Sentence focuses on constitution
Torrington – Jason Senteney was born the same year that Congressman Cynthia Lummis started her political career, and he says he is the individual that can support the needs of Wyoming in Washington, D.C.
A Torrington native, Senteney currently works in state corrections, but his experience in other career fields has brought him valuable insight into the state and nation.
Constitutional background
“Two weeks after high school, I joined the United States Marine Corp,” Senteney says. “When I swore an oath to the U.S. Constitution, I wanted to know what I was swearing an oath to, so I really began studying the Constitution.”
He adds, “I’ve been studying the Constitution and U.S. government for over 20 years now, and I think I’m well-suited to go to Washington and sort out some of the main problems out there.”
After he completed his military service, Senteney worked as a photojournalist for NBC and Fox in Texas, and then he began a career in business management.
In 2009, he returned to Wyoming and began his career as a correctional officer. He also serves on the Wyoming Air Quality Small Business Compliance Advisory Council.
During high school and upon moving back to Wyoming, he worked in agriculture, helping to move cattle and irrigate on Torrington-area ranches and farms.
“I’m not an expert in the ag industry, but I’ve gotten my feet wet,” he says. “I understand from the ground what impacts these operations and how they work.”
Top priorities
If elected, Senteney says his top priorities will be on tax reform and term limits.
“Our current tax system is seriously broken,” he says. “I’m going to work to simplify the tax system by repealing the 16th Amendment – the federal income tax, and transitioning to a national sales tax, which takes place at the final point of sale.”
Senteney emphasizes that Americans shouldn’t be penalized for their success, and rather, taxes should be more evenly distributed across the system.
“I believe it will level the playing field for small businesses against Wall Street,” he adds.
Senteney also believes that “lifetime” congressmen in Washington, D.C. are detrimental to constituents.
“We have people who have been in Washington for 20, 30, 40 years,” he says. “They’re out of touch with their constituents, and they do what they want. It needs to stop. I believe if we have constitutional terms limits, we’ll have new blood constantly circulating in Congress, which will keep up with changes in society and the issues that come up.”
Ag issues
Looking at issues of top priority for agriculture, Senteney notes that he believes that public lands and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are problematic.
“I have a plan to downsize the Bureau of Land Management by 75 percent and work to turn management back to the state level,” he says. “There need to be some provisions in place, but I think we need to get back to state management.”
To deal with funding, Senteney says that revenues made on public lands would be deposited into state coffers under state management, providing for adequate funding.
“If we transition those funds to state coffers, we will have the money to manage the land within the state and deal with other problems, as well,” he says.
He also sees that major reforms are necessary in the ESA.
“With the right people in Congress and the right person in the White House, the ESA can be reformed,” Senteney says.
“When animals take priority, there’s a problem,” he says. “I believe there’s a more common-sense approach.”
He continues, “For example, when we’re dealing with sage grouse, there’s many ecosystems around the country. We could move those species to a wildlife area or some sort of reserve so we can maintain the productivity of the land. We should be able to move that species to a place that is similar to their environment.”
Senteney says that he will work in congress to make similar common-sense decisions to challenging problems.
“We need to stand up for our citizens,” he says.
“I believe I am the best-suited candidate for this job. We need more working-class representation, somebody who’s going to look out for Main Street instead of Wall Street, and I think I am that individual,” Senteney comments.
Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to saige@wylr.net.
