Randall Luthi
Encyclopedia
Randall B. Luthi is an attorney
and rancher from Freedom, in northwestern Lincoln County in western Wyoming
, who served as a Republican
in the Wyoming House of Representatives
from 1995—2007. He was the Speaker
for his last two-year term, 2005—2007. Prior to 2005, he had been the House Majority Leader. In Wyoming, Speakers traditionally retire from the House upon the expiration of their tenure as presiding officer. Luthi was thereafter named by Interior Secretary
Dirk Kempthorne
as the Director of the Minerals Management Service
.
Luthi formerly served in the United States Department of the Interior
during the administration of Presidents Ronald W. Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush. The first Bush transferred him to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Since 2000, Luthi has been a partner in the Luthi and Voyles law firm in Thayne
. Since 1993, he has also been a managing partner of the JE Luthi Ranch, a beef cattle
operation in Lincoln County. From 1990—1993, he served in Washington, D.C.
, in career positions as Senior Counselor for Environmental Regulations in NOAA's Office of General Counsel. Earlier, he was an attorney in the Interior Department Office of the Solicitor from 1986—1990. In 2007, President George W. Bush
named Luthi Deputy Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. On July 23, 2007, the administration appointed him head of the Minerals Management Services where he remained until January, 2009.
On March 1, 2010, Luthi became president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), a Washington, D.C.
based political action committee
representing "the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources." The movement of Minerals Management Service officials to NOIA has been controversial. As NOIA president, Luthi wrote to the acting director of the Minerals Management Service
on June 7, 2010, advocating rapid clarification of offshore drilling rules because "it is not a time for a lengthy and undefined ban or suspension on all drilling."
Luthi is considered an authority on royalties
paid to the U.S. government
by companies which produce energy from the public domain
, both on land and water. From his legislative service, Luthi was instrumental in the formulation of state budgets which relied heavily upon royalties and severance tax
es paid by energy companies operating on federal leases. He was also a legislative member of the Energy Council, an organization of legislative representatives from energy-producing states and Canadian
province
s and private energy-related industries. The council meets quarterly to consider the latest developments in energy matters.
Luthi formerly worked as a legislative assistant in the office of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson
of Cody
. He provided counsel on legal and legislative issues including oil
and natural gas
taxation. He later transferred to the office of then U.S. Representative Richard B. Cheney
of Wyoming, later Vice President of the United States
.
Luthi received a bachelor of science
degree in law enforcement in 1979 from the University of Wyoming
at Laramie
. He procured his Juris Doctor
law degree from UW in 1982.
In June 2007, upon the death of U.S. Senator Craig Thomas, Luthi was among thirty applicants for appointment to fill the vacancy until a special election is held on November 4, 2008. Luthi was not chosen by the Republican State Central Committee as one of the three finalists to be considered for appointment by the state's governor, Democrat
Dave Freudenthal
. Luthi tied for fifth place on the second ballot and lost a tie-breaking vote.
In September 2008, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson
of Florida
called upon Luthi to resign from the Minerals Management Service because of a sex, drug, and oil
scandal at the service that occurred between 2002 and 2006, before Luthi became director.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and rancher from Freedom, in northwestern Lincoln County in western Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, who served as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the Wyoming House of Representatives
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
from 1995—2007. He was the Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
for his last two-year term, 2005—2007. Prior to 2005, he had been the House Majority Leader. In Wyoming, Speakers traditionally retire from the House upon the expiration of their tenure as presiding officer. Luthi was thereafter named by Interior Secretary
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne , was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who served under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as the 30th Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho...
as the Director of the Minerals Management Service
Minerals Management Service
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement , formerly known as the Minerals Management Service , was an agency of the United States Department of the Interior that managed the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf...
.
Luthi formerly served in the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
during the administration of Presidents Ronald W. Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush. The first Bush transferred him to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
. Since 2000, Luthi has been a partner in the Luthi and Voyles law firm in Thayne
Thayne, Wyoming
Thayne is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 341 at the 2000 census.Randall Luthi, a former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives, practices law in Thayne and is managing partner of a nearby ranch.-Geography:...
. Since 1993, he has also been a managing partner of the JE Luthi Ranch, a beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
operation in Lincoln County. From 1990—1993, he served in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in career positions as Senior Counselor for Environmental Regulations in NOAA's Office of General Counsel. Earlier, he was an attorney in the Interior Department Office of the Solicitor from 1986—1990. In 2007, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
named Luthi Deputy Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. On July 23, 2007, the administration appointed him head of the Minerals Management Services where he remained until January, 2009.
On March 1, 2010, Luthi became president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
based political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
representing "the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources." The movement of Minerals Management Service officials to NOIA has been controversial. As NOIA president, Luthi wrote to the acting director of the Minerals Management Service
Minerals Management Service
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement , formerly known as the Minerals Management Service , was an agency of the United States Department of the Interior that managed the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf...
on June 7, 2010, advocating rapid clarification of offshore drilling rules because "it is not a time for a lengthy and undefined ban or suspension on all drilling."
Luthi is considered an authority on royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
paid to the U.S. government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
by companies which produce energy from the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, both on land and water. From his legislative service, Luthi was instrumental in the formulation of state budgets which relied heavily upon royalties and severance tax
Severance tax
Severance taxes are incurred when non-renewable natural resources are separated from a taxing jurisdiction. Industries that typically incur such taxes are oil and gas, coal, mining, and timber industries....
es paid by energy companies operating on federal leases. He was also a legislative member of the Energy Council, an organization of legislative representatives from energy-producing states and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s and private energy-related industries. The council meets quarterly to consider the latest developments in energy matters.
Luthi formerly worked as a legislative assistant in the office of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson
Alan K. Simpson
Alan Kooi Simpson is an American politician who served from 1979 to 1997 as a United States Senator from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party. His father, Milward L. Simpson, was also a member of the U.S...
of Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
. He provided counsel on legal and legislative issues including oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
taxation. He later transferred to the office of then U.S. Representative Richard B. Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
of Wyoming, later Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
Luthi received a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in law enforcement in 1979 from the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
at Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. He procured his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
law degree from UW in 1982.
In June 2007, upon the death of U.S. Senator Craig Thomas, Luthi was among thirty applicants for appointment to fill the vacancy until a special election is held on November 4, 2008. Luthi was not chosen by the Republican State Central Committee as one of the three finalists to be considered for appointment by the state's governor, Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Dave Freudenthal
Dave Freudenthal
David Duane "Dave" Freudenthal , is an American politician who served as the 31st Governor of Wyoming. A Democrat, he was reelected to his second term on November 7, 2006, and announced on March 4, 2010, that he would not attempt to seek a third term as Governor.-Education and early...
. Luthi tied for fifth place on the second ballot and lost a tie-breaking vote.
In September 2008, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
called upon Luthi to resign from the Minerals Management Service because of a sex, drug, and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
scandal at the service that occurred between 2002 and 2006, before Luthi became director.