently facing when implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Sen. Lummis. “When the Federal Highway Administration implements a massive piece of legislation like the IIJA, they oftentimes overlook many of the difficulties created for our small towns and counties, especially in rural states like Wyoming. I’m grateful for Jim’s testimony, and am hopeful many of the concerns he brought up will be addressed.”
In his testimony, Commissioner Willox highlighted many of Sen. Lummis’s priorities including the need for additional permitting reform and solutions to onerous regulations from the Federal Highway Administration. An example Willox identified was the Federal Highway Administration denying eight of Wyoming’s eleven requested exemptions under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI).
###