Gerald Geis

Gerald Eugene Geis (August 31, 1933 – November 2, 2022) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Wyoming Senate, representing the 20th district[1] from 1975 to 1986 and from 1993 until his retirement in 2017.

Gerald Geis
Member of the Wyoming Senate
from the 20th district
In office
January 11, 1993 – January 10, 2017
Succeeded byWyatt Agar
Personal details
Born(1933-08-31)August 31, 1933
Ten Sleep, Wyoming, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 2022(2022-11-02) (aged 89)
Loveland, Colorado, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseIrma
Residence(s)Worland, Wyoming, U.S.

Early life

Geis was born August 31, 1933, in a cabin near Ten Sleep, Wyoming.[2] He moved to Worland in 1944 and graduated from Worland High School in 1951.

Career

Geis worked in road construction and hauling livestock and was first asked to enter politics in 1974 whilst attending the Wyoming Truckers Convention. In 1976 he helped create Wyoming's senior citizen centers. He ran for Wyoming Secretary of State in 1986 but was defeated in the primary by 62 votes.[3]

Geis was reappointed to the Senate in 1993.[3] In 2007, he sponsored a bill that, if it had passed, would have voided out of state same-sex marriages from being recognized in Wyoming.[4] In 2015, Geis voted against the Wyoming Food Freedom Act in committee, which allowed for the sale and consumption of homemade foods.[5][6] In 2016, he voted against expanding Medicaid.[7] Geis retired in 2017, with Wyatt Agar being elected to his former seat.[3]

Personal life and death

Geis was married to Irma, and together they had two children. He was Catholic.[2] In 2005, he was inducted into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame.[8]

Geis died on November 2, 2022, at the age of 89, in Loveland, Colorado.[9]

Political Experience
  • Senator, Wyoming State Senate, 1993–2017 (appointed 1993)
  • Senator, Wyoming State Senate, 1975–1986 (Senate President 1985–1986; Majority Floor Leader 1983–1984; Senate Vice President 1983–1984)
  • Member, Worland City Council[2]

Committees

Geis served eight years on the Appropriations Committee, serving as its president in 1981, and he served as chairman for the Select Water Committee.[3] He also served as the chair of the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee, and as a member of the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee.[2]

References
  1. Wyoming Legislature. "Gerald E. Geis". Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  2. "Gerald 'Gerry' E. Geis". Votesmart. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. Mitchell, Tracie (13 January 2017). "Senator Gerald Geis retires after 35 years of service". Northern Wyoming News. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  4. Nickerson, Gregory (2014-10-14). "Wyoming's stalemate on same-sex marriage may break this week". WyoFile. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  5. "Wyoming Food Freedom Act Moves Toward Passage". Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  6. "Wyoming Food Freedom Act – Nutrition and Food Safety". uwyoextension.org. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  7. Eagle, James Chilton, Wyoming Tribune. "Medicaid expansion axed by Wyoming Legislature". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved 2021-11-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame celebrates 25 years of honoring citizens in 2016 – Wyoming Livestock Roundup". www.wylr.net. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  9. "Senator Gerald Eugene Geis". Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Retrieved 13 November 2022.


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