Rawlins City Council Votes Down Adding Insurance Law to City Ordinances

JUNE 17, 2025 |

Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo

An ordinance requiring drivers of other people’s cars to carry their own insurance, a mandate already covered under state law, was narrowly derailed by Rawlins City Council to put the law on the City’s books.

The ordinance died on a dead-even vote with the mayor absent from the meeting and not voting.

On June 3, the city council introduced a measure to amend Rawlins municipal code section 10.15.070: Failure to maintain liability coverage. The June 3rd meeting was the third and final reading of the ordinance.

City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave explained the state law requires all motor vehicle operators to carry liability insurance. Attorney Maberry-Nave said the city lacks a corresponding ordinance, which prevents Rawlins police officers from issuing municipal citations to anyone other than the vehicle owner.

The city attorney gave an example of someone being pulled over by the Rawlins Police Department for speeding. In the example, the officer could cite the driver for speeding into municipal court. However, if the driver didn’t have insurance and wasn’t the vehicle’s owner, they would need to be charged in Carbon County Circuit Court instead.

Attorney Maberry-Nave said circuit courts can impose higher punishments than municipal courts.

Councilwoman Tonya Lewman asked how often people are cited for driving another person’s vehicle without insurance. Attorney Maberry-Nave reported the violations occur frequently. Additionally, Rawlins police officers may hesitate to add a state violation to local charges, knowing they would have to testify in circuit court.

Councilman Steve Sanger said amending the municipal code to mirror state statute is unnecessary, because the state ordinance is already enforceable by local police.

Councilman Sanger, who opposed the amendment, said he believed the code was being changed to transfer such proceedings to municipal court.

Councilman Derek Elliott explained that moving cases to municipal court would allow the city to collect any associated fines, a measure he supported. Councilman Steve Sanger disagreed, saying the law is meant to keep people safe, not to generate revenue for the city.

City Attorney Maberry-Nave said the city has followed state statute in the past. However, the Wyoming Legislature revised the insurance requirements, and this ordinance amendment is simply attempting to align with those changes.

Councilman Sanger pointed out that all traffic laws, barring those pertaining to one-way streets, are based on state statutes and can already be enforced by Rawlins police officers. The Councilman said the amended ordinance appears to serve only as a way to generate revenue for the city.

Councilman Sanger suggested repealing all city traffic ordinances and instructing officers to follow state law.

Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward acknowledged that the city’s traffic laws closely mirror state statutes. However, Chief Ward said municipal citations typically carry lower fines, allowing individual officers to choose how to punish violators.

Police Chief Ward said his department uses fines to prevent people from breaking the law, not to raise money.

By passing the amended ordinance, City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave said the governing body is simply closing a loophole in the municipal code.

After the discussion, the Rawlins City Council voted on the amendment to section 10.15.070 of the city’s municipal ordinance governing liability coverage. Council members Derek Elliot, Tonya Lewman, and Bruce Seilaff voted in favor of amendment. Vice Mayor Darril Garner and Councilmen Terry Patterson and Steve Sanger cast their votes against the measure. Without Mayor Jacquelin Wells, who was absent from the June 3rd meeting, there to cast a tie breaking vote, the ordinance amendment failed.