Kempthorne names Wyoming rancher, legislator to lead Minerals Mgmt Service

Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne has selected Randall Luthi to head the Minerals Management Service. Luthi worked under Bush I and then was elected to the Wyoming Legislature; before that he worked for Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson. Five months ago Kempthorne put him the deputy directorship of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Slightly more informative than usual MMS news release here.

If you read between the lines, this paragraph from the release is kind of scary:

Based on his work in the Wyoming legislature, Luthi developed an understanding of the importance of royalties paid to the federal government by companies producing energy on our public lands and waters. As Majority Leader and Speaker of the Wyoming House, Luthi was instrumental in formulation of state budgets which relied heavily upon royalties and severance taxes paid by energy companies developing federal leases. In addition, he was a legislative member of the Energy Council, which is an organization comprised of legislative representatives from energy producing states and provinces and private energy-related industries that meet quarterly to learn the latest in developments in energy related technology and to discuss energy policy.

Wikipedia claims Luthi has been an aide to Dick Cheney.

--Zadig