Wyoming Legislature update

Things are starting to move right along in Cheyenne with the legislature going through myriad bills and each session getting longer.

The priority this past week was the supplementary budget process where each amendment is individually reviewed, debated and then voted upon. The budget bill, HB0001 was approved and received in the Senate.

HB0295, which would remove state funding from the Pioneer Home, popped up unexpectedly last week on the last day bills could be introduced. The bill did not make it out of the Committee as of Monday and is essentially dead.

Representative John Winter said, “I am very aware of this and will stay abreast of it. Thank you to the community for local support in getting public concerns and opposition to the Appropriations Committee in order to table this bill.”

Winters also noted a bill to create a Wyoming Film Production incentive program failed on its third reading. Local authors and other supporters testified to promote filming in Wyoming rather than out of state.

There was also a bill to lower the hunting age for big game and trophy game animals to 10-years old. Winter said the bill moved out of committee, but failed at first reading in the Committee of the Whole.

HB217, known as the Wyoming Camping Act, was tabled for now. The bill would repeal the prohibition against camping overnight on state lands.

State Trust lands, created for the benefit of public schools in Wyoming, were never intended for public camping. There are, however, provisions for camping through a permit process already in place.

Wyoming is known as a “fence out” not “fence in” state, but a bill has been passed through the house, HB51, that would preempt county regulations on lawful fence standards.

Winter said the concern among the committee members with the bill is that it would be preempting local control, turning that over to the state.

Another bill to keep an eye according to Winter is HB248 which requests extending the time period for certification of sage grouse farms. The bill has been placed in the General File, but no date has been set for review.