The 2024 Wyoming Legislative Session. Part 5. Divisive and Mean.

 

March 3, 2024

A Frustrated Driskill Says Wyoming Senate Has Become ‘Divisive, Mean’

He's right.

Well, actually he's wrong a little.  

What's correct is that the legislature, reflecting Wyoming politics in general, which frankly reflects the largest party in the state, has become divisive and mean.

Indeed, hatred is what defines politics right now.  The populist wing of the GOP hates the government and the people who work for it.  They hate the Democrats as well, and they hate the members of their own party who aren't as extreme as they are.

Driscoll noted, in making this comment, that “We’re not going to pay our employees well.  We don’t really care a whole lot about, and what we want is a very de minimis government that does the baseline of things."  Again, he's mostly right.

The article is revealing regarding Drisocll, whom I know little abotu, but whom I'm gaining respect for.  It noted, for example, that he feels that there are Senators who would like to follow the mistaken path's of cheap governments of the Deep South, something I've noted here myself.  The article also notes that  Driskill "believes fighting a war against green and alternative energy projects is fruitless exercise for Wyoming’s long-term fiscal outlook".

Indeed, he noted:

We probably can effectively put the state in a tailspin, and we can probably do it in a very short period of time.  It’s disheartening to sit here and see us potentially cripple ourselves over a policy that federally just makes us look silly.

He's right.  And the state is looking really foolish to outsiders.

Driscoll was bold enough to predict conventional energy jobs going away, and he's right again.

For us to come out and say we are not going to in any way deal with any of the CO2 sequestration projects means that we lose our oil and gas and coal, which means we lose 50% of our tax base.  It is insanity, absolute craziness.

And he also noted that he feared cuts made to the University of Wyoming’s office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and gender studies program, while a needed wake-up call for UW, will lead to professors leaving the school.

It likely will.

March 4, 2024

Governor Gordon to Hold Public Bill Signing on Monday, March 4

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon will hold a formal bill signing ceremony today, Monday, March 4 at 1:30 pm in the Governor's Ceremonial Conference Room in the State Capitol Building. The ceremony is open to the public.

The Governor will sign the following bills:

SEA0004 SF0003 State employee leave for volunteer emergency services.

HEA0014 HB0014 Prior authorization regulations.

HEA0008 HB0023 Vehicle registration e-certificate and grace period.

HEA0013 HB0008 Commercial driver license-hazardous materials endorsement.

HEA0023 HB0066 Firefighter-cancer screening benefits.

March 5, 2024

Chaos In Wyoming Senate After Driskill Boots Budget Team

March 6, 2024

One day after a Senate shakeup of the joint negotiating committee, it came to a compromise budget.

Hmmm. . . . 

The Senate voted 16-15 to suspend its own rules to resurrect a bill that eliminates gun-free zones in a move that Senate Majority Leader Driskill called "absolute idiocy".

Bills signed into law so far:

Enrolled Act #      Bill #     Bill Title

HEA0001 HB0073 Abandoned mine reclamation accounts.

HEA0002 HB0072 Worker's compensation-provision for adverse deviation.

HEA0003 HB0071 Broadband development subaccount-amendments.

HEA0004 HB0046 Chancery court-timeline for resolution of disputes.

HEA0005 HB0040 School district trustee oath of office.

HEA0006 HB0027 DFS and law enforcement-cross reporting.

HEA0007 HB0026 Emergency protective services-effective period.

HEA0008 HB0023 Vehicle registration e-certificate and grace period.

HEA0009 HB0021 Charter school leasing.

HEA0010 HB0016 Sutton state archaeological site-legal description.

HEA0011 HB0011 State land lease amendments.

HEA0012 HB0010 Grace period-state land lease renewals.

HEA0013 HB0008 Commercial driver license-hazardous materials endorsement.

HEA0014 HB0014 Prior authorization regulations.

HEA0015 HB0074 Public health nursing-budget requests.

HEA0016 HB0035 Limitation on environmental rulemaking.

HEA0017 HB0034 Solid waste municipal cease and transfer funding.

HEA0018 HB0033 Mining operations-blasting requirements.

HEA0019 HB0025 Medicaid-third party payor conditions.

HEA0020 HB0015 Health insurance-reimbursement of overpayments.

HEA0021 HB0013 Flow-through pools-exemption.

HEA0022 HB0012 Wyoming dairy marketing act-repeal.

HEA0023 HB0066 Firefighter-cancer screening benefits.

HEA0024 HB0032 Geologic sequestration-unitization amendments.

HEA0025 HB0054 Wyoming Reads Day.

HEA0026 HB0081 Public officer training-amendments.

SEA0001 SF0017 Plane coordinates system-amendments.

SEA0002 SF0015 Acceptance of retrocession-federal military installations.

SEA0003 SF0004 Rehiring retired firefighters-continued retirement benefits.

SEA0004 SF0003 State employee leave for volunteer emergency services.

SEA0005 SF0030 Influencing jurors and witnesses-judges amendment.

SEA0006 SF0021 Public utilities-net power cost sharing ratio.

SEA0007 SF0005 Organ transplant recipient protection.

Bills that passed into law, so far, without the Governor's signature.

SEA0008 SF0009 Parental rights in education-1.

March 7, 2024

Chloe's law banning the sexual mutilation of children has passed the legislature.

March 8, 2024

Governor Gordon Vetoes Bill that Could Hurt Charter Schools and Public Education System 

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon issued his first veto of the 2024 Legislative Session today, calling a bill addressing charter schools a “bailing wire fix” that could threaten the sustainability of charter schools in the years to come. The Governor is an ardent supporter of school choice, and he points out that the legislation does not treat all charter schools equally. 

Senate File 61 - Education-charter school amendments authorizes charter schools as “local education agencies” (LEAs) to apply for, receive and administer federal and state grants. However, the bill repeals the ability of the state’s Charter Authorizing Board to serve this function before that board has even had an opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness, the Governor said. In addition, the proposed legislation could impose significant costs and administrative burdens unequally across charter schools, potentially posing constitutional issues.  

“Without a thorough examination of the consequences and impacts on our state, students, parents, and taxpayers, I fear we may risk exacerbating existing impediments to charter growth and innovation while simultaneously raising the overall cost of education to unsustainable levels over the long term,” the Governor wrote in his veto letter. “Such a scenario is neither fiscally responsible nor supportive of students and parents who choose charter schools for their education.”

District-authorized charters could continue to receive LEA services from their Authorizer, but State-Authorized charter schools would be expected to provide these services without any new resources provided. The Governor concluded by urging the Legislature to undertake a comprehensive review of Wyoming’s charter school statutes as an interim topic. This would ensure that Wyoming’s education policies are fair, equitable, transparent, and accountable, he wrote.

The Governor’s veto letter is attached and may be found here.

Governor Gordon Expresses Concern That Legislature has Only Passed Budget for Itself While the Rest of Wyoming Waits

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon’s message at the start of this legislative session was clear: The only constitutionally-required duty the Legislature has is to pass a balanced budget for the coming two years. That still has not happened. While the rest of Wyoming waits for its budget, the Legislature has passed a budget only for lawmakers and their staff. 

The Governor’s decision on the Legislature’s budget is due today (Thursday), while the budget for the rest of Wyoming remains in limbo until Friday. Noting that he is forced to consider funding the separate Legislative budget while awaiting that vote, the Governor issued several line-item vetoes. These vetoes would not imperil the ability of the legislative branch to function.

“I am optimistic even at this late hour that a budget for the other two branches of government could arrive as soon as tomorrow,” the Governor wrote. “Accordingly, as I understand the importance of funding the Legislature in the coming two years, I am not vetoing this entire piece of legislation, but am exercising my constitutional ability to disapprove of items in this spending bill.”

Governor Gordon struck the word “Energy” from a $76,800 appropriation for membership dues to the Energy Council, a legislative organization dedicated to energy policy. The Governor said “the Senate persists in sending confusing messages” about its support for the state’s energy industry and the thousands of people it employs. He invited the Legislature to override his veto “to send a clear message to the people of Wyoming and me about whether or not each chamber supports our energy industry, and follow up those words with action...” 

The Governor also had requested an inflation adjustment of $48 million to address increased operational costs the state has experienced over the past two years. The Legislature reduced that request to $28 million in the version of the budget bill currently being considered. Accordingly, the Governor reduced the Legislative budget request by $50,000 for new Legislative furniture and accessories so that all branches of government can contribute to the cost savings imposed by the Legislature on the rest of Wyoming.

The Governor’s letter is attached and may be viewed here.

The End?

This is supposed to be the end. Will they make it?

March 9, 2024

And they did conclude.  Here is the current list of bills that were signed into law.

Governor Mark Gordon has signed the following enrolled acts into law. The full text of all bills from the 2024 session may be found on the Wyoming Legislature's website:

Enrolled Act #      Bill #     Bill Title

HEA0001 HB0073 Abandoned mine reclamation accounts.

HEA0002 HB0072 Worker's compensation-provision for adverse deviation.

HEA0003 HB0071 Broadband development subaccount-amendments.

HEA0004 HB0046 Chancery court-timeline for resolution of disputes.

HEA0005 HB0040 School district trustee oath of office.

HEA0006 HB0027 DFS and law enforcement-cross reporting.

HEA0007 HB0026 Emergency protective services-effective period.

HEA0008 HB0023 Vehicle registration e-certificate and grace period.

HEA0009 HB0021 Charter school leasing.

HEA0010 HB0016 Sutton state archaeological site-legal description.

HEA0011 HB0011 State land lease amendments.

HEA0012 HB0010 Grace period-state land lease renewals.

HEA0013 HB0008 Commercial driver license-hazardous materials endorsement.

HEA0014 HB0014 Prior authorization regulations.

HEA0015 HB0074 Public health nursing-budget requests.

HEA0016 HB0035 Limitation on environmental rulemaking.

HEA0017 HB0034 Solid waste municipal cease and transfer funding.

HEA0018 HB0033 Mining operations-blasting requirements.

HEA0019 HB0025 Medicaid-third party payor conditions.

HEA0020 HB0015 Health insurance-reimbursement of overpayments.

HEA0021 HB0013 Flow-through pools-exemption.

HEA0022 HB0012 Wyoming dairy marketing act-repeal.

HEA0023 HB0066 Firefighter-cancer screening benefits.

HEA0024 HB0032 Geologic sequestration-unitization amendments.

HEA0025 HB0054 Wyoming Reads Day.

HEA0026 HB0081 Public officer training-amendments.

HEA0027 HB0067 Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund Administration-2.

HEA0028 HB0086 Vehicle lien-amendments.

HEA0029 HB0070 Local government distributions.

HEA0030 HB0064 Fire prevention and electrical safety-amendments.

HEA0031 HB0031 Peace officers-records and reporting.

HEA0032 HB0009 Fuel tax-licensee information deadline.

SEA0001 SF0017 Plane coordinates system-amendments.

SEA0002 SF0015 Acceptance of retrocession-federal military installations.

SEA0003 SF0004 Rehiring retired firefighters-continued retirement benefits.

SEA0004 SF0003 State employee leave for volunteer emergency services.

SEA0005 SF0030 Influencing jurors and witnesses-judges amendment.

SEA0006 SF0021 Public utilities-net power cost sharing ratio.

SEA0007 SF0005 Organ transplant recipient protection.

SEA0009 SF0081 Hospital or healthcare district created entities-immunity.

SEA0010 SF0060 2024 large project funding.

SEA0011 SF0059 Federal unemployment compensation trust fund-adjustment.

SEA0012 SF0058 Investment of state unemployment insurance trust fund.

SEA0013 SF0049 Judicial retirement program-contributions.

SEA0014 SF0048 Patrol, warden and investigator retirement-contributions.

SEA0015 SF0045 Vulnerable adults-civil cause of action-2.

SEA0016 SF0038 Financial reporting amendments-2.

SEA0017 SF0037 Indian child welfare act-delinquency amendments.

SEA0018 SF0012 Meat processing plants-hides and carcasses.

SEA0019 SF0115 Behavioral health redesign amendments-2.

SEA0020 SF0079 Malt beverage franchise agreements.

SEA0021 SF0066 Water exchange amendments.

SEA0023 SF0050 Unincorporated nonprofit DAO's.

SEA0024 SF0032 Hemp-limitations on psychoactive substances.

SEA0025 SF0022 Public service commission-electricity reliability.

SEA0026 SF0018 Indian child welfare act-safe haven amendments.

SEA0027 SF0007 Behavioral health redesign-vulnerable adults.

The Governor allowed the following enrolled act to go into law without his signature. Click on the bill for the Governor's letter:

SEA0008 SF0009 Parental rights in education-1.

The Governor exercised his line-item veto authority on the following bills. Click on the bill for the Governor's letter and the specific strikethroughs:

SEA0028 SF0002 Legislative budget.

The Governor vetoed the following enrolled act. Click on the bill for the Governor's letter:

SEA0022 SF0061 Education-charter school amendments.

Last prior edition:

The 2024 Wyoming Legislative Session. Part 4. Oedant Arma Toga.