Joseph Meyer (Wyoming politician)

Meyer was born in 1941 in Casper, Wyoming. He graduated from Natrona County High School and was educated at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, from which he earned his undergraduate degree and then his J.D. He began his career as the Fremont County attorney before going into the private practice of law. ==Political career==

In 1971, Meyer returned to public service when he was selected to serve as the first assistant director of the Legislative Service Office in Cheyenne during the administration of Governor Stanley K. Hathaway. Meyer worked with lawmakers to prepare hundreds of bills, many of which became and remain state law. Sullivan expressed apprehension when he approached the Republican Meyer to be his attorney general: "I didn't know if he'd be willing to risk a promising political future by signing on to an untested Democratic governor. But he was willing to take on that risk, and I think that reflects his courage." In Wyoming, the attorney general is chosen by the governor and not elected. Attorney General Meyer forged an agreement with ExxonMobil over the determination of the value of the company's natural gas processing and transportation facilities in Sublette and Lincoln counties. When production began in the two counties began in 1986, gas price were low, and the method of valuation brought no taxable value to the state. Meyer hence worked to procure dividends to the state in mineral revenues. In 2006, he was elected state Treasurer. He was re-elected in 2010, having served from 2007 until his death in 2012. Wyoming's state treasurer manages the state's $14 billion portfolio and is, ex officio, a member of the Wyoming Retirement Board, the State Loan and Investment Board, the State Board of Land Commissioners, and the State Canvassing Board. ==Personal life and death==

Meyer and his wife, the former Mary Orr, wed on September 3, 1966. The couple had two sons, Vince and Warren Meyer, and two grandsons, Ethan and Devin Meyer, all of Cheyenne. Meyer was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. In January 2012, he missed several weeks of work for successful brain surgery to extract cancer deposits. However, he died from lung cancer on October 6, 2012, aged 71, at the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne. ==Legacy==

Governor Mead termed Meyer's death a "tremendous loss" for the state and ordered that U.S. and Wyoming flags be flown at half-staff, sunrise to sunset, for two weeks in Meyer's honor. Mead said that Meyer "cared deeply about his this state and its people and always put Wyoming first. His legacy of service is unmatched. He will be remembered for his wisdom and his wit." followed by a reception in Meyer's memory. After the body lay in state, it was cremated prior to the memorial service. At the memorial service, Governor Mead described Meyer's life as "a Wyoming story: a cowboy riding to his last day because it's not just what he does, it is who he is. He works to bring every stray cow to a better place. And in Joe's case, it was giving your beloved state your every effort and your every breath to bring Wyoming to a better place." ==References==