9-1-218. Appointment to boards, commissions, or other bodies; appointment districts; requirement; conditions for appointments based on political party affiliation.

(a) When required by law, members of boards, commissions, councils and other governmental bodies shall be appointed from the appointment districts set out in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) The appointment districts are as follows:

(i) Laramie, Goshen and Platte county comprise district 1;

(ii) Albany, Carbon and Sweetwater counties comprise district 2;

(iii) Lincoln, Sublette and Teton and Uinta counties comprise district 3;

(iv) Campbell, Johnson and Sheridan counties comprise district 4;

(v) Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties comprise district 5;

(vi) Crook, Niobrara and Weston counties comprise district 6;

(vii) Natrona, Fremont and Converse county comprise district 7.

(c) Whenever a vacancy occurs, an appointment shall first be made from an appointment district which was not represented on the governmental body before the vacancy. If all districts were represented, the appointment shall be made so as to best equalize representation among the districts.

(d) Unless otherwise provided by law, appointments shall rotate consecutively among all the counties of the appointment districts.

(e) Any appointment made on or after July 1, 1996 by the governor to a state board, commission, council or committee created by law, for which senate confirmation is required by law or constitution and for which political party affiliation is specified by law, shall be conditioned upon membership in the same political party for not less than six (6) months prior to the date of appointment for temporary appointments made under W.S. 28-12-101(b) and not less than six (6) months prior to the date of nomination for appointment under W.S. 28-12-101(a). Prior to senate confirmation, the person appointed shall file in the office of the governor an affidavit acknowledged and sworn to under oath stating his party affiliation for the six (6) month period preceding the date of appointment. Filing a false statement may be cause for removal.