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2020 LEGISLATURE GUIDEYOUR ROADMAP

TO THE 65TH WYOMING

LEGISLATURE’S BUDGET SESSION

PRODUCED BY: Wyoming Tribune Eagle

IN CONJUNCTION WITH:Laramie Boomerang

Rock Springs Rocket-MinerRawlins Times

2 2020 WYOMING LEGISLATURE PREVIEW

Session marks pivotal moment --------------------3Bills to watch --------------------------------------- 4-7Back in the state Capitol ----------------------------8How to get involved ----------------------------------9How a bill becomes a law ----------------------------9Website guide ------------------------------------10-11Location, schedule and seating charts ------12-13Laramie County --------------------------------- 14-16Carbon County ----------------------------------------17Albany County ----------------------------------- 18-19Sweetwater County ----------------------------20-22Glossary ----------------------------------------------- 23

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WHAT’S INSIDEWE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACKWelcome to our annual guide to the Wyoming Legislature. Each year, we strive to provide information that you, our readers, need to participate as active citizens in the lawmaking process. If you have feedback on this guide, including ways we can improve it next year, please contact me at 307-633-3120 or [email protected].

– Brian Martin, section editor

STAFF CREDITSThis section was produced by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle under the direction of Managing Editor Brian Martin and designed by Assistant Managing Editor Erica Klimt. The cover photo was taken by Photographer Michael Cummo. Reporting was done by the staffs of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Laramie Boomerang, Rawlins Times and Rock Springs Rocket-Miner.

©2020 APG Media of the Rockies. Printed and published by Wyoming Tribune Eagle, 702 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001.

2020 WYOMING LEGISLATURE PREVIEW 3

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OVERVIEW

By Tom CoulterWyoming Tribune Eagle

CHEYENNE – At first glance, bud-get issues can seem a bit dull. While a collapsed dam or dilapidated housing can serve as physical displays of com-plex issues, Wyoming’s biggest prob-lem is one that can’t be seen, and it’s approaching at a glacial pace.

The problem? Wyoming has a huge structural revenue deficit that will only grow over the next few years. Yet, as state lawmakers prepare to craft Wyoming’s budget for the 2021-22 bi-ennium during this legislative session, some fear there hasn’t been enough talk about what needs to be done to ad-dress the deficit.

Let’s start with the basics: Wyoming will have far less money to work with in coming years, largely due to declines in revenue the state normally gains from coal, oil and natural gas indus-tries. The latest reports from the Con-sensus Revenue Estimating Group estimate the state will see a $156.3 mil-lion drop in revenue it has to work with for the 2021-22 biennium, and the situ-ation likely won’t get any better from there.

“Wyoming’s state revenue streams remain volatile,” reads the CREG re-port from October. “In fact … Wyo-ming’s revenue streams could very well become more, rather than less, volatile, as historic revenues attribut-able to oil production have been less steady than revenues derived from coal production.”

Gov. Mark Gordon struck a similar tone in a letter to the Legislature that

prefaced his budget proposal for the upcoming biennium, which was re-leased in November.

“Cynics might suggest that Wyo-ming is accustomed to boom-and-bust cycles, and we need only wait for the markets to turn around,” Gordon wrote. “This time, though, we may well be experiencing a more fundamental change.”

There is a clear consensus that Wyo-ming is experiencing a structural change in its economy, and that leads to a logical question: What is the state going to do about it? As of early Febru-ary, the answer remains unclear, but it will emerge largely over the span of the next few weeks when the state Legisla-ture is in session at the Capitol.

While the state will have far fewer dollars to work with this session, its current fiscal profile still allows for a balanced budget for the upcoming 2021-22 biennium. What truly worries

lawmakers like Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, are the revenue drop-offs projected over the next five years.

“CREG just projects for the bienni-um, and it’s going to hurt, but four years from now is where it’s cata-strophic,” Zwonitzer said.

Zwonitzer, who chairs the House Revenue Committee, has been one of the most vocal legislators about the state’s economic problems. He said current projections show the situation will get worse in the 2023-24 biennium, when the state will be just over half a billion dollars short on revenue. Yet, so far, nothing has been proposed to make up that deficit.

“I think it’s fair to say there is no agreed upon revenue solution being presented,” Zwonitzer said. “I don’t expect 2020 to be the year that we structurally change Wyoming.”

While this year’s legislative session may not provide all the solutions to Wy-

oming’s economic woes, there are some measures on the table that could have a substantial impact on the state’s revenue picture.

One bill that could make a dent in the revenue shortfall is a corporate income tax on companies with more than 100 shareholders. While last ses-sion’s bill applied only to retailers, res-taurants and hotels with more than 100 stakeholders, this year’s legisla-tion would impose a 7% tax on all busi-nesses that meet that stakeholder threshold.

A report from the Wyoming Depart-ment of Revenue projected the tax would produce $23.1 million in reve-nue in its first year, a substantial chunk of change for the state to take in. But the unpopularity of any new taxes could make it an uphill fight to get the bill passed. Last year’s bill, which passed easily in the House, didn’t even have a committee vote in the Senate, a sign of the opposition the revised ver-sion will face this session.

Even if the tax is approved at the end of the session, the amount it would pro-duce annually would make up only a small percentage of the revenue short-fall Wyoming is facing in the coming years.

Others with experience in crafting a state budget agree there hasn’t been enough conversation regarding the revenue situation. Jerimiah Rieman, who served as director of economic diversification during former Gov. Matt Mead’s administration, said the state’s current tax profile must be tweaked to address the looming reve-nue shortfalls.

“I really do believe we’re going to have to find a way to establish this sta-ble and predictable tax structure,” Rieman said. “We’re not there right now.”

Legislative session marks pivotal moment for Wyo.FACING LONG-TERM DEFICITS, LAWMAKERS PREPARE TO CRAFT WYOMING’S BUDGET FOR THE 2021-22 BIENNIUM.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon speaks Sept. 27, 2019, at the state Capitol in downtown Cheyenne. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle

See Budget, page 8


BILLS TO WATCH

While not a new one, the initiative to repeal the death penalty in Wyoming has been revamped by an out-of-state group, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, joining state lawmakers in an effort to get rid of capital punishment.

Though a bill to repeal the death penalty failed in the state Senate last year, the renewed efforts by the Wyoming Campaign to End the Death Penalty, the ACLU of Wyoming and the national organization could lead to a different outcome this year.

The last time Wyoming executed someone was in 1992. Since then, several states, including New Mexico, Washington and Illinois, have gotten rid of capital punishment. In total, 21 states have completely abolished the death penalty, while governors in four other states have placed moratoriums on the practice.

In recent months, the Wyoming Campaign to End the Death Penalty held a march and multiple forums to discuss the issue and its secondary effects on the state. The push for repeal has also been led by a couple of lawmakers: Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, and Sen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas.

One of the biggest arguments these conservatives have made against the death penalty is the financial savings the state would gain from repeal. The bill that failed last year was estimated to save the state $756,035 in 2020, and Olsen has said that figure could be even higher when other factors are taken into account.

Yet there is still substantial opposition to repealing the death penalty in the Legislature. Last year’s bill gained passage in the House, but it fell in the Senate by an 18-12 vote. It would only take a few lawmakers to change their minds for this year’s bill to gain approval, but for now, it remains unclear how strongly opinions have shifted over the past 12 months.

– Tom Coulter, Wyoming Tribune Eagle

KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas, co-sponsor of the death penalty repeal bill in the 2019 legislative session, [email protected]

Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, co-sponsor of the death penalty repeal bill in the 2019 legislative session, [email protected]

Since Blackjewel declared bankruptcy in July, leaving 600 mine workers in Wyoming without employment, the Legislature has been examining ways to protect Wyoming from the widespread effects of such closures.

The need for protections is far from theoretical. In Johnson County, for example, the Moriah Powder River LLC owes roughly $11 million in unpaid ad valorem mineral taxes, illustrating the problem counties are facing as more coal companies close down.

Searching for a solution to get these companies to pay up, lawmakers on the Select Committee on Coal and Minerals Bankruptcies have sponsored a bill authorizing the Wyo-ming attorney general’s office to represent counties in payment disputes during energy company bankruptcies.

Meanwhile, as the state searches for ways to protect its tax base and extend the lifespan of the coal industry, other proposals on the table this session could alter the state’s oil and gas drilling industries, which have a presence in Laramie County. One bill would enact a change to the process of forced pooling, a statute that advances drilling operations, even when a mineral owner doesn’t wish to participate in the plans.

Under current law, energy companies and landowners who refuse to enter into an agreement for a drilling operation can be forced to pay 300% of production costs taken on by the party that moves forward with its drilling plans. A bill sponsored by the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee would substantially reduce the amount that unleased mineral owners would be required to pay in the process. Meanwhile, the penalty for operators would remain at 300% of production costs.

The bill would also put a statutory requirement in place to provide 16% of mineral royalty payments to those landowners who refuse to participate in an operation.

The dynamics of mineral and property rights during drilling operations have recently been in focus in Laramie County, where a group of landowners have sued the energy company Occidental for what they see as a monopoly on drilling in the area. One of the landowners in the lawsuit, John Eklund, serves as a state representative in the House, so these issues certainly won’t go away quickly during the upcoming legislative session.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, co-chairman of the Select Committee on Coal and Minerals Bankruptcies, [email protected]

Rep. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, co-chairman of the Select Committee on Coal and Minerals Bankruptcies, [email protected]

Though bills to expand Medicaid have failed during recent legislative sessions, some lawmakers and health care experts think this year could be different. While 36 states have fully expanded Medicaid or are in the process of doing so, Wyoming lawmakers have remained reluctant to do so, with mistrust of the federal government and the initial costs to the state driving much of lawmakers’ hesitations.

If approved by the full Legislature this year, the bill would allow for expanding Medicaid to uninsured people whose income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. With the state facing a roughly $250 million revenue deficit in coming years, the economic reality may finally force lawmakers to stomach a new partnership with the federal government.

Medicaid expansion would provide coverage to 19,000 people in Wyoming within 24 months of the expansion, according to recent estimates from the state Department of Health. While Wyoming would cover 10% of the costs associated with expansion, a total of about $18 million in general funds during the first biennium of implementation, the federal government would pick up the remaining expenses under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

While the initial cost would make a substantial dent in the state budget, proponents of expansion are confident the long-term benefits outweigh those startup costs. Since expanding Medicaid in 2016, Montana, for example, has seen approximately $350 million to $400 million worth of new spending in its economy each year, according to a report from the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

In November, the Joint Revenue Interim Committee approved a bill that authorized Gov. Mark Gordon to expand Medicaid in Wyoming. Last session, after a Medicaid expansion bill advanced out of committee, it failed in the House of Representatives by a 36-23 vote. Since there hasn’t been a general election since then, some of those same lawmakers will have to change their minds for the new bill to gain approval.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, [email protected]

Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, chairman of the House Revenue Committee, [email protected]

DEATH PENALTY REPEAL ENERGY ISSUES MEDICAID EXPANSION


Though bills to expand Medicaid have failed during recent legislative sessions, some lawmakers and health care experts think this year could be different. While 36 states have fully expanded Medicaid or are in the process of doing so, Wyoming lawmakers have remained reluctant to do so, with mistrust of the federal government and the initial costs to the state driving much of lawmakers’ hesitations.

If approved by the full Legislature this year, the bill would allow for expanding Medicaid to uninsured people whose income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. With the state facing a roughly $250 million revenue deficit in coming years, the economic reality may finally force lawmakers to stomach a new partnership with the federal government.

Medicaid expansion would provide coverage to 19,000 people in Wyoming within 24 months of the expansion, according to recent estimates from the state Department of Health. While Wyoming would cover 10% of the costs associated with expansion, a total of about $18 million in general funds during the first biennium of implementation, the federal government would pick up the remaining expenses under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

While the initial cost would make a substantial dent in the state budget, proponents of expansion are confident the long-term benefits outweigh those startup costs. Since expanding Medicaid in 2016, Montana, for example, has seen approximately $350 million to $400 million worth of new spending in its economy each year, according to a report from the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

In November, the Joint Revenue Interim Committee approved a bill that authorized Gov. Mark Gordon to expand Medicaid in Wyoming. Last session, after a Medicaid expansion bill advanced out of committee, it failed in the House of Representatives by a 36-23 vote. Since there hasn’t been a general election since then, some of those same lawmakers will have to change their minds for the new bill to gain approval.




BILLS TO WATCH

There are plenty of indicators that the state is struggling to provide adequate mental health treatment to its citizens. Wyoming has the second-highest suicide rate in the country, and the suicide rate among the state’s older teenagers has increased by 40% over the past three years.

Those statistics have gained the attention of many in the Legislature who hope to begin improving access to mental health treatment in Wyoming.

One measure approved by the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee would create a task force composed of legislators, health care providers and law enforcement officials to take a comprehensive look at how the state’s mental health services could be improved. The task force would be similar in setup to one established in 2005. Rep. Sue Wilson, R-Cheyenne, said she developed the bill after realizing about 80% of the problems identified then still exist today.

Even if the Legislature’s general disdain for task forces keeps that bill from gaining approval, other legislation related to mental health treatment could be considered during this year’s session. One bill would require the Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Department of Corrections to reduce recidivism rates by improving access to mental health care providers in the state, a collaboration that could lead to a more efficient, effective system.

Additionally, Wyoming has been the only state that lacks a local call center for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. During a recent Joint Appropriations Committee meeting, a Department of Health representative said the lack of an in-state call center has led to longer wait times for callers and connected them with providers who are unfamiliar with Wyoming’s services and providers.

The $1 million request from the Department of Health to establish an in-state call center was rejected by Gordon in his initial budget proposal. But last month, the governor reversed course, recommending $400,000 worth of ongoing funds to set up the center. In his letter to the JAC outlining his request, Gordon wrote that after conversations with experts, he determined $400,000 was enough to establish the call center.


KEY LAWMAKERSRep. Sue Wilson, R-Cheyenne, chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, [email protected]

Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, [email protected]

Funding for the Wyoming Department of Corrections will be a key issue to watch as state lawmakers craft the state’s budget for the upcoming 2021-22 biennium.

Staffing levels at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins and the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk have been hovering around 70% of what they should be, and DOC Director Bob Lampert has said the current prison conditions create safety risks for both officers and inmates.

Since fiscal year 2010, the department has seen a 4.6% drop in authorized positions due to budget cuts. Meanwhile, the state’s prison population has grown 12% over the same period. One of the biggest problems that has emerged from that dynamic is a severe shortage of beds for inmates in the state’s prison system.

Wyoming now houses more than 150 of its inmates in county jails across the state and in a private prison in Mississippi. While the department asked for nearly $7.5 million in funding to continue housing inmates in those facilities, Gov. Mark Gordon authorized $5 million to continue the practice.

Overall, in its budget request to Gordon, the DOC asked for about $22 million in additional funding for a wide variety of programs and needs. Gordon recommended funding roughly $8 million worth of those requests.

One of the requests rejected by Gordon would fund hepatitis C testing and treatment for the state’s prison population. Roughly 8% of Wyoming’s inmate population has tested positive for the disease, well below the national average among prison populations.

Another important request centers on legislation passed last session that aims to lower recidivism rates by allowing judges and supervising officers to prescribe lesser punish-ments to people who violate their parole. In his budget proposal, Gordon rejected a $3.5 million request for the program. Part of that funding would create a new parole agent to oversee the program enacted by House Bill 53, while the rest would allow for expansion of its existing network.

Regardless of what the Legislature does with those funds, the incarceration issues in Wyoming aren’t going away.



Rep. Sue Wilson, R-Cheyenne, chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, [email protected]

While a bill related to the storage of spent nuclear fuel rods may not emerge during this session, it is still a worthwhile topic to keep an eye on, just in case. The Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee originally considered a bill that would authorize the governor to negotiate with the U.S. Department of Energy over the storage, but the bill was pulled upon the realization that legislative authorization wasn’t necessary for those negotiations.

Yet since the committee’s last meeting in November, Gordon has taken no action on the possibility of storing more than 100 million pounds of nuclear waste in Wyoming – a sign that he could be waiting to see if the Legislature does anything with the plan this session.

While public opposition and concerns over the project’s feasibility have cooled interest in the plan, the biggest question is how much money Wyoming would get from the Department of Energy to store the fuel rods. Estimates have shown the storage program would net the state $10 million in annual revenue, though Sen. Jim Anderson, R-Casper, who co-chairs the Minerals Committee, said the figure could rise significantly through negotiations with the Department of Energy.

During the committee’s November meeting, lawmakers heard a report on a possible alternative destination for the spent fuel rods: a thorium-based power plant. Engineers from Filbe Energy explained how the state could become a leader in the nascent thorium-based energy industry.

Thorium does not produce carbon dioxide emissions, so the engineers argued Wyoming could send thorium-based energy to states like California that have restrictive emissions standards. They also said thorium is the only way to destroy nuclear waste permanently.

It’s possible the Legislature does nothing with either of these possibilities. But given the level of public interest in the proposals, the issue will be worth tracking this session in the Capitol.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Jim Anderson, R-Casper, chairman of the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee, [email protected]

Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, former member of the Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee, [email protected]

MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE

PRISON ISSUES


BILLS TO WATCH

It’s no secret Wyoming will have less money to work with in its budgets over the coming years. How lawmakers will respond to that reality, however, remains unclear.

With a $250 million revenue shortfall projected for the coming years, some lawmakers are adamant that the only way Wyoming can avoid catastrophic cuts to K-12 education is by approving new or increased tax measures.

Of course, tax proposals are wildly unpopular in Wyoming. But the most dreaded proposal, an individual state income tax, isn’t on the table for this legislative session. Lawmakers argued their bills aim to mitigate the impact of any new taxation on Wyomingites.

Two main taxation bills will be on the slate during this session. The first proposal is for a corporate income tax on companies with more than 100 shareholders. While last session’s bill applied only to retailers, restaurants and hotels with more than 100 stakeholders, this year’s legislation would impose a 7% tax on all businesses that meet that stakeholder threshold.

While the new version of the legislation is likely to still be opposed by groups like the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, lawmakers argue the bill’s new structure applies the tax in a way that doesn’t unfairly target any particular industry.

The bill wouldn’t solve all of the state’s revenue problems, but both chairmen of the Revenue Committees maintain the new tax would at least bolster the state’s economic profile. A report from the Wyoming Department of Revenue projected the tax would produce $23.1 million in revenue in its first year, while administrative costs were estimated at $5.6 million the first year and about $1.6 million each following year.

The main other revenue-generating proposal with a chance to pass the Legislature this session is a lodging tax. While the Joint Revenue Interim Committee didn’t take up the proposal as an interim topic, an individual bill could emerge as the session cranks up, and the governor has expressed a willingness to sign a lodging tax bill if it makes it to his desk. Yet last year’s bill failed by a wide margin in the Senate, so a similar fight would likely be in store for whoever might choose to sponsor such a bill.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Cale Case, R-Lander, chairman of the Senate Revenue Committee, [email protected]


With the state facing millions of dollars worth of unmet needs for its roads and bridges, this session could be key in determining whether the Legislature will take steps to solve its deficit. Tolling Interstate 80 has been discussed in the Legislature for years, and it’s possible the state’s economic profile will force lawmakers to take the proposal more seriously this year.

In August, the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee approved a bill that would authorize the creation of a master tolling plan and give authority to the Wyoming Department of Transportation to begin setting up construction of the tolls. Yet the bill only passed by a 7-6 vote, a sign of the resistance the measure will likely face during the legislative session.

However, a crucial aspect of the bill has gone largely unnoticed by the public – people with vehicles registered in Wyoming would likely be exempt from paying the tolls. The bill requires WYDOT’s master plan to identify “means and methods to relieve owners of Wyoming registered vehicles of the financial impact of toll fees.”

If tolling is too unpopular to gain passage, the Legislature could turn to another option to fund its road: increasing the state’s fuel tax. During the interim, the Transportation Committee approved a bill that would raise the state’s gasoline and diesel tax by 3 cents per gallon.

Through the new tax, which would also provide some revenue to cities and counties, the state would have roughly an additional $13 million per year to put toward road maintenance. If passed, the 3-cent increase would mark the first time Wyoming has raised its gas tax since 2014.


KEY LAWMAKERSRep. John Eklund, R-Cheyenne, chairman of the House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, [email protected]

Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Gillette, chairman of the Senate Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee, [email protected]

For more than a year, State Public Defender Diane Lozano has warned the Legislature that her office is essentially in crisis due to heavy caseloads and struggles to retain attorneys. The issue entered the spotlight in May when Lozano said her office could no longer accept misdemeanor cases in Campbell County because of those issues.

Lozano’s refusal to take on the cases led the Campbell County Circuit Court to hold her in contempt and fining her $1,500 a day until her local office resumed accepting misdemeanor cases. In response, Lozano filed suit, and the Wyoming Supreme Court heard her case last month. As of mid-January, the court had not reached a decision in the case.

Now, it’s up to the Legislature to determine how much financial support it will provide to the Public Defender’s Office for the 2021-22 biennium. Gov. Mark Gordon’s budget proposal recommends $34.8 million for the biennium, including $3 million to offer more competitive salaries to attorneys.

In December, speaking before the Joint Appropriations Committee, Lozano said the funding included in the governor’s proposal will help her office meet its long-standing needs. While the Legislature will ultimately decide the office’s funding levels, other bills likely to be discussed this session could also improve the office’s situation.

For example, a bill recently approved by the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee would remove jail time for certain low-level traffic violations, freeing up public defenders to work more efficiently on other cases. The Judiciary Committee also approved a bill that would set indigency standards for people to qualify for public defender representation, potentially eliminating some confusion in the judicial process.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, [email protected]

Rep. Dan Kirkbride, R-Chugwater, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, [email protected]

PUBLIC DEFENDER STAFFING

TAXATION POSSIBILITIES

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING


Many of us are struggling with the reality that a beloved member of theWyoming community is dying. Coal has been a strong and steady presence in our family for years. Coalis why my kids have amazing public schools. Coal has been core to our identity, and many can’t imagineWyoming without it.But dying it is. Sure, just like a beloved uncle, we haven’t always agreed on everything. But when it comes down to it, the steady presence of coal has been worth more thangold toWyoming.

When someone is in hospice, denial doesn’t do anyone any good. In order to die with dignity, we need self-awareness. Hospice also means that we take care of the industry,and particularly the workers of that industry, during this transition. And we need to plan for what comes next. If we don’t accept the reality of hospice, everyone suffers.

I grew up in Iron River, Michigan, in a beautiful, small-town, post-mining reality. Like all small towns I’ve ever known (and I’ve known a bunch) Iron River was a place of deepcommunity bonds, neighborliness, and pride. It was also a place caught in the grip of poverty that had been set up by not enough planning and anticipation of the demise ofiron ore.

It is because I grew up in Iron River that I’m running for the US Senate. I’ve seen one potential future forWyoming, and it makes my heart ache to think ofWyoming going thatway. My childhood featured too much poverty, too many suicides, too many kids coming to school without lunch, too much crumbling infrastructure. The bathrooms didn’twork half of the time in my junior high. And a few years after my family left, a close family friend nearly died in a gas pipe explosion in the high school because the schooldistrict couldn’t afford basic maintenance.

This is a portrait of what happens when the boom and busts of an industry finally bust for good.

I’ve also lived in communities that took planning for a sustainable future seriously.We were able to live an inexpensive, high quality life using just 10% of the resources of youraverage American.We did it by cooperating, planning and making decisions from a place of caring about each other and the planet.Either future is possible forWyoming.We need leaders with the vision to embrace what is possible when we are acting in solidarity with our neighbors, and when we trust eachother to be creative and smart enough to forge our own way.

I trust the people ofWyoming to be up to the challenge. It’s time tomove out of denial and into creatively visioning andworking for a postcarbonWyoming that works for all of us.

Yana Ludwig is the author of Together Resilient: Building Community in the Age of Climate Disruption, and a candidate for Wyoming’s US Senate seat in 2020.

Coal is in Hospice.What’s next?paid advertisement

With Wyoming facing a substantial deficit in its K-12 education funding in coming years, the Legislature could take action this session to reexamine its funding model and determine what changes, if any, need to be made. A bill up for consideration this session would establish a Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration to look at those issues.

If the bill gains approval, it wouldn’t be the first time a select committee was established to explore how Wyoming could change its funding setup. During the 2018 budget session, Wyoming lawmakers unanimously rejected a change to the funding model proposed after meetings of a similar select committee.

Yet with the state’s structural revenue deficit projected to grow until at least 2024, having a direct impact on the state’s K-12 funding, some lawmakers think another crack at recalibration

is worth it. The Joint Education Committee sponsored the legislation to create a new committee to study the issue, at a cost of $80,000.

While massive overhaul of the funding model doesn’t appear likely to emerge from this legislative session, the long-term efforts to find the most efficient ways to fund school districts will be worth keeping an eye on.


KEY LAWMAKERSSen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, [email protected]

Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, chairman of the House Education Committee, [email protected]

K-12 SCHOOL FINANCE

BILLS TO WATCH


One of the primary arguments against the corpo-rate income tax is how it might deter new invest-ments in the state. But Rieman, who now serves as executive director of the Wyoming County Commis-sioners Association, argued the state’s current eco-nomic profile doesn’t do much to attract new businesses and investments.

“If you talk to the business community, there’s not a whole lot of confidence in terms of Wyoming’s tax structure,” he said. “We can sell all day that we have low corporate income taxes and all the other things, but corporations are good at looking at our bottom line and the internal conversations of a state and say-ing, ‘Yeah, it may be there now, but how long is it going to be there?’ So, I do think this tax conversation has to happen, and it has to happen quick.”

The main other revenue-generating proposal with a chance to pass the Legislature this session is a lodg-ing tax. While the Joint Revenue Interim Committee didn’t take up the proposal as an interim topic, an in-dividual bill could emerge as the session cranks up, and the governor has expressed a willingness to sign

a lodging tax bill if it makes it to his desk. Yet last year’s bill failed by a wide margin in the Senate, so a similar fight would likely be in store for whoever might choose to sponsor such a bill.

Christine Bekes, who serves as president of the Wyoming Economic Development Association, said her group supports a lodging tax for the effect it would have on the state’s tourism industry. Approval of such a bill would also fit into her association’s larg-er hopes for the session.

“From an economic development perspective, what we hope not to see are attempts at quick fixes,” Bekes said.

Bekes was one of several sources who lauded the governor’s Power Wyoming initiative, which aims to provide comprehensive analysis of the state’s reve-nue streams going forward and the policies driving those changes.

Power Wyoming’s initial report, presented to the Joint Revenue Committee in November, outlined the high likelihood of the state’s deficit increasing by $200 million annually in coming years – a reality that Rieman said needs to be laid out clearly.

“The value of (Power Wyoming) is you’ll be able to give both internally for the governor’s office and ex-ecutive branch, but also for the legislative branch and the public, a view of where we’ll be at,” Rieman said. “I think that’s an important piece of the equation.”

Yet it remains unclear whether Power Wyoming will drive lawmakers to make structural change during this legislative session. At the end of the 2019 legislative session in March, Gordon spoke of his frustrations with the Legislature’s inability to pass any substantial revenue-generating legislation.

“I was a little disappointed we saw some pretty ma-ture conversation all the way through the session, and then at the end it all kind of rolled back, and we ended up in the same place,” Gordon said at the time.

This year, when the Legislature adjourns March 12, it’s possible Gordon will express the same frus-trations. But first, lawmakers will have an opportu-nity to better position Wyoming as it enters an increasingly volatile situation.

Tom Coulter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s state government reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] or 307-633-3124. Follow him on Twitter at @tomcoulter_.

Continued from page 3

Budget: Lodging tax bill could emerge

After spending four sessions at the Jonah Business Center, the state Legislature will return to its home in the Capitol for this year’s budget session.

The temporary displacement was a result of the Capitol undergoing a four-year, $300 million-plus renovation, which had been viewed as overdue by many who spent long hours in the building.

The Capitol renovation itself, along with the building of the Capitol extension, cost about $138 million. With the remodel of the adjacent Herschler Building, the creation of an entirely new central utility plant and the cost to move the Legislature out of the Capitol during the project, the final cost ended up at about $317 million.

For those wishing to visit during

the legislative session, the Capitol is open to the public beginning at 6:30 a.m. and remains open until the last committee meeting of the day has adjourned.

Parking is available on the streets surrounding the Capitol, and visitors can also use the state parking lot, locat-ed at the corner of 25th Street and Pioneer Avenue.

When coming to the Capitol with a group of 10 people or more, visitors should schedule their visit in advance by emailing Legislative Information Officer Riana Davidson at riana. [email protected].

The galleries on the third floor are designed for visitors to observe legislative floor proceedings in the Senate and House galleries. Seating is first come, first serve in the galleries.

Budget session to be held back in the state Capitol

BACK IN THE CAPITOL

East-facing windows have been restored to the House Chamber in the Capitol. After spending four sessions at the Jonah Business Center, the state Legislature will return to its home in the Capitol for this year’s budget session. Rachel Girt/courtesy


HOW TO GET INVOLVED A BILL BECOMES LAW IN 10 STEPS

Attending committee meetings to voice your opinion on issues be-fore the Legislature is a great way to take part in the process. Here are a few guidelines:

TO ATTENDWhen you arrive at

the committee meeting room, please sign the official meeting atten-dance sheet, indicating your attendance at the committee meeting.

You can keep track of the committee’s sched-ule by reading the no-tices on the committee room door, or by check-ing the Legislature’s website. There, you can also sign up for email alerts for committee

meetings through the Legislative Service Office.

TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE

Individuals who wish to address the commit-tee will be recognized and called on by the chairman to speak.

After the chairman has recognized you, please stand and ad-dress the chairman (i.e. “Mr. Chairman”). Then clearly state your name and the name of the or-ganization you repre-sent prior to addressing the committee.

Be brief and don’t repeat what another speaker has said. If your statement is similar to

previous comments, you may simply state that you agree with a previous speaker.

All comments, ques-tions and responses must flow through the chairman by address-ing the chairman each time you wish to speak.

This procedure en-sures an orderly flow of discussion during the committee meeting.

TO GIVE A HANDOUT TO THE COMMITTEE

If you would like to provide written infor-mation to the commit-tee and you would like your handout to be part of the official commit-tee record, please fill

out the committee handout form when you arrive at the meeting room and give the form and a copy of your handout (including an electronic copy, if available) to the com-mittee staff.

Please bring enough copies of your informa-tion for the committee, the committee staff and interested mem-bers of the audience. You also can email an electronic copy to leg [email protected].

Please include the committee name, meeting date, docu-ment author, document provider and agenda item in the body of the email.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Do you want to attend a committee meeting?

NO INTERNET ACCESS?Legislative Service Office: 307-777-7881

Senate Receptionist: 307-777-7711 (message for senator)

House Receptionist: 307-777-7852 (message for representative)

Voter Hotline/Bill Status Hotline: 866-996-8683 or 307-777-8683 (in Cheyenne). Use to recommend a vote for/against pending legislation or to obtain the status of a bill in process.

Hearing Impaired Service: 800-877-9965 (Wyoming Relay Service)

During the legislative ses-sion, you can recommend support for or opposition to a particular piece of legislation by using the Online Hotline.

In addition to expressing support for or opposition to an identified bill, you can leave a short comment re-garding the bill. This service is available on the Legisla-ture’s website at http://wyo-leg.gov/Legislation, under the “Other Resources” tab.

Comments will be avail-able to all legislators, but keep in mind that legislators

consider a variety of actors when making decisions on pending legislation.

The telephone hotline also is available toll-free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those without internet access.

In Wyoming, the number is 866-996-8683. For callers within the Cheyenne area, the number is 307-777-8683. Callers will not be able to leave comments regarding a bill.

The information you pro-vide using these services is considered a public record.

1 The process starts with an idea from citizens,

legislators or a legislative committee. Then House bills go to the House. Their Senate counterparts, Senate files, go to the Senate. In a budget session, all non-budget bills must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote to be introduced for consideration.

2 Bills must pass a first reading on the House or

Senate floor to be referred to a standing committee.

3 In a House or Senate standing committee:

Each standing committee reviews the bills and invites the public to appear and present testimony, as well as discusses the proposed legislation. This is where public input can affect a bill prior to legislative debates. When the standing committee is ready for a decision, a vote is taken:

� Do pass � Do not pass � Do pass as amended � Without recommendation

4 Committee of the Whole: Endorses or

rejects the standing committee’s recommendation on the bill.

5Second reading of the bill: This is where the bill

is first openly discussed on the House or Senate floor. Amendments are frequently introduced. A bill must be voted on to reach third reading.

6Third reading of the bill: Amendments are again

permitted during third reading. Final passage of a bill on third reading is by a roll-call vote. If the bill is amended in the House and passed on third reading, it is then engrossed (amendments are inserted into the bill) and sent across the Capitol to go through a similar process in the Senate. Vice versa for Senate files. If a bill passes both houses without amendments in the second chamber, it is then signed by

presiding officers in the House and Senate and sent to the governor for action.

7Request for concurrence: If the bill

is amended by the second legislative body, a message is sent to the other chamber requesting that the legislators approve, or “concur,” with the amendments. If the legislators vote to “concur,” the bill is enrolled, signed by the residing officer and sent to the governor for action.

8Joint conference committee: If the

original body votes not to concur with amendments made in the second chamber, the bill is sent to a joint conference committee to work out a compromise between the House and Senate positions. A joint conference committee consists of three members of the House and three members of the Senate. When a bill has been passed in identical form by the House and Senate, it is then enrolled, signed by the presiding officers and sent to the governor for action.

9Governor’s action on the bill: Upon

presentation of the enrolled act, the governor may:

� Approve and sign the bill � Allow the bill to become

law without his signature by taking no action

� Veto portions of the bill � Veto the bill (If the

governor vetoes the bill, it may still become law if both the House and Senate vote to override the veto. The vote to override requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.)

10Session laws and Wyoming state

statutes: Once the bill becomes law, it is then printed and bound into Wyoming Session Laws. The new law is then placed into the appropriate parts of the Wyoming State Statutes.


ONLINE HIGHLIGHTSEven the worst technophobes have easy access to up-to-the-minute information directly from the Legislative Service Office. This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive look at the Legislature’s website. But it does show that the ability to keep an eye on your elected representatives and let them know what you think is at the tip of your fingers. Visit http://wyoleg.gov.

Identify leaders/committee members

Here, the leadership and committee members are identified, and the links lead to their phone numbers and email addresses.

HOMEPAGE

COMMITTEE MEMBERSSESSION SCHEDULES

When are debates and hearings?

The schedules, calendar and meetings links tell you when to go to the Capitol if you are interested in hearing debates or committee hearings on a particular bill.

Direct contact with legislators

You can, of course, fire off an email to your legislator. The effectiveness depends on your legislator’s ability and willingness to check email during a busy session. Phone numbers are also available.

HOUSE/SENATE MEMBERS

AUDIO RECORDINGSAll of the floor debates and proceedings will be archived here and posted daily. But the files will be large MP3s covering many hours. Researchers can expect to spend hours if they are looking for something specific.

BILL INFORMATIONThe Legislation tab leads you to the area where you can follow the progress of each bill, see the amendments added to it and the final version.

DON’T OVERLOOK THESE LINKSThese links are worth exploring. The numbers, the law and quick Google search of this site are available. The Citizen Engagement tab will take you to the information about attending legislative sessions and committee hearings.


TRACK BILLS ONLINEThere are several ways to track bills through the legislative process. Committee-sponsored bills traditionally have a better shot at making their way into law than those introduced by individual members. On the 2020 bill information page, you can view summaries of committee-sponsored bills that are linked to PDF files of the actual bills, track a bill’s status and find technical information, such as bill abbreviations.

A HANDY DROP-DOWN MENU FOR SORTING BILLSA pull-down menu allows you to view the bills by house or all at once. Though they are all pieces of proposed legislation, in the House they are called “House bills,” while in the Senate they are called “Senate files.” This page is updated as the bill status changes and is a good spot to see where any bill is on a given day.

TABS OUTLINE THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESSWhen you click on a bill, there are seven tabs to guide you through the process. A column on the right of the text includes links to the estimated fiscal and/or personnel impact and where the new legislation will appear in the law if it’s accepted.

BILL INFORMATION PAGE

ALL BILLS

VOTES ON BILLS

LOOK UP THE VOTES BY BILLClick on a bill, then go to the votes tab to bring up committee or floor votes.

2020 WYOMING LEGISLATURE PREVIEW 1312 2020 WYOMING LEGISLATURE PREVIEW

ON LOCATION

How to navigate the state Capitol

DAYTON- SELMAN

FREEMAN

TASS JENNINGS

EDWARDS LAURSEN

HALLINAN POWNALL

BARLOW GREEAR

WINTER FLITNER

SCHWARTZ YIN

NEWSOME EYRE

KINNER DUNCAN

STITH WESTERN

BLAK

E

OBERMUELLER

SWEENEY

PIIPARINEN

PAXTON

NORTHRUP

CLEM MILLER LARSEN

CLIFFORD SALAZAR

KIRKBRIDE BURKHART

SIMPSON CRANK

WASHUT GRAY

MACGUIRE LOUCKS HARSHMAN FURPHY

CL

AUSE

N

WALTERS

BLACKBURN

PELKEY CONNOLLY

WILSON BURLINGAME

HENDERSON STYVAR

ZWONITZER

EKLUND

HUNT

BROWN

LINDHOLM SOMMERS

HALEY ROSCOE

Sixty-FiFth State of Wyoming LegiSLature

houSe oF repreSentativeS Seating Chart

SPEAKER

ASSISTANT CHIEF CLERK CHIEF CLERK READER

OLSEN

NICHOLAS


Senate Seating Chart

MONIZ ELLIS

SCOTT BOUCHARD

COE PERKINS

NETHERCOTT KINSKEY

BEBOUT DRISKILL

HICKS AGAR

STEINMETZ BITEMAN

SCHULER PAPPAS JAMES

HUTCHINGS

LANDEN

DOCKSTADER VON FLATERN CASE

ANDERSON BALDWIN

KOST GIERAU

ANSELMI-DALTON

ROTHFUSS

WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE • 200 W. 24th Street • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307)777-7881 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov

PRESIDENT

CHIEF CLERK ASSISTANT CHIEF CLERK READER

WASSERBURGER BONER

E210 E206

HOUSE ATTORNEYS

E226

E229E227E225

HOUSEBREAKROOM

E207E205E203

WW210WW204

W201W20W203

W211W213WW215

SENATEBREAKROOM

W207 W205

SENATEATTORNEYS

W226

E304 E306

E326 E328 E330 E332

E315E313CHIEFCLERK

E321

E305E303W301W303SENATE

RECEPTIONW305

W321W311W313

W326 W324 W322

W304 W302

CHIEFCLERK

HOUSERECEPTION

E307

▲NORTH

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

Eric Barlow, R-GilletteJim Blackburn, R-CheyenneStan Blake, D-Green RiverLandon Brown, R-CheyenneDonald Burkhart Jr., R-RawlinsSara Burlingame, D-CheyenneAaron Clausen, R-DouglasScott Clem, R-GilletteAndi Clifford, D-RivertonCathy Connolly, D-LaramieTom Crank, R-KemmererJoAnn Dayton-Selman, D-Rock SpringsShelly Duncan, R-LingleRoy Edwards, R-GilletteJohn Eklund, R-CheyenneDanny Eyre, R-LymanJamie Flitner, R-GreybullJohn Freeman, D-Green RiverDan Furphy, R-LaramieChuck Gray, R-CasperMike Greear, R-WorlandBill Haley, R-CentennialTim Hallinan, R-GilletteSteve Harshman, R-CasperBill Henderson, R-CheyenneHans Hunt, R-NewcastleMark Jennings, R-SheridanMark Kinner, R-SheridanDan Kirkbride, R-Chugwater

Lloyd Larsen, R-LanderDan Laursen, R-PowellTyler Lindholm, R-SundanceBunky Loucks, R-CasperJoe MacGuire, R-CasperDavid Miller, R-RivertonSandy Newsome, R-CodyBob Nicholas, R-CheyenneDavid Northrup, R-PowellJerry Obermueller, R-CasperJared Olsen, R-CheyenneJerry Paxton, R-EncampmentCharles Pelkey, D-LaramieGarry Piiparinen, R-EvanstonBill Pownall, R-GilletteJim Roscoe, I-WilsonTim Salazar, R-RivertonAndy Schwartz, D-JacksonEvan Simpson, R-AftonAlbert Sommers, R-PinedaleClark Stith, R-Rock SpringsClarence Styvar, R-CheyennePat Sweeney, R-CasperRichard Tass, R-BuffaloTom Walters, R-CasperArt Washut, R-CasperCyrus Western, R-SheridanSue Wilson, R-CheyenneJohn Winter, R-ThermopolisMike Yin, D-JacksonDan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne

REPRESENTATIVES


Senate Seating Chart

MONIZ ELLIS

SCOTT BOUCHARD

COE PERKINS

NETHERCOTT KINSKEY

BEBOUT DRISKILL

HICKS AGAR

STEINMETZ BITEMAN

SCHULER PAPPAS JAMES

HUTCHINGS

LANDEN

DOCKSTADER VON FLATERN CASE

ANDERSON BALDWIN

KOST GIERAU

ANSELMI-DALTON

ROTHFUSS

WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE • 200 W. 24th Street • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307)777-7881 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov

PRESIDENT

CHIEF CLERK ASSISTANT CHIEF CLERK READER

WASSERBURGER BONER

SENATORSWyatt Agar, R-ThermopolisJim Anderson, R-CasperLiisa Anselmi-Dalton, D-Rock SpringsFred Baldwin, R-KemmererEli Bebout, R-RivertonBo Biteman, R-RanchesterBrian Boner, R-DouglasAnthony Bouchard, R-CheyenneCale Case, R-LanderHank Coe, R-CodyDan Dockstader, R-AftonOgden Driskill, R-Devils TowerAffi e Ellis, R-CheyenneMike Gierau, D-JacksonLarry Hicks, R-BaggsLynn Hutchings, R-CheyenneTom James, R-Rock SpringsDave Kinskey, R-SheridanR.J. Kost, R-PowellBill Landen, R-CasperGlenn Moniz, R-LaramieTara Nethercott, R-CheyenneStephan Pappas, R-CheyenneDrew Perkins, R-CasperChris Rothfuss, D-LaramieWendy Schuler, R-EvanstonCharles Scott, R-CasperCheri Steinmetz, R-LingleMichael Von Flatern, R-GilletteJeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette

TENTATIVE SCHEDULEAssumes Legislature will not convene on Saturdays; schedule subject to change without notice. (Note: Although budget sessions are normally 20 business days, this is a 24-day schedule due to four extra days being carried over from the 2019 general session.)

Day 1: Monday, Feb. 10Session convenes with joint session at 10 a.m., which includes Gov. Mark Gordon’s State of the State address.

Day 3: Wednesday, Feb. 12Noon deadline for all bill drafts to be in fi nal form at LSO.

Day 5: Friday, Feb. 14Last day for bill introductions.

Day 11: Monday, Feb. 24Last day for bills to be reported out of committee in their house of origin.

Day 12: Tuesday, Feb. 25Last day for Committee of the Whole in house of origin.

Day 13: Wednesday, Feb. 26Last day for second reading in

house of origin.

Day 14: Thursday, Feb. 27Last day for third reading on bills in house of origin (also known as crossover).

Day 19: Thursday, March 5Last day for bills to be reported out of committee in second house.

Day 20: Friday, March 6Last day for Committee of the Whole on bills in second house.

Day 21: Monday, March 9Last day for second reading on bills in second house.

Day 22: Tuesday, March 10Last day for third reading on bills in second house.

Day 23: Wednesday, March 11Concurrence on amendments/Joint Conference Committee reports.

Day 24: Thursday, March 12All Joint Conference Committee reports due to the front desk by 2 p.m. Adjourn by midnight.

BRING THIS PAGE WITH YOU TO HELP NAVIGATE THE BUILDING AND LOCATE LEGISLATORS’ SEATS


LARAMIE COUNTY

By Margaret AustinWyoming Tribune Eagle

CHEYENNE – A bill that will go be-fore the Legislature this session would allow cities and towns to impose their own excise taxes, and it has the backing of both the Wyoming County Commis-sioners Association and the Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

House Bill 47, which came out of the Legislature’s Joint Revenue Interim

Committee, would change a number of details regarding local sales and use taxes, if passed.

For Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr, the largest benefit is that Cheyenne would be able to im-pose its own sales tax to fund specific or general projects.

Previously, such action could only be taken by the county, state or resort districts.

“This would allow cities and towns across the state the ability to

chart their own course when it comes to funding local needs,” Orr said.

These new tax measures would still need to be approved by voters, but would allow the city to ask for funding for projects like new fire stations, which Orr said is a major issue for her city. The fire stations on Dell Range Boulevard and Commerce Circle are in need of renovation, and the city is unsure how to pay for them.

“What this would allow us to do is go to the voters and ask specifically for

funds to replace that fire station,” Orr said. “But it would be just citywide.”

Previously, similar measures had to be approved countywide.

Laramie County Board of Commis-sioners Chairwoman Amber Ash said the measure could increase funding in Cheyenne, which would benefit other towns in the county.

“If Cheyenne becomes more self-sufficient, that would certainly benefit the smaller communities,” Ash said.

Heading into the budget session,

Cheyenne is slated to receive about $93,000 less from the state than in years past. Funding that used to be given to larger cities will be disbursed across the smaller municipalities in the state – a switch Orr is comfortable with because the towns don’t have the same power to raise money through sales tax due to a smaller population.

With this bill, Orr said Cheyenne would be able to make up for a de-crease in state funding. Ash added that projects that advance the develop-

ment of the economy benefit the whole county.

“Ultimately, all our budgets and economies are intertwined,” Ash said.

The bill would also allow municipali-ties to extend taxes like the fifth-penny sales tax to become permanent through election. Counties can cur-rently extend the tax through resolu-tion, but this would allow the matter to be brought in front of the voters.

“That’s how we fund local govern-ment,” Orr said.

Bill would let municipalities implement their own taxes

Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr speaks to a constituent during the speed repping event Nov. 5, 2019, at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne. The event featured a dozen elected officials who listened to constituents for four minutes each before switching to a new person. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle

“This would allow cities and towns across the state the ability to

chart their own course

when it comes to

funding local needs.”

Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr


Ash said the county currently renews the fifth penny with voters’ approval, which is not a priority to change because residents like being able to vote for the taxes they pay. She also said counties across the state have already done so by resolution.

In addition to allowing cities and towns to imple-ment their own taxes, the bill would lessen the support required to put initiatives on the countywide ballot.

Right now, in order for a project to get put on a bal-

lot such as the sixth-penny sales tax, two-thirds of municipalities in the county need to approve the measure. If the bill is passed, the threshold for ap-proval would be lowered to 50%. Both Ash and Orr said meeting the two-thirds threshold hasn’t proven to be an issue in Laramie County.

Laramie County is comprised of five municipali-ties, so the change would lower the local require-ment from 4/5 to 3/5.

“In the past, we’ve really worked closely with the smaller communities and the county itself, so that re-ally hasn’t been the issue,” Orr said.

If the bill is passed by the Legislature this session, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2021.

Margaret Austin is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s local government reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or 307-633-3152. Follow her on Twitter at @MargaretMAustin.

LARAMIE COUNTY LEGISLATORSSUEWILSONREPUBLICAN

House District 7, Cheyenne

HD 7 covers the area north of Melton, Bluegrass Circle, Storey Boulevard extension and Dell Range Boulevard in Cheyenne, all the way north to Platte County, with major borders being Interstate 25, the Albany County line and Christensen Road.

Legislative experience: 2013-present

Age: 59

Employment: Owner, La Frontera Language Services

What are your priorities for the 2020 budget session?

“In general, keep state expenditures in line with revenues. As chairwoman of the Labor Committee, improve access to health care, particularly mental health services.”

Session contact information: 307-316-7497, [email protected]

BOBNICHOLASREPUBLICAN


HD 8 primarily covers the area north of Pershing Boulevard on the west side of Cheyenne near Interstate 25.


Age: 62

Current employment: Business person and attorney


“This year is a budget session, and I will be wearing two hats. As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, it is my job to help

prepare and submit a balanced budget to the Legislature. This requires being fiscally sound with current dollars and working to ensure there are adequate revenues streams to balance our budget in future years.

“As a representative of Laramie County, I work to protect the interests of the county and the city of Cheyenne, and provide assistance to the voters who graciously allow me to serve them.”


LANDONBROWNREPUBLICAN


HD 9 covers the area north of Dell Range Boulevard from the post office on the east side of Cheyenne. It includes the attendance areas of Dildine, Buffalo Ridge and Anderson elementary schools, as well as some areas on the south side of Dell Range Boulevard.


Age: 32

Current employment: Director, Annual Grants & Giving, CRMC Foundation


“Stabilizing our budget and looking for longer- term solutions for our state’s economic viability. Reducing the burden on our savings account, while maintaining a business friendly atmosphere that attracts and retains young families in Wyoming.”


JOHNEKLUNDREPUBLICAN

House District 10, Albin

HD 10 covers the eastern half of Laramie County and a small portion of

Goshen County. Albin, Burns, Carpenter, Hills-dale and Pine Bluffs are all part of this district.


Age: 68

Current employment: Farmer/rancher


“The Wyoming Legislature needs to balance its budget. It’s a constitutional requirement of us. When I began 10 years ago, we were using funds and revenues that we received – mostly we were only using revenues that we had, and we were putting money into our savings. Now we’re supplementing the budget shortfalls with the saving capital we didn’t use to use.

“We need to have the conversations now concerning what we do when we’re out of money. I’m a conservative, and I don’t want my children and grandchildren to pay for the expenses we’ve incurred now, later.”


JAREDOLSENREPUBLICAN


HD 11 primarily covers the central part of Cheyenne, south of Pershing Boulevard and north of Campstool Road. College Drive is the district’s eastern border, and Central Avenue is the western border.

Legislative experience: 2017-current

Age: 32

Current employment: Small businessman and attorney at Olsen Legal Group LLC


“As a member of the Joint Appropriations Committee, my primary goal is to work to find long-term solutions to Wyoming’s budget shortfalls. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m assigned to work on the Department of Corrections budget.

“My goal is to continue what has now become my four-year project in criminal justice reform, but this time through directly working with the DOC budget. Our correctional facilities are at maximum capacity, and we cannot afford to build new facilities. We are currently forced to house inmates out of state. Better focusing our dollars on alternative sanctions, jail-based disorder treatment, cognitive behavioral interventions, and life skills training is proven to decrease probation revocations, decrease recidivism, and, if done properly, result in the largest cost-savings to the state the DOC has ever seen.”


CLARENCESTYVARREPUBLICAN


HD 12 primarily covers the area from Interstate 80 south to the Colorado state line. Its eastern border is South Greeley Highway, and its western border is the Albany County line.


Age: 55

Current employment: Supervisor, Union Pacific Railroad


“I’m going to make it simple: No new taxes. We need to look at our administrative costs and get them down.”


BILLHENDERSONREPUBLICAN


Legislators’ bios continue on page 16


LARAMIE COUNTY LEGISLATORSHD 41 primarily covers the central to northern areas of Cheyenne.


Age: 71

Current employment: Business development officer, FirsTier Bank


“Balancing our budget is job one. I’m working with others on improving access to affordable health care (including mental health treatment), funding education, promoting new job opportu-nities and workforce preparation with a pilot program for internship pathway opportunities.

“Support moving forward on reading proficiency improvements for students; and bringing legislation to have a conversation on needed Wyoming Retirement System plan adjustments, and requiring WRS to do an interim study to develop and report with recommendations to resolve impacts of inflation on our retirees.”


JIMBLACKBURNREPUBLICAN


HD 42 is bounded by the Ridley Road area to the north, Interstate 80 to the south, Interstate 25 to the east and the Albany County line to the west.


Age: 76

Current employment: Retired


Did not provide an answer.


DANZWONITZERREPUBLICAN


HD 43 covers south-central Laramie County, including eastern Cheyenne. It includes all of the Sun Valley area south of Pershing Boulevard and east of College Drive, as well as the area south of Allison Road to the Colorado state line east of

South Greeley Highway.


Age: 40

Current employment: LCCC-Academic Affairs


“As the chairman of the Revenue Committee, I am looking for a combination of significant cuts and possible revenue increases to solve our structural deficit in K-12 education funding. We have major decisions before us on whether we continue to fund services at current levels or make serious impactful cuts.”

Session contact information: 307-214-7826 [email protected]

SARABURLINGAMEDEMOCRAT


HD 44 primarily covers the downtown Cheyenne area, south of Pershing Boulevard and north of Interstate 80.


Age: 44

Current employment: Executive director, Wyoming Equality


“Diversifying the economy, and finding new revenue streams and holding firm to our commitment to education.”


TARANETHERCOTTREPUBLICAN

Senate District 4, Cheyenne

SD 4 primarily covers the central and northern portion of Cheyenne.


Age: 37

Current employment: Partner at Woodhouse, Roden and Nethercott


“In this budget session, the state’s economic

outlook must be a priority. Therefore, I look forward to focusing on thoughtful cuts and careful targeted spending directed on diversifying the economy and strengthening our resources.”


LYNNHUTCHINGSREPUBLICAN


SD 5 extends east to Powderhouse Road, west to Curt Gowdy State Park, north to County Road 221 and south near Interstate 80. It also includes F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

Legislative experience: 2013-2015 in HD 42, 2019-present in SD 5

Age: 59

Current employment: Retired Air National Guard


Did not provide an answer.


ANTHONYBOUCHARDREPUBLICAN


SD 6 covers all of eastern Laramie County, with an appendage extending into the northeast portion of Cheyenne. It also includes a narrow strip of Goshen County.


Age: 54

Current employment: Realtor


“We really need to keep working on transparency. We need to work on showing where all the coffee cans are and where the money is. All too often, we’re holding up an empty coffee can for an agency with a lot of full coffee cans, and we have tranches that we just don’t look at enough to make sure we’re spending the money properly.”


STEPHANPAPPASREPUBLICAN


SD 7 generally covers the area of southeast Cheyenne. It includes some areas south of Pershing Boulevard, east of South Greeley Highway and east of Central Avenue.


Age: 69

Current employment: President of Pappas and Pappas Architects P.C.


“I currently serve on the Senate Transportation Committee and on the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services committee. As always in a budget session, the main priority is working on a budget that provides for the need of the many constituencies in the State. Since we have been in an economic downturn for the last few years, it is critical that much thought be put into where our scarce dollars go to best help the people of Wyoming.”

Session contact information: 307 630-7180, [email protected]

AFFIEELLISREPUBLICAN


SD 8 primarily covers the area south of Pershing Boulevard to the Colorado state line and west of Central Avenue toward Albany County.


Age: 41

Current employment: Attorney


“I have three priorities going into the upcoming session. First, I’ll be leading two efforts to provide tax relief to Wyoming citizens, specifically for small business owners and for families purchasing essential health products. Second, I will work to establish a comprehensive framework for school safety and security. Finally, I will advance legislation to provide better data collection, reporting and law enforcement cooperation to address the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people.”




CARBON COUNTY

By Ellen FikeFor the Rawlins Times

RAWLINS – Rep. Donald Burkhart, R-Rawlins, is pretty excited to get back to the state Capitol in February.

While he made do in the Jonah Building these past few years, he believes that working on this year’s budget session will go much more smoothly now that the 90 legislators will be back in the hallowed halls of the Capitol.

“There’s just more of a legis-lative feel in there than there was in the Jonah Building,” he said. “You feel like you’re there doing the people’s work. I also think it will be much more for-mal. I also think being in these incredible conference rooms

will make it easier for the public to participate in these meetings. They can make a difference on the legislation being proposed.”

On Feb. 10, legislators from all over the state, including the three from Carbon County (Burkhart; Rep. Jerry Paxton, R-Encampment; and Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs) will return to Cheyenne for the 2020 budget session, which will take around three weeks from start to finish.

In that busy time, there will be a number of bills being writ-ten and signed into law. Some will be vetoed. Any non-budget bills will have to receive a two-thirds vote from both the House of Representatives and Senate to even be considered.

As of press time, there were

already 55 House bills and 41 Senate bills on the docket. More than 50 of the House bills and almost 40 of the Senate bills were considered active and are moving through the legislative process. However, none were listed as inactive or enrolled.

Burkhart currently sits on the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Com-mittee, which currently has five bills it’s sponsoring. The bills’ topics include the Wyoming coal marketing program, sage grouse mitigation credits and risk penalties, and mandatory royalties for drilling units.

“We want to clean up the lan-guage on these drilling permits, leases and those sorts of things,” Burkhart said.

Gov. Mark Gordon stated last

year that he supported the Bu-reau of Land Management’s changes to its sage grouse con-servation plan, which amended land-use plans for sage grouse habitat management on public lands, which provided 60 mil-lion acres of sagebrush steppe.

Burkhart believes that the sage grouse bill will be reason-able and doesn’t expect any controversy over it.

He said he feels that coal will be a dominating topic this year, but he hopes that the entire Leg-islature will begin to think about where Wyoming and the rest of the country will be in the next five years. He believes these next few years are critical to Wyoming’s future, and he wants to ensure they do what’s best for the state and its residents.

He noted that the budget is being finalized by the Joint Ap-propriations Committee, which is charged with handling any is-sues with the budget. He added that Gordon has sent the com-mittee 17 budget request letters for various amounts of money, which it will review and decide whether to accept or reject.

Although the state has seen an upswing in the economy and has some extra money this ses-sion, Burkhart believes that they should spend responsibly and possibly save some of it.

“I think we need to start preparing for the future,” he said. “I can’t say for sure if we’ll have this extra money by the time the next budget session comes around, so we need to act responsibly.”

Rawlins rep talks coal, energy resources

CARBON COUNTY LEGISLATORSDONALDBURKHARTREPUBLICAN

House District 15, Rawlins

HD 15 covers all of Rawlins, excluding the State Penitentiary, the city limits of Sinclair, and land between Sinclair and Rawlins on Interstate 80.


Age: 71

Current employment: Independent consultant in the oil and gas industry


“My priority for this year’s session is to help set goals and processes to secure Wyoming’s energy industry and the jobs for the workers in those industries, especially for the next five years, which are critical to Wyoming’s future.”

Session contact information: 307-324-6007

(home); 307-321-7074 (cell); P.O. Box 852, Rawlins, WY 82301; donald.burkhart@wyo leg.gov

JERRYPAXTONREPUBLICAN

House District 47, Encampment

HD 47 covers all of Carbon County, except for Rawlins and Sinclair; parts of Albany County, including Rock River; and about one-third of Sweetwater County, including Bairoil, Wamsutter, Farson and Eden.


Age: “Not relevant”

Current employment: Retired school principal


“Passing legislation that will diversify the

revenue stream to compensate for the reduction of revenue from the mineral extraction industry; passing legislation that will help cities, towns and counties to maintain services at an appropriate level; passing legislation to strengthen the career and technical education programs in the state; maintaining an appropriate level of funding for K-12 education.”


LARRYHICKSREPUBLICAN

Senate District 11, Baggs

SD 11 covers all of Carbon County and parts of Albany County, including Rock River.


Age: 61

Current employment: Natural resource

manager, Little Snake River Conservation District


“Trying to get a fiscally responsible budget. I’d like to see this generation live within their means, and we’re not doing that. When you have to borrow out of your savings to balance the overall budget, the trajectory that we’re currently on, within five to six years, we’re looking at pretty draconian measurements. It’s obvious what’s happening with the state of Wyoming, and our general fund revenues are just barely sufficient, assuming we don’t get any downturn. If we grow zero over the next four years, we’ll have a sufficient amount of money to do just the general operations, but let’s talk about all the other things we have to...

“… For the last four years, we’ve been borrowing money from our savings account for the purposes of funding K-12 education. And that’s actually getting worse because we don’t have a single education account.”

Session contact information: P.O. Box 413, Baggs, WY 82321; 307-380-7010 (residence); [email protected]


ALBANY COUNTY

By Jordan AchsLaramie Boomerang

LARAMIE – An amendment to the state’s local government distribution model proposed in January could ex-acerbate Laramie’s financial strug-gles, especially for funding projects and city services.

State Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, proposed an amendment during a Jan. 9 Joint Appropriations Committee meeting in Cheyenne that would give smaller cities a larger portion of the state’s local government distribution.

The potential amendment proposes to increase state distribution funding to smaller cities, likely at the expense of larger cities like Laramie. Although the exact details of the amendment aren’t quite clear yet, Senate Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, said if it will hurt Laramie’s contribu-tions, there’s no way he’ll support it.

“We’re not in a position where we even have an appropriate or equitable share of those resources, so anything that further eroded our revenue from that statewide distribution, that’s going to be something that I strongly oppose,” he said.

Also concerned by the idea of Lara-mie and Albany County losing funding, Rep. Dan Furphy, R-Laramie, said he’d “like to continue to fight for our city and county, the funding there.”

“It’s very much a concern, and I hope they don’t take further funds away,” he added.

The conversation is one that started even before the amendment was proposed.

Laramie’s top city officials have al-

ready discussed how the city’s share of the distribution has been shrinking.

As discussed during one of the Lara-mie City Council’s December work sessions, the new appropriation model, approved by the Legislature in fiscal year 2016-17, has given Laramie 14% less funding since the change was im-plemented. Other larger cities, like Gillette, have seen increases of around 26% in the same time frame.

“Laramie and Albany County oper-ate on a small fraction of what our wealthier counties and cities are cur-rently operating under,” Rothfuss said. “Even in the worst year for Camp-bell County, it’s substantially better than Laramie and Albany County’s

very best year.”Laramie has had a continued $22

million shortfall since the change, and already struggles to maintain city ser-vices for a growing city. Proposed changes could further hurt its ability to keep up with infrastructure concerns, including paving streets and sufficient stormwater drainage.

While the city does have the ability to obtain funding for certain projects through the specific purpose tax passed by voters, City Manager Janine Jordan said during the December work session the funding model comes with its own issues, including addition-al staff time needed for the extra proj-ects or funds for consultants when staff

is at capacity.It doesn’t help that city staffing lev-

els are the same as they were in 1980, despite the city’s population growing an additional 35% since then.

Rothfuss said while it’s unlikely to happen this session, he would like the Legislature to address the funding in-equalities from the current distribu-tion system.

“It is certainly something that we need to refine further and find a more equitable system so that we don’t have such tremendous rich-poor gaps among our cities throughout the state and our counties throughout the state, depending on the presence of mineral wealth,” he said.

Amendment proposes smaller distributions to larger citiesLARAMIE SERVICES WOULD LIKELY BE BADLY AFFECTED BY A DECREASE IN FUNDING.

Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, speaks during the Joint Education Interim Committee meeting Nov. 14, 2019, at the Wyoming Liquor Division building in Cheyenne. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle


ALBANY COUNTY LEGISLATORSCHRISROTHFUSSDEMOCRAT

Senate District 9, Laramie

SD 9 covers the west side of Laramie and parts of Albany County west of Laramie.

Legislative experience: Senate, 2011-present

Age: 47

Current employment: University of Wyoming Honors College


“I think my top priority is going to be ensuring that our K-12 education funding continues at current levels to ensure that we can maintain high-quality education for all Wyoming students.

“My second-highest priority would be to continue to identify ways to diversify our revenue structure for the state to ensure long-term financial viability of the government.

“Third, continue to develop our policies related to blockchain and financial technologies that have been developed through the Wyoming Blockchain Taskforce.”


GLENNMONIZREPUBLICAN

Senate District 10, Laramie

SD 10 covers Albany County and the east side of Laramie.

Legislative experience: House, 2009-16; Senate, 2017-present

Age: 75

Current employment: Commercial property developer


“We must continue to work on the recommendations of the Wyoming Governmental Spending and Efficiency Commission in order to provide a balanced budget. We should work to conserve our infrastructure. Water issues are still looming for our communities, and we must continue to

support any effort to ensure a viable supply of water.

“We also must look for alternative sources of revenue. This is a large challenge, and must be accomplished with collaboration and involvement from all organizations within the state of Wyoming. We must also reach out to the citizens of Wyoming through each party delegation within our counties and districts. We must allow private enterprise to work.

“To support this effort, we must continue to support the Wyoming Business Council and their efforts to increase diversity and economic growth in Wyoming. We must remember the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations, and that the best government is that which governs least. We must continue to develop a viable workforce for the state of Wyoming; this is why last year’s bill involving the Hathaway scholarship eligibility for career-vocational education was so important.

“Funding for the University of Wyoming is still a major priority. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources took a major hit during budget reductions under President Nichols. We must continue to try and restore that college back to excellence. There are many other issues identified by the UW administration. They will probably have to prioritize their needs.”


CATHYCONNOLLYDEMOCRAT

House District 13, Laramie

HD 13 covers central Laramie.

Legislative experience: House, 2009-present

Age: 63

Current employment: Professor; School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice; University of Wyoming


“I will give attention to issues that will positively impact the quality of life for Wyoming citizens. This means a budget that reflects matching people and our communities with needed services. High-quality education, attention to diversifying our revenue streams, access to and availability of health care, and increasing our national/international reputation as a state open for business are on my agenda.”

Session contact info: 307-399-0482, [email protected]

DANFURPHYREPUBLICAN

House District 14, Albany County

HD 14 covers northern and parts of western Albany County.


Age: 68

Occupation: Retired banker


“Well, of course, it’s a budget session, and I’m very concerned about funding for our schools. I’m big on taking care of our kids, and my wife is a retired teacher so I know how hard the teachers work. We need to be supportive of them. I’m very concerned that there may be cuts to the schools, and I’m going to fight to try to keep that from happening.

“Also, it’s key for us in this county to show strong support for the University (of Wyoming). They’ve got several requests in, and I’m hoping we can get most of those requests funded. It may be a difficult fight, but we’ll give it a shot.

“I have been working – I don’t have a solution yet – on protection for our Casper Aquifer on Interstate 80 coming into town on Grand Avenue. I’m very concerned if we had a truck with petroleum products, et cetera, that spilled over. I’d like to see some protections there to see if (the Wyoming Department of Transportation) can come up with some solution. So, that’s another thing I’d like to work on.”


BILLHALEYREPUBLICAN

House District 46, Centennial

HD 46 covers parts of southwestern Albany County, including the communities of Centennial, Albany and Woods Landing-Jelm.


Age: 68

Current employment: Retired


“The only real priority for me this year is K-12 funding on a more permanent basis. I’m sure we will see several revenue-generating bills, which will be a priority, too.”


CHARLESPELKEYDEMOCRAT

House District 45, Laramie

HD 45 covers parts of central and western Albany County.


Age: 61

Current employment: Founding partner at Neubauer, Pelkey and Goldfinger, LLP


“The fiscal situation at the state is tightening, and revenues are down. I think what we have to do, though, is make sure that we don’t cut to the point where we’re hurting the average citizen, reducing the quality of education in the state, and making cuts that will ultimately cost us more in the long run than they save us in the short run.”

“The other issue that I’ve got is an issue that I raised last year and that is hopefully to impose a ban on child marriage in the state. … Honestly, you can’t sign a contract, you can’t buy cigarettes, you can’t buy dry ice at Walmart unless you’re 18. What I’m trying to do is to make sure that young people are protected from being forced into making a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. The only exception that I’m including in the bill this time is that if you’ve been an emancipated minor, in other words, if the district court has determined that you qualify to be an emancipated minor.”

“I am a co-sponsor of the repeal of the death penalty. I was the sponsor two years ago and a co-sponsor last year. I was heartened to see last year that a number of Republican legislators actually took up the issue and asked if they could be the lead sponsors on it. I’m just happy to see that. I’ll support that effort.”



SWEETWATER COUNTY

By Caleb Michael SmithRock Springs Rocket-Miner

ROCK SPRINGS – When Sweetwater County legisla-tors get to work at the annual session, many have plans in addition to passing a budget.

nSen. Liisa Anselmi-Dalton,

D-Rock Springs, said her goal is to “pass Medicaid expansion and work hard for my constituents.”

“I favor the expansion of Medicaid in Wyoming, as studies show that Medicaid expansion states have seen re-ductions in uninsured rates for low-income individuals and vulnerable populations. There is also an association between expansion and certain positive health outcomes, such as can-cer diagnosis and treatment, smoking cessation, increased heart and lung transplant list-ings, and improvements in ac-cess to medications and services for general health and treatment of behavioral health and opioid use disor-ders,” she said.

The senator noted Medicaid expansion would provide fed-eral funding for 90% of the care.

“It is better to use the money Wyoming citizens pay in fed-eral tax dollars to cover part of uncompensated care at Sweet-water County Memorial Hos-pital for those unable to afford insurance than to continue to refuse federal funds,” she said. “Studies have shown that Medicaid expansion signifi-

cantly reduced people with medical debt and the probabil-ity of these bills being turned over for collection. This fund-ing represents a transfer of fi-nancing responsibility from local taxpayers (mostly coun-ties which pay these costs in Wyoming, i.e. for Sweetwater County Memorial Hospital) to federal taxpayers.”

Anselmi-Dalton said the bill passed out of committee after 15 Wyo-ming medical students came down and testi-fied in its favor.

“Larissa Siirila of Wor-land, a first-year medical student at Wy-oming, said that after her father lost his job at the age of 62, the family lost their health insur-ance and were not able to af-ford COBRA or private health insurance. An-other student, Conner Morton, said there should be health eq-uity in Wyoming, and patients should not have to decide be-tween a prescribed antibiotic and a medically necessary in-haler. Medicaid expansion in Wyoming would cover be-tween 19,000 and 27,000 low-income residents, according to the Department of Health,” she said.

“Without insurance or Med-icaid, these individuals cannot afford private care, and ulti-mately use the emergency room. Wyoming hospitals pro-vide more than $100 million in uncompensated care yearly, which can jeopardize the fu-ture of local rural hospitals, such as Sweetwater County’s. Wyoming has been shortsight-ed on this issue for too long.”

In addition, the senator said she plans to co-sponsor a bill requested by her son regarding hazing.

n“My goals

for the session are to come out that first week of March with a budget we can all live with that will protect all of Wyoming citi-zens and not just a select few,” said Sen.

Fred Baldwin, R-Kemmerer. “I would like to keep from getting bogged down in the weeds and stay focused on what Wyo-ming really needs. We don’t need a lot of new laws on the books, and would do well to clean up what we already have.”

The legislation he is watch-ing closely comes mostly out of his committees and includes the corporate income tax, hos-

pital cost studies, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and Medicaid expansion.

“I am only the prime spon-sor on one bill this year in the belief that we need to focus on budget issues. Senate File 29 seeks to allow optometrists to practice at their full training and qualifications. The Cur-rent Practice Act, which has not been updated in many years, inappropriately limits their practice and, in turn, lim-its patient access to these areas of practice,” Baldwin said.

nRep. Tom Crank, R-Kemmerer,

said his goal is to leave this ses-sion with a balanced budget.

As part of that, he is keeping an eye on funding options for local governments, possible Medicaid expansion, and sur-face and mineral owner rights and responsibilities.

“These issues were not set-tled over the summer, and I suspect more work is required to get some kind of balance be-tween the two without altering each party’s rights,” he said.

He is also sponsoring bills on voyeurism and renewable en-ergy policies. Regarding the former, he said amendments are needed “as the current statutes have not always worked, and citizens have pointed out specific issues where it appears the statutes should have worked, but pros-ecutors felt it was too vague to move forward with charges.”

For the latter, Crank said he sponsored the same basic bill

in 2018, but did not get much traction from leadership. He hopes to get solar energy on the same plane as wind energy as far as production taxes, but leave an option for investment in Wyoming manufacturing and fabrication to possibly off-set those costs.

nRep. JoAnn Dayton-Selman,

D-Rock Springs, said her goals are securing affordable health care for all Wyoming citizens, funding for local government and new revenue streams.

“With the current CREG re-porting shortfalls of $77 mil-lion in the general fund and $200 million in education, I will be watching bills that gen-erate more revenue for the state. Hopefully, this can be accomplished without an in-crease in personal taxes while maintaining the quality of public services,” she said.

She said she chose not to sponsor individual bills, since 2020 is a budget session and lawmakers will be busy.

“The potential is for 500 bills to be generated from nine standing committees, select committees, the budget bill from appropriations, and indi-vidual bills from representa-tives and senators moving through the legislative pro-cess in 20 days,” Dayton-Sel-man said.

nThe topics that Rep. John

Freeman, D-Green River, is watching include the budget, money for Wyoming’s roads and highways, school

Lawmakers share session goals and topics to watch

“I favor the expansion of Medicaid in

Wyoming, as studies show that Medicaid

expansion states have seen reductions

in uninsured rates for low-income individuals and

vulnerable populations.”

Sen. Liisa Anselmi-DaltonD-Rock Springs


SWEETWATER COUNTY LEGISLATORS

recalibration, lifting the cap on special education funding, an external cost adjustment for K-12 education, raises for state employees, maintenance funding for deteriorating pipes and a health science building for Western Wyo-ming Community College, $105 million for cities and towns, and a gaming commission.

Freeman is sponsoring a bill to lift the sunset on the Wyoming Adjunct Professor Loan Repayment (WYPLR) program.

“WAPLR has allowed high school teachers to gain the cre-dentials by taking graduate level university classes to teach college classes to high school students. The loan the teacher takes out with the state for the cost of the classes be-comes a grant after the teacher teaches in Wyoming for three years,” he said.

He is also sponsoring a bill that drops the requirement

that high school students take the writing part of the ACT. This test is not required by the state for accreditation, nor is it used when a student applies to a college or university.

“It costs the state a signifi-cant amount of money and in-terrupts the student’s studies while they prepare for a test no one uses,” he said.

n“To do what is in the best in-

terest of the people” is the stat-ed goal of Sen. Tom James, R-Rock Springs.

He is sponsoring legislation on legislative pay restriction to “prevent government em-ployees from being able to ‘double dip’ while in session and during committee meetings.”

Another bill would impact general session appropria-tions. “This will only allow ap-propriation bills during budget sessions unless there is a state of emergency de-clared by the governor,” the

senator said.James also wants to estab-

lish a hotline for government employees or members of the

public to anonymously report waste, fraud and/or abuse within their department or any other department.

nRep. Clark Stith, R-Rock

Springs, is focused on state fi-nances, listening to constitu-ents and being responsive to their concerns.

Though he is not sure if they’ll make it through the first round of introductions, he is sponsoring additional legislation.

“The primary driver of eco-nomic growth over the long run is ideas. As a result, I am sponsoring an individual bill, the ‘Promotion of Individual Invention Act,’ which would authorize Boards of Coopera-tive Educational Services (BOCES) to create miniature ‘patent factories.’ Under the bill, which would create no new taxes, a BOCES could choose to provide support and mentoring to individuals in the BOCES service area who wish

to create intellectual property. If an invention is monetized, the BOCES would get a 12.5% royalty,” Stith said.

Another piece of proposed legislation would require the Wyoming Highway Patrol to keep an automatic permanent electronic record of each radar gun readout.

“Under current practice, the officer sees the readout and then manually transcribes the speed into an electronic ticketing system. The officer then deletes the radar readout. The dashcam video for each Highway Patrol vehicle has a display box labeled ‘target ve-hicle speed,’ but that speed is always ‘0 mph’ because the radar gun is not connected to the dashcam,” Stith explained. “This bill would require the Highway Patrol to connect the radar gun readout to the dash-cam video, or provide some other method of keeping a per-manent electronic record of the readout.”

“The primary driver of economic growth over the long run is ideas. As a result, I am sponsoring an individual bill, the

‘Promotion of Individual Invention

Act,’ which would authorize Boards

of Cooperative Educational Services

(BOCES) to create miniature ‘patent

factories.’”

Rep. Clark StithR-Rock Springs

JOANNDAYTON-SELMANDEMOCRAT

House District 17, Rock Springs

HD 17 includes southern Rock Springs, Blairtown, Reliance, Superior, Point of Rocks, east to Patrick Draw and southern Sweetwater County.


Age: Did not disclose

Current employment: Retired from OCI


“With the current CREG reporting shortfalls of $77 million in the General Fund and $200 million in education, I will be watching bills that generate more revenue for the state.

“Hopefully, this can be accomplished without an increase in personal taxes while maintaining the quality of public services.”


TOMCRANKREPUBLICAN

House District 18, Kemmerer

HD 18 includes southern Lincoln County, northeast Uinta County and northwest Sweetwater County.


Age: 59

Current employment: Crank Companies Inc. engineer and land surveyor


“1) Most concerned with energy policies affecting Wyoming coal and power plant workers. I am not opposed to renewable energy, but legislative policies set by other states are poised to change some of our communities forever. More time is needed to make sure those policies are actually sustainable, and our electrical ratepayers don’t end up footing the bill for options that may not work and then require more expense and costs to our ratepayers to fix the knee-jerk reactions

poised by others. We have several heavy industries that use most of the power consumed in Wyoming. If the power rate goes up, it will impact their ability to compete in the markets they serve.

“2) Education funding: K-12 continues to be major funding issue.

“3) Wildlife crossing funding for highways.”

Session contact information: thomas.crank @wyoleg.gov

STANBLAKEDEMOCRAT

House District 39, Green River

HD 39 includes part of Green River and the area along Interstate 80 between Green River and Rock Springs.


Age: 65

Current employment: Union Pacific Railroad switchman/conductor


At a Jan. 13 forum hosted by the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, Rep. Blake discussed funding for towns and communities, which he expects to remain about $105 million; the proposed fuel tax, which he voted against in the past, but thought it wasn’t reflected at the pump; and an Interstate 80 toll. He also added that he doesn’t think there will be any serious conversation about revenue enhancements as long as the state has the rainy-day fund.


JERRYPAXTONREPUBLICAN

House District 47, Encampment

HD 47 covers all of Carbon County, except for Rawlins and Sinclair; parts of Albany County, including Rock River; and about one-third of Sweetwater County, including Bairoil, Wamsutter, Farson and Eden.

Legislators’ bios continue on page 22


SWEETWATER COUNTY LEGISLATORSLegislative experience: 2013-present


Current employment: Retired school principal


“Passing legislation that will diversify the revenue stream to compensate for the reduction of revenue from the mineral extraction industry; passing legislation that will help cities, towns and counties to maintain services at an appropriate level; passing legislation to strengthen the career and technical education programs in the state; maintaining an appropriate level of funding for K-12 education.”


JOHNFREEMANDEMOCRAT

House District 60, Green River

HD 60 covers a section of Sweetwater County consisting of two-thirds of Green River, south of the river.


Age: 65

Current employment: Western Wyoming Community College high school transition coordinator


“A budget that is fiscally responsible, but does not ignore our obligations to the citizens of Wyoming.”

Session contact information: House message line: 307-777-7852, [email protected]

CLARKSTITHREPUBLICAN

House District 48, Rock Springs

HD 48 roughly covers the north half of Rock Springs, bounded by Foothill Boulevard to the west; Yellowstone and Lionkol roads to the north; D Street, Thorpe and Carson streets to

the south; and Interstate 80 exit 107 to the east.


Age: 58

Current employment: Attorney


“1. Work to tighten up legislation relating to Rocky Mountain Power’s planned decommissioning of Bridger Power Plant units 1 and 2. The idea is to keep them running, if we can, whether owned by RMP or somebody else.

“2. In connection with the Select Committee on Coal-Related Bankruptcies, provide a framework so that counties and schools do not lose tax revenue in coal company bankruptcies, as happened earlier this year with Black Jewel LLC in Gillette. Seventy percent of the ad valorem tax goes to schools statewide, so a coal mine bankruptcy in Gillette adversely affects our school revenue here.”


FREDBALDWINREPUBLICAN

Senate District 14, Kemmerer

SD 14 includes central and southern Sublette County, a small portion of southeast Lincoln County, far southern Lincoln County, north-west Uinta County and western Sweetwater County.

Legislative experience: Senate, 2017-present; House, 2015-16

Age: 63

Current employment: Physician assistant


“My top priorities for the 2020 budget session are first and foremost to identify ways to stabilize the Wyoming budget. While there are some bright spots in pockets of the state, such as the soda ash expansion, the overall revenue picture for the state is not so bright. It has been said many times in the past few years that we can’t cut our way out of this deficit, nor can we tax our way out of our current shortfall. Despite the current polarity of politics in general, the only way we are going to be successful is to work together as representatives elected by constituents, regardless of party, to find solutions. It no

longer works to just say no; we have to offer solutions that have a chance.”


TOMJAMESREPUBLICAN

Senate District 13, Green River

SD 13 includes parts of Rock Springs and Green River, and the area extending along Interstate 80 between them.

Legislative experience: Since 2019

Age: 38

Current employment: Works for Ciner LLC as a surface miner


“To treat the people’s money as I would my own money, and to vote in favor of bills that are in the best interest of the people.”

Session contact information: [email protected]

LIISAANSELMI-DALTONDEMOCRAT

Senate District 12, Rock Springs

SD 12 includes central and southern Sweetwater County.



Current employment: Self-employed hotelier at Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn


“My top priorities this session are making sure southwest Wyoming gets its fair share of allocations; a budget that is conservative considering our revenue shortfalls; and, finally, passage of Medicaid expansion as a method to obtain some additional revenue for the state, and help low-income and vulnerable populations.”



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GLOSSARYACT

A bill passed by both chambers of the Legislature and signed by the governor.

ADJOURNUsed to close each day’s session with intent to resume on a given date and time.

ADJOURN SINE DIEA motion at the end of the legislative session to adjourn “without date” for resumption.

ADOPTIONApproval or acceptance; usually applied to amendments or resolutions.

AMENDMENTAny alteration made (or proposed to be made) to a bill or clause thereof, by adding, deleting, substituting or omitting.

APPROPRIATIONFunds allocated for various departments of government set aside by formal action for specific use. Allows money to be spent; is not actual expenditure record.

AT EASEAn announcement from the chairman indicating a short break.

BILLA proposed law, introduced during a session for consideration by the Legislature. Called a file in the Senate (House Bill 101, Senate File 101).

CALENDARA daily listing showing bills ready for action.

CALL OF THE HOUSE OR SENATE

Action compelling all members to be present in the chamber.

COLACost-of-living adjustment.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

A committee of the entire body. Usually assembled by a move to consider bills, make amendments and recommend action to be taken by the body.

CONCURRENCEAction by which one house agrees to a proposal or action that the other house has approved.

CONSTITUENTA citizen residing within the district of a legislator.

CREGConsensus Revenue Estimating Group. Meets in October and January to put out a report that predicts state revenues for the near and long-term future. Leadership consists of the administrator of the Economic Analysis Division of the Department of Administration and Information and the budget and fiscal manager from the Legislative Service Office, each serving as a co-chair of the group. Additional members include representatives from the State Auditor’s Office, State Treasurer’s Office, Department of Revenue, Department of Education, Wyoming Geological Survey, Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the University of Wyoming.

DEBATEFormal discussion of a matter according to parliamentary rules before a legislative body or a committee.

DECORUMProper order, etiquette and conduct of members during a floor session.

DIED IN COMMITTEEThe defeat of a bill by not returning it from committee to a house for further action.

ENGROSS , TOTo incorporate all adopted amendments into the text of the bill.

ENROLL , TOTo revise a bill after passage by both bodies of the Legislature by incorporating all of the amendments adopted by both bodies. The Enrolled Act becomes law after being signed by presiding officers of the House and Senate and the governor.

EXECUTIVE SESSIONA session excluding from the chamber or committee room all persons other than members and essential staff.

FIRST READINGWhen a bill is introduced, the short catch title and the sponsors are read.

FISCAL YEARAn accounting period of 12 months; in Wyoming the fiscal year is July 1 through June 30.

GALLERYAreas of the legislative chamber from which visitors may view the proceedings of the Legislature.

GENERAL FILEPosition of bills after having been considered by the standing committees to which they were assigned. These bills can go either to Committee of the Whole or back to a standing committee.

HOUSE OF ORIGINThe chamber – either the House or Senate – where legislation was originally introduced.

INDEFINITELY POSTPONE, TO

If the motion carries, it kills any future possibility for reconsideration of the bill in a session except by reintroduction as a new bill.

INTERIMThe interval between sessions of the Legislature.

INTRODUCE A BILL, TOThe only way to pass a law is to introduce a bill for consideration, amendment and passage by both bodies, and with the governor’s signature.

JAC(Pronounce each letter separately) Joint Appropriations Committee; the committee thoroughly reviews both the biennial and supplemental budget requests from the governor and makes recommendations to the full House and Senate.

JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

Composed of three members from each body appointed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president. The committee reconciles the differences in the content of a bill that

has come through both houses with differing amendments.

JOINT RESOLUTION (INFORMAL)

An informal resolution is designed to allow the House and Senate to express a position on a specific issue.

JOINT SESSIONA combined meeting of the House and Senate in one chamber; used in Wyoming for ceremonial purposes.

LAY BACK , TOBills on General File in the Committee of the Whole, or on Second or Third Reading, may be laid back for a specified time.

LOBBYISTA representative of a special interest group whose function is to influence legislation affecting a special interest.

LSOLegislative Service Office. It is the permanent, nonpartisan central staff office of the Legislature.

LSRALegislative Stabilization Reserve Account, also known as the rainy-day fund.

PMTFPermanent Mineral Trust Fund. The Wyoming Constitution blocks the state from spending the corpus of the multi-billion dollar account.

QUESTION, CALL THEAn informal use of the motion “previous question.” Both are used to stop debate and force a vote on the main question and all amendments to it.

RECESSA motion to resume the session at a later time that day.

RE-REFER, TOA motion made by any member to assign a bill to a committee other than the one that has already considered it.

RECONSIDER, TOA motion to take a roll call vote. Carried by voice majority vote of

members present. Must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side and must be made and be acted on the same day or the next legislative day. Cannot be made once the bill in question has passed out of possession of the body.

RECOMMIT, TOA motion made by any member to return a bill to the committee that has already considered it.

RISE AND REPORTA motion to adjourn the body of the House or Senate.

SECOND READINGUsually is ordered at least a day after adoption of recommendation of Committee of the Whole. The short catch title is read and notifies members the bill will be up for Third Reading and final passage the following day. No action is required, but any action, including amendment, may be moved on the bill by any member.

SPONSORThe lawmaker or lawmakers who filed a given bill. Committees can also sponsor legislation.

SUNSETExpiration date of a measure.

THIRD READINGUsually is ordered on the legislative day following Second Reading. Amend-ments may be offered only prior to the reading of the bill. The catch title and the enacting clause are read, and roll call is taken for final passage.

VETOAction by the governor to disapprove a measure.

WITHDRAWA motion to remove a bill from further consideration by the member who introduced the bill. It can only be made when the bill is in possession of the body and must carry by unanimous consent.

WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION

A committee may return a bill without recommending approval or disapproval.

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