By Deborah Smith/Steve Powers, Public News Service - WY, Contact

July 10, 2008

Casper, WY – It’s a big race, and some folks in the state want to be sure the smallest don’t get left behind. The six Wyomingites running for a seat in Congress are facing questions tonight at a candidate forum in Casper. Deanna Frey with the Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance will be there along with other children’s champions to ask questions about health and education. She says the State Health Insurance Program for kids is still in limbo, and it should become a priority.

"We know when they have health care, they are more apt to succeed as they move forward in life."

Frey says health insurance is not just an issue for Wyoming kids in low-income families; she’s seeing middle-class kids going without coverage.

"I was shocked, quite honestly, to find out that many of the larger companies in the oil fields are not offering insurance to their employees."

Re-authorization of children's insurance was vetoed by President Bush, because he said it was being expanded to cover too many families. Frey says they’ll also be quizzing candidates about pre-kindergarten education – an issue she believes businesses are concerned about because the early learning years set the stage for the abilities of the next workforce generation.

The “Wyoming Race for the House Congressional Forum" is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Durham Hall in the Aley Fine Arts Center at Casper College.

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