Going Feral: Draw Results

Going Feral: Draw Results: 

Draw Results

Draw results for deer, antelope and resident elk are now available

Ugh, skunked again.

Today

 Today is Earth Day for 2023.

It's also the first weekend day of Spring Turkey Season, which I should be doing, but I'm in the office working, as the law never sleeps.

Or takes a weekend off.

And today is also Independent Record Store Day.

Primitive seasons, modern technology

 An item linked in from one of the blogs we follow:

ARROWRIFLES DURING ARCHERY SEASON IN OK

I'm not a bow hunter.  A lot of the hunters I know are, including ones my age and a little older. Some quite a bit older.  I note that as it's not merely a matter of having grown up before there were bow seasons.  At least, I think I did.  I know it wasn't popular in the state until I was in my early 20s, and it followed the Game & Fish allowing some large caliber handguns to be used for hunting. I recall that coming first.

I'm an avid hunter, but I'm a modern firearms' hunter.  If bows were my only option, I'd use them, but they are not, I don't. They seem retrograde in a way that isn't appealing, as firearms are more deadly, and we owe the animal that.  I'm not going to get preachy about it, however, and the few hunters I know really well that bow hunt are very proficient, and no doubt highly deadly with a bow.

Anyhow, I'm okay with their being bow seasons, but the way that people use early seasons as simply a vehicle to get out first, and then evade the spirit of the original thought I don't care for. The spirit of bow hunting was to hunt with something that humans used that required skill and reflected our hunting nature in earlier times.  Basically, if Ötzi would have recognized it, well then it was good to go.  I'm not demanding a bow that Welsh archers or Sioux warriors would have used, but a real bow.

Catalan depiction of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1086.

Well, soon enough, some people wondered if they might use crossbows.

I should know more about the history of the crossbow than I do, but I think of it as a weapon of war.  It was sort of the magnum strength projectile launcher of its day, launching a heavy bolt through armor or mail.  I didn't realizes they were legal for hunting anywhere until a colleague asked me about it, as he wanted to buy one, thinking that he didn't have the physical strength to use a bow.

Hmmm.

Mind you, I don't mind archery at all.  I think it's really cool, and I've thought about doing it in the backyard just for fun.  And I wouldn't mind pinking with a crossbow.  I'm just not going to hunt with either, and I don't think that using a crossbow meets with the spirit of the original concept.

The same evolution, I'd note, occurred with "primitive rifles".

Following the movie Jeremiah Johnson, there was a blackpowder rifle craze that developed and it never really stopped.  I like blackpowder rifles and I wouldn't mind at all hunting with one of them.  I guess they cross the threshold of lethality enough for me that and they appeal to my interest in history.

What doesn't appeal to my interest in history is modern "muzzle loading" rifles that are expressly designed to evade the rules and be as close to modern hunting rifles as possible while still being "muzzle loading".  They don't have a big following in Wyoming as Wyoming doesn't have primitive rifle seasons, but they do have one where they're allowed.

Now, as the item above notes, there are "arrow rifles". This is really a bridge too far, and is a technological development solely to get a person out before rifle season, with something that's really a rifle.

This really ought not to be allowed, and frankly, it's a good reason to go back to the original concept.  Seeing that technology will always find a way to evade the spirit of something, and somebody will always avail themselves of it, there are places to restrict it, and this is one.

Wednesday, April 11, 1973. Vore Buffalo Jump.

Today In Wyoming's History: April 11: 1973  Vore Buffalo Jump added to the National Register of Historic Places.

I'm sorry to say, I've never been there.

I suppose it's worth noting that aboriginal natives in North America, contrary to the way that this is sometimes supposed, took game animals in mass, when the opportunity presented itself.  This means that, at least as to these instances, the "use everything" story so often repeated in regard to native taking of game animals is incorrect.

This was limited, however, by the fact that the opportunity didn't present itself everyday, and the human population itself was limited.  Indeed, the "hunted to extinction" story so often repeated about ancient human populations in North America is, I suspect, over done.

The British Parliament declined to reinstate the death penalty.

 Great article:

Pudelpointer – Dog Breed Form, Function, History, and More

But let's be honest. . . .they're simply a very early Doodle.

That's not a criticism.  My dog is a North American Retriever.  I.e, a "double doodle".

Monday, March 29, 1943 Meat and fat rationing commences in the U.S.

On this day in 1943, rationing in the US of meats, fat and cheese commenced, with Americans limited to two pounds per week of meat.

Poultry was not affected by the order.

This must have been a matter of interest in my family, engaged in the meat packing industry as they then were.

Contrary to popular memory, not everything the US did during the war met with universal approval back home, and this was one such example.  Cheating and black marketing was pretty common, and there were very widespread efforts to avoid rationing.  Farmers and ranchers helped people to avoid the system by direct sales to consumers, something the government intervened to stop and only recently has seen a large-scale return.

While wholesale inclusion of a prior item in a new one is bad form, here's something we earlier ran which is a topic that needs repeating here:

Lex Anteinternet: So you're living in Wyoming (or the West in genera...So what about World War Two?

Some time ago I looked at this in the context of World War One, but what about World War Two?

Lex Anteinternet: So you're living in Wyoming (or the West in genera...: what would that have been like? Advertisement for the Remington Model 8 semi automatic rifle, introduced by Remington from the John Bro...

 Wisconsin deer camp, 1943, the year meat rationing began.

Indeed, a person's reasons to go hunting during World War Two, besides all the regular reasons (a connection with our primal, and truer, selves, being out in nature, doing something real) were perhaps stronger during the Second World War than they were in the First.  During WWII the government rationed meat.  During World War One it did not, although it sure put the social pressure on to conserve meat.

Indeed, the first appeals of any kind to conserve food in the United States came from the British in 1941, at which time the United States was not yet in the war. The British specifically appealed to Americans to conserve meat so that it could go to English fighting men.  In the spring of 1942 rationing of all sorts of things began to come in as the Federal government worried about shortages developing in various areas.  Meat and cheese was added to the ration list on March 29, 1943.  As Sarah Sundin reports on her blog:

On March 29, 1943, meats and cheeses were added to rationing. Rationed meats included beef, pork, veal, lamb, and tinned meats and fish. Poultry, eggs, fresh milk—and Spam—were not rationed. Cheese rationing started with hard cheeses, since they were more easily shipped overseas. However, on June 2, 1943, rationing was expanded to cream and cottage cheeses, and to canned evaporated and condensed milk.

So in 1943 Americans found themselves subject to rationing on meat.  As noted, poultry was exempt, so a Sunday chicken dinner was presumably not in danger, but almost every other kind of common meat was rationed.  So, a good reason to go out in the field.

But World War Two was distinctly different in all sorts of ways from World War One, so hunting by that time was also different in many ways, and it was frankly impacted by the war in different ways.

For one thing, by 1941 automobiles had become a staple of American life.  It's amazing to think of the degree to which this is true, as it happened so rapidly.  By the late 1930s almost every American family had a car.  Added to that, pickup trucks had come in between the wars in the early versions of what we have today, and they were obviously a vehicle that was highly suited to hunting, although early cars, because of the way they were configured and because they were often more utilitarian than current ones, were well suited as a rule.  What was absent were 4x4s, which we've discussed earlier.

This meant that it was much, much easier for hunters to go hunting in a fashion that was less of an expedition.  It became possible to pack up a car or pickup truck and travel early in the morning to a hunting location and be back that night, in other words.

Or at least it had been until World War Two. With the war came not only food rationing, but gasoline rationing as well.  And not only gasoline rationing, but rationing that pertained to things related to automobiles as well

Indeed, the first thing to be rationed by the United States Government during World War Two was tires.  Tires were rationed on December 11, 1941.  This was due to anticipated shortages in rubber, which was a product that had been certainly in use during World War One, but not to the extent it was during World War Two.  And tire rationing mattered.

People today are used to modern radial tires which are infinitely better, and longer lasting, than old bias ply tires were.  People who drove before the 1980s and even on into the 80s were used to constantly having flat tires.  I hear occasionally people lament the passing of bias ply tires for trucks, but I do not.  Modern tires are much better and longer lasting.  Back when we used bias ply tires it seemed like we were constantly buying tires and constantly  having flat tires.  Those tires would have been pretty similar to the tires of World War Two.  Except by all accounts tires for civilians declined remarkably in quality during the war due to material shortages.

Gasoline rationing followed, and it was so strict that all forms of automobile racing, which had carried on unabated during World War One, were banned during World War Two.  Sight seeing was also banned.  So, rather obviously, the use of automobiles was fairly curtailed during the Second World War.

So, where as cars and trucks had brought mobility to all sorts of folks between the wars in a brand new way, rationing cut back on it, including for hunters, during the war.

Which doesn't mean that you couldn't go out, but it did mean that you had to save your gasoline ration if you were going far and generally plan wisely.

Ammunition was also hard to come by during the war.

It wasn't due to rationing, but something else that was simply a common fact of life during World War Two.  Industry turned to fulfilling contracts for the war effort and stopped making things for civilians consumption.

Indeed, I've hit on this a bit before in a different fashion, that being how technology advanced considerably between the wars but that the Great Depression followed by the Second World War kept that technology, more specifically domestic technology, from getting to a lot of homes. Automobiles, in spite of the Depression, where the exception really.  While I haven't dealt with it specifically, the material demands of the Second World War were so vast that industries simply could not make things for the service and the civilian market. 

Some whole classes of products, such as automobiles, simply stopped being available for civilians.  Ammunition was like that.  With the services consuming vast quantities of small arms ammunition, ammunition for civilians became very hard to come by.  People who might expect to get by with a box of shotgun shells for a day's hunt and to often make due with half of that.  Brass cases were substituted for steel before that was common in the U.S., which was a problem for reloaders. 

So, in short, the need and desire was likely there, but getting components were more difficult. And being able to get out was as well, which impacted a person to a greater or lesser extent depending where they were.

And, as previously noted, game populations are considerably higher today than they were then.

New Zealanders entered the Tunisian city of Gabès.

Hitler rejected the recommendations of the German Army to place V-2 rockets on mobile launchers and opted instead for them to have permanent launching installations at Peenemünde.

Life issued a special issue on the USSR.

Nevada joined those states, such as Wyoming, which would no longer recognize Common Law Marriage.

Chapter 122 - Marriage

NRS 122.010 - What constitutes marriage; no common-law marriages after March 29, 1943.

1. Marriage, so far as its validity in law is concerned, is a civil contract, to which the consent of the parties capable in law of contracting is essential. Consent alone will not constitute marriage; it must be followed by solemnization as authorized and provided by this chapter.

2. The provisions of subsection 1 requiring solemnization shall not invalidate any marriage contract in effect prior to March 29, 1943, to which the consent only of the parties capable in law of contracting the contract was essential.

John Major, British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, was born, as was English comedian Eric Idle.

The 2022 Season

The 2022 hunting season has ended.

In 2022, when I wrote about the 2021 season, I started off with this:

 It wasn't a great one, for a variety of reasons.

And that statement was true once again for 2022, but for different reasons, a lot of which had nothing much to do with the hunting season itself.

That's because 2022 has been the year of the field of Medicine, or age, or perhaps lifestyle, or whatever, catching up with me.

Self portrait, and a bad one, turkey hunting.  I was wearing a coat under this coat, and frankly I don't look like I was feeling particularly well when this photo was taken.

In the Spring I wasn't feeling well, which after much delay and finally responding to a demand from Long Suffering Spouse, caused me to go into the doctor's office, which lead in turn to a prescription for some medicine.  I'll spare you the details, but like most medicines and me, I didn't really respond terribly well to them physically. They did their job, but they also made me a bit ill, and made me ill just in time for Spring Turkey Season.  I hunted turkeys, as I always do, and I did see some, but I never got up on them (I tend to stalk them, rather than lure them in).  I did get a turkey call, which I'd never had before, but that failed to bring any in.  

A couple of weeks later, by which times things had warmed up enough to wear my Park Service dress campaign hat, the replacement for my long serving but now lost M1911 campaign hat.  I miss the old hat.

I also had the joy, and I won't detail it, of being pretty sick while hunting.  Something I rarely have experienced.

It was fun anyhow, but not something for a subsistence hunter to write home about.

That takes us to fishing season, and here too, for one reason or another, I just didn't get out over the summer as much as usual.  Indeed, "didn't get out as much as usual" was the theme of the year.

I fished the river several times, and one of the mountain streams I fish.  I attempted to take my daughter and her boyfriend down a significant local canyon, where I'm sure there are big fish, but we failed at that.  I hadn't scouted the route, and ours was pretty impassable.

I did try something I have not for several years, however, which was fishing from a kayak.

The doctor's visit mentioned earlier lead to a colonoscopy, which I wasn't too quick to get set up.  That ended up getting scheduled for early Fall.  And that lead to a major surgery in October.

The North American Retriever getting a cool drink from a mountain stream while blue grouse hunting.

Prior to that, I got out for blue grouse, but failed to see a single one.  I never made it out sage chicken hunting.  I didn't draw antelope, but my son did, and I went out with him.  None of us drew limited deer, but my daughter and I went out opening morning and nearly got a couple of really good deer in a general deer area until some fool blasted right by us in a truck, scaring them off.  We went back out a couple of weeks later and my son got a nice deer in a very distant area.  So at least that was a partial success.  

I went out for antelope with my son, and he was successful.

I drew an elk tag, but I only got out twice, once before surgery, and once after.

Surgery put me out of action in a major way for well over a month.  When I got back on my feet, only waterfowl was open.  

It's been a pretty good waterfowl season, however.  The weather has been right for it (lousy) and lots of waterfowl have been in the area.  I've shot more geese this year than I ever have before.

I thought about closing this entry out with a quote from Kristin Lavransdottir about Lavran, when he last rode away, or the video clip from No Country For Old Men at the ending with the sheriff protagonist is recalling his father.  Instead, I'm just going to note that I still don't really feel up to speed, but I'm putting in for everything.

Blog Mirror: Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding

 

Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahead, again. (Vol 6).

Well, we have another edition.  It's been an interesting session.

February 12, 2023

Today we start off with an item that isn't actually legislative, but given as the GOP controls the legislature, related to it.

Yesterday, we noted that the GOP apparently sent an email to legislatures urging them not to vote for HB7, the bill which would eliminate, and indeed invalidate, marriages involving anyone under 16 years of age.  We noted there that this proposal has been made before, and failed.  Now the GOP has apparently come out in some capacity against it, for reasons which you can read in the last edition of this thread.

Now the GOP leadership has come out with a condemnation of Cynthia Lummis for her vote in the Senate on the bill which statutorily adopted the holding of Obergefell, thereby protecting same gender unions as marriages from state revocation.  Lummis, by voting the way she did, was likely demonstrating her uncanny ability to switch directions and tack with the winds in advance of their shifting, but the local GOP isn't happy about it and passed a resolution condemning her actions.

All of this somewhat demonstrates that the GOP organization remains solidly very right wing, but its influence isn't extending out as far as it likely thought it would.  The host of really populist bills in the current legislature have not done well, and the new populist firebrands have not extended much influence so far.

February 14, 2024

HB 104 allowing the taking of predatory animals at night has passed both houses but was amended by the House of Representatives to include laser sighting systems, and so is back to the Senate for concurrence.

Frankly, as a hunter, I feel that this bill is a bad technological trend.  Probably an inevitable one, but one hunters will regret.

HB131 allowing for online sports wagering, amended to require licenses and permits, passed both houses.

The Cowboy State Journal did an article on teenage marriages in the state which was somewhat interesting, with this coming up in the context of HB 7.  The article noted, and I quote:

The Busy Teen Wedding Year  

In Department of Health data spanning from 1978 to recent months, the peak year for underage marriages was 1980. There were 670 teens who married that year. Three of them were 14 years old, 30 were 15, 217 were 16 and 370 were 17.   

13 And Younger  

In only four years since 1978 have people 13 and younger received marriage licenses in Wyoming.  

Those years were 1978, when one person 13 or younger was married; 1979, when there were two; 1987 (one); and 1995 (one).   

Age 14  

There were, however, 20 years in which 14-year-olds married in Wyoming since 1978. The most recent of those was in 2012, when one 14-year-old was married. There have been 37 people married in the state at age 14 overall since 1978.   

The year with the most 14-year-olds wedded was 1979, when there were six.   

Age 15  

The most recent marriage involving a 15-year-old in Wyoming was 2015. It was the first since 2009, when four 15-year-olds were married.   

The numbers tapered off significantly starting in about 1984. Before then, between 22 and 36 people married each year at age 15.   

In 1984 there were 14 people married at 15. The numbers dropped again in 1987, with eight. They continued to dwindle with occasional jumps: to nine in 1994 and nine in 2006, though they never crested the single digits after 1986.   

Age 16  

In every year since 1978, including last year, 16-year-olds have gotten married. There were six in 2022.   

That’s a mere fraction of the figures of the late 1970s and 1980s, with 215 in 1978; 226 in 1979; 217 in 1980 and 148 in 1981.   

The numbers first dropped below 100 in 1985, at 96. They didn’t hit single digits until 2010, when there were six.   

Age 17  

Likewise, 17-year-olds get married every year in Wyoming.   

There were 374 wed in 1978 and 420 in 1980.   

But there were only 10 people that age married last year. So far this year, 2023, there have been four 17-year-olds married.   

Totals  

The totals of minors’ marriages are in the same descent as individual categories, with 627 minors married altogether in 1978 and 16 in 2022. Though the numbers fluctuated in between those two dates, the pattern of descent has been mostly consistent.   

An online journal also went after a leading figure in the GOP in the state in a really blistering fashion, accusing that person of serial infidelities and making house outside of marriage, as well as other things.  If the author is correct, and I'm going to hold off naming people as I don't know if he is or not, it would be a shocking example of outright hypocrisy, particularly in regard to the GOP's opposition to HB 7 on moral grounds.

Not that this has been unusual in recent years.  Donald Trump is hardly a moral paragon, but nonetheless he was embraced by some on the evangelical right.

February 14, 2023, cont

Governor Gordon to Sign First Bills of 2023 Legislative Session on Wednesday, February 15

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon will hold a formal bill signing ceremony on Wednesday February 15 at 3 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:

Bill No.   Enrolled Act # Bill Title

SF 0023    SEA 0003         Treatment courts - transfer to judicial branch.

HB 0028   HEA 0008        Community College Capital Construction

HB 0029   HEA 0007        Community College Funding- Distance Education Credit Hours

-END-

February 15, 2023

The crossover voting bill, designed to address Republican fears that vast hordes of Democrats will cross into the GOP seconds before a primary, and which had died in a Senate Committee, was moved to a more favorable committee in a parliamentary move in hopes of keeping the remaining three Democrats from switching parties in this fashion.

Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who campaigned on stolen election fantasies, is in favor of the bill, as of course he would have to be.

This move, which is a little chickensh** in my view, is being reported as rare, but I can recall it happening in the last general session.

It should be noted that if Democrats crossing over was effective, Cheney would still be our Representative, which she didn't even come close to being.

It should also be noted that all the hardcore really left wing Democrats that made a big deal of their crossing over should have shut up, as they sure didn't do anything any favors by being vocal about their decision.

House Bill 147 has passed, banning improper posting of public lands in an effort to deter hunters.

ENROLLED ACT NO. 18,  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

2023 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to game and fish; amending the crime of interference with lawful taking of wildlife; prohibiting acts that restrict access to or use of state or federal land as specified; providing an exception; specifying applicability; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 

Section 1.  W.S. 23‑3‑405(a) by creating a new paragraph (iii) and (g) by creating a new paragraph (iii) is amended to read:

23‑3‑405.  Interference with lawful taking of wildlife prohibited; penalties; damages; injunction.

(a)  No person shall with the intent to prevent or hinder the lawful taking of any wildlife:

(iii)  Knowingly and without authorization post or maintain in place signs that restrict access to or use of state or federal land on which the lawful taking of or the process of lawfully taking any wildlife is permitted. For purposes of this subsection, "knowingly" means the person has received prior notice from a peace officer that the sign is located on state or federal land.

(g)  This section shall:

(iii)  Not interfere with any landowner's right to prevent trespass on the landowner's private property.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

This is a good bill, and I'm glad it passed.

This odd bill passed:

 ENROLLED ACT NO. 17, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

2023 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to defense forces and affairs; authorizing veterans to present their driver's licenses or identification cards as proof of their veteran status as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 19‑14‑113 is created to read:

19‑14‑113.  Veteran designation on driver's license.

(a)  Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, if a person has a veteran designation on their Wyoming driver's license or identification card pursuant to W.S. 31‑7‑141, any local government entity as defined by W.S. 9‑2‑3219(a)(vi) shall allow the person to present their Wyoming driver's license or identification card instead of a military form DD 214 as proof of their status as a veteran.

(b)  At the request of the military department or if information other than the person's status as a veteran is required, the military department or other local government entity may ask for further documentation including a military form DD 214.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

I'm not sure why a person would have a veteran designation on their license, but they can.  Maybe I'll add one if it'll help prevent me from getting speeding tickets or something. 

February 16, 2023 

Governor’s First Bill Signing Advances Mental Health Care in Wyoming and Bolsters Ability to Fight to Protect Coal Industry

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon signed the first bills of the 2023 Legislative session during a public signing ceremony at the Capitol today.

The first bill to be signed by the Governor was Senate File 0023- Treatment courts - transfer to judicial branch. The "Court Supervised Treatment Programs Act” transfers responsibility and oversight of court-supervised treatment programs from the Wyoming Department of Health to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Governor Gordon praised the legislation as an example of a collaborative effort between the Legislative, Judicial and Executive Branches, and said it offered an opportunity to strengthen the state’s drug treatment courts. At the signing, Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court Kate Fox expressed her support for the legislation, saying the bill will help improve the way the judicial branch addresses mental health and substance abuse issues. 

The Governor also signed House Bill 0069 Coal-fired facility closures litigation funding-amendments. That bill provides additional flexibility for the Governor to utilize an account dedicated to funding litigation against entities that “impede Wyoming's ability to export coal, that cause the early retirement of coal-fired electric generation facilities located in Wyoming, that result in the decreased use of Wyoming coal or the closure of coal-fired electric generation facilities that use Wyoming coal.”

“Coal has a future in Wyoming. Thank you to the Legislature for helping to make a broader use of these funds, so we can be much more proactive in protecting our coal industries’ future,” Governor Gordon said. 

The Governor signed the following bills today:

Enrolled Act # Bill# Bill Title

HEA0001 HB0112 Theft-penalty for fifth or subsequent offense.

HEA0002 HB0111 Endangering children-fentanyl.

HEA0003 HB0097 Chancery court jurisdiction amendments.

HEA0004 HB0050 Solid waste cease and transfer program funding.

HEA0005 HB0045 Peace officer retirement and rehiring.

HEA0006 HB0039 Verifying the veteran designation on a WY driver's license.

HEA0007 HB0029 Community college funding-distance education credit hours.

HEA0008 HB0028 Community college capital construction.

HEA0009 HB0012 Presumptive child support amounts-updated tables.

HEA0010 HB0010 County officers-bond amounts and surety requirement.

HEA0012 HB0069 Coal-fired facility closures litigation funding-amendments.

HEA0013 HB0070 Definition of home-based educational program.

HEA0014 HB0026 School facilities-appropriations.

SEA0001 SF0002 Wyoming telecommunications act-sunset date.

SEA0002 SF0004 North American Industry Classification System amendments.

SEA0003 SF0023 Treatment courts-transfer to judicial branch.

SEA0004 SF0077 Public works apprenticeship programs-repeal.

SEA0005 SF0013 Bar and grill liquor license phaseout

SEA0006 SF0026 Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact

SEA0007 SF0122 Nonresident workers-vehicle registration extension

SEA0008 SF0118 Fund balance calculations-federal encumbrances excluded

SEA0009 SF0057 State held drainage district bonds

SEA0010 SF0036 Investment funds committee-selection panel amendments

SEA0011 SF0033 Defining aircraft for purposes of hunting prohibitions

SEA0012 SF0028 Livestock infectious disease control-tribal inclusion

SEA0013 SF0017 Off-road recreational vehicles-safety and insurance

SEA0014 SF0015 Military leave for state employees

SEA0015 SF0014 Wyoming national guard professional malpractice liability

SEA0016 SF0005 Medical malpractice statutory update

SEA0017 SF0006 Insurance rebating modernization

SEA0018 SF0024 Financial exploitation of vulnerable adults

SEA0019 SF0063 Tax administration revisions

SEA0020 SF0059 State parks account-agency expenditure authority

SEA0021 SF0020 Driver's license and ID card photo quality

SEA0022 SF0018 Benefits for spouses of law enforcement members

SEJR1      SJ0007 Support for Taiwan

-END-

On the coal litigation item, the money that's dedicated to that might as well just be shoveled into the furnaces itself.  It's going nowhere, and everybody in the know is aware of that.

February 7, 2023

HB7 banning kiddie marriages passed the Senate, but in amended form, so it's back to the house for reconciliation.

The voting on the bill in the Senate was interesting.  It was as follows:

Ayes: Anderson, Barlow, Biteman, Boner, Bouchard, Brennan, Case, Cooper, Ellis, French, Furphy, Gierau, Jones, Kinskey, Kolb, Landen, Laursen, Nethercott, Pappas, Rothfuss, Schuler, Scott, President Driskill

Nays: Baldwin, Dockstader, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, McKeown, Salazar

Excused: Steinmetz

So it split the far right to at least a slight extent, with Bouchard, the only one who has personal experience in this area, voting aye.

In the House, before it was amended in the Senate, and before the GOP came out against the bill, it was as follows:

Ayes: Andrew, Berger, Brown, Burkhart, Jr, Byron, Chadwick, Chestek, Clouston, Conrad, Crago, Eklund, Harshman, Henderson, Larsen, Lloyd, Larson, JT, Lawley, Nicholas, Niemiec, Oakley, Northrup, Obermueller, O'Hearn, Olsen, Provenza, Sherwood, Stith, Storer, Trujillo, Walters, Washut, Western, Wylie, Yin, Zwonitzer, Dan, Zwonitzer, Dave, Speaker Sommers

Nays: Allemand, Allred, Angelos, Banks, Bear, Davis, Haroldson, Heiner, Hornok, Jennings, Knapp, Locke, Neiman, Ottman, Pendergraft, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Singh, Slagle, Smith, Strock, Styvar, Tarver, Ward, Winter

Here you can see the far right was against it, and it only passed the House by ten votes.

Essentially, we can take it from this that the far right opposes this bill for some reason, but why?

In other news, the Cowboy State Daily did a piece on Lester Hunt noting his position on Japanese internees during World War Two.  

I'd wondered if this would come up in regard to the resolution to honor him.

February 18, 2023

Senate Bill 152, the sweeping abortion ban bill, might not get assigned to a Senate Committee.  In another surprising parliamentary move, the Senate President might simply keep it in his drawer over concerns about the bill's constitutionality and views of constituents.

February 19, 2023

Governor Gordon Takes Action on 8 Bills on Saturday, February 18

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon took action on eight bills on Saturday, February 18. The Governor signed the following bills into law today: 

Enrolled Act # Bill # Bill Title

 

HEA0015 HB0035 Day-care certification requirement amendments

HEA0016 HB0082 Defendant mental illness examinations-amendments

HEA0017 HB0160 Drivers license veterans designation replacing DD form 214

HEA0018 HB0147 Unlawful trespass signage-taking of wildlife

HEA0019 HB0019 State Indian Child Welfare Act task force

SEA0023 SF0078 Apprenticeship and job training promotion in schools

SEA0024 SF0176 Solid waste disposal districts-consolidation

SEA0025 SF0041 Skill based amusement games-authorized locations.

 

With this, posting public land to deter hunters is now illegal.

February 20, 2023

The Tribune, in its editorial from yesterday, accused the legislature of hypocrisy.  Among the bills causing that charge was the efforts to kill the underage marriage bill.

February 21, 2023

Governor Gordon to Hold Public Bill Signing Today, Tuesday, February 21

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon will hold a formal bill signing ceremony today, Tuesday February 21 beginning at 2 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:

Enrolled Act #  Bill# Bill Title

SEA0027 SF0011 Cancer early detection amendments

HEA0020 HB0018 Missing person alert systems

HEA0022 HB0061 Source material associated with mining-agreement

HEA0026 HB0175 Excused absence-state fair events

HEA0028 HB0057 Armed forces-amendments.

HEA0031 HB0239 Vehicle idling-decriminalization.

HEA0032 HB0142 Notice of annexation.

February 22, 2023

The legislature grew testy yesterday as the sponsor of a bill on pharmaceutical regulation complained about edits being made without notice.

This is the second time in a week when there's been an open spat regarding committee edits to bills being made and a legislator feeling that something about the process was improper.

Governor Gordon Signs Bill to Help Advance Rare Earth Elements Mining in Wyoming

Also signs bill to advance Missing and Murdered Indigenous People response and vetoes first bill of the session

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill to advance Wyoming’s leadership on developing rare earth and critical minerals today. He also took action on 25 other bills on Tuesday, February 21. 

At a ceremony in the Capitol the Governor signed into law a bill  giving Wyoming primacy to permit and regulate parts of the rare earth and critical minerals industry. House Bill 0061 amends the existing Agreement State Status with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow Wyoming the permitting and regulatory authority for rare earth elements source materials. The Legislature passed this bill with unanimous support and today, the Governor signed both HB 0061 and sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Governor also signed House Bill 0018 - Missing person alert systems. Sponsored by the Select Committee on Tribal Relations, the bill aids in the administrative establishment of a new Ashanti Alert. The alert will function similarly to an Amber alert, sending out rapid notifications to cell phones and other media regarding missing adults. Local law enforcement can request these alerts, which will be initiated statewide by the Wyoming Highway Patrol upon meeting specific alert criteria. The legislation came from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force the Governor established. 

Governor Gordon exercised his veto authority on House Bill 0106 - Eminent domain-wind energy collector systems. The Governor said that the bill’s nine-year moratorium on the use of eminent domain is likely to stall development in Wyoming. Previously the moratorium had only been in place for two years at a time. He also expressed concern that the bill would interfere with the rights of private landowners to exercise their private property and contractual rights, as well as their right to contract with whomever they choose. He noted that many ranchers and farmers in Wyoming have successfully negotiated with wind developers and are enhancing the ability of their lands to provide income for their families. While recognizing eminent domain is a delicate issue, the Governor asked the Legislature to examine the use of eminent domain authority, and then revisit the need for a moratorium in a future session and consider a shorter moratorium if it is necessary.

The Governor signed the following bills into law today: 

Enrolled Act #

Bill #

Bill Title

HEA0020 HB0018 Missing person alert systems

HEA0021 HB0020 Land exchanges-notice

HEA0022 HB0061 Source material associated with mining-agreement

HEA0023 HB0181 Online sports wagering-amendments

HEA0024 HB0013 Office of guardian ad litem-program references

HEA0025 HB0079 Voter I.D. requirements

HEA0026 HB0175 Excused absence-state fair events

HEA0027 HB0086 Disclosure of private cryptographic keys.

HEA0028 HB0057 Armed forces-amendments.

HEA0029 HB0015 County authority to dissolve museum boards-clarification.

HEA0030 HB0005 Voter registry list-voter ID and absentee ballots.

HEA0031 HB0239 Vehicle idling-decriminalization.

HEA0032 HB0142 Notice of annexation.

HEA0034 HB0041 Lightweight trailers-permanent registration.

SEA0026 SF0008 Essential subsidy payments to behavioral health centers

SEA0027 SF0011 Cancer early detection amendments

SEA0028 SF0031 Adjacent land resource data trespass-repeal

SEA0029 SF0025 District and prosecuting attorneys-bar license requirement

SEA0030 SF0068 Prescriptive easement for water conveyances.

SEA0031 SF0173 Financial institutions-similar names

SEA0032 SF0139 Unlawful use of a charge card or debit card

SEA0033 SF0069 Electronic records retention

SEA0034 SF0055 Chancery court vacancies-extension amendment

SEA0035 SF0040 Federal political action committees-reports

SEA0036 SF007 Definition of opiate antagonist-amendment.

The Governor vetoed the following bill. His veto letter is attached and linked below.

HEA0033 HB0106 Eminent domain-wind energy collector systems.

The full list of bills the Governor has taken action on during the 2023 Legislative Session can be found on the Governor's website.

-END-

The bill that got vetoed pertained to eminent domain and wind turbines. The Governor's letter stated:

February 22, cont.

Interesting news on parliamentary procedure was in evidence today.

SF 117 was subject to an attempt by Jeanette Ward to go around the Speaker of the House, who has simply kept the bill on "parental rights on education" on his desk for over 20 days.  Ward tried to move to assign it to a committee, and the Speaker torpedoed the move.

It'll likely never move off the desk, amounting to another defeat for the populist right.

SF 144, Chloe's Law, also failed in committee, which is frankly very surprising.  It's not dead, but the chances of it advancing seem quite limited now. A similar bill by Charles Scott remains active.

February 23, 2024

The Life Is A Human Right bill, HB 152, which was lingering unassigned in the Senate, has now been assigned to the Agricultural Committee where it will likely pass.  There is apparently speculation it would not pass the Health Committee.

The bill designed to allow the state to negotiate with the Tribes on hunting rights, HB 83, failed.  It largely failed as the Tribes came out against it.

February 23, cont.

Governor Gordon to Hold Public Bill Signing Today, Thursday, February 23

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon will hold a formal bill signing ceremony today, Thursday, February 23 beginning at 2 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:

Enrolled Act #       Bill#               Bill Title

HEA0036               HB0065          988 suicide prevention.

SEA0039               SF0010            Licensed professional counselor compact.

SEA0038              SF0043            EMS districts.

HEA0044              HB0007           Underage marriage-amendments.

HEA0041              HB0127           Health care facilities and clergy.

HEA0050              HB0056           Purple star schools

HEA0048              HB0134           Alcohol sales to licensees

HEA0042              HB0044           Road and bridge construction-alternative contracting.

HEA0046              HB0279           Voter identification requirements

February 24, 2023

And the following were in fact signed into law yesterday.

Governor Gordon Takes Action on 8 Bills on Saturday, February 18

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon took action on nine bills on Thursday, February 23. The Governor signed the following bills into law today:  

Enrolled Act # Bill # Bill Title 

HEA0036 HB0065  988 suicide prevention.

HEA0041 HB0127  Health care facilities and clergy.

HEA0042 HB0044  Road and bridge construction-alternative contracting.

HEA0044 HB0007  Underage marriage-amendments.

HEA0046 HB0279  Voter identification requirements

HEA0048 HB0134  Alcohol sales to licensees

HEA0050 HB0056  Purple star schools

SEA0038 SF0043   EMS districts.

SEA0039 SF0010   Licensed professional counselor compact.

The full list of bills the Governor has taken action on during the 2023 Legislative Session can be found on the Governor's website.

Therefore, take note would be Romeo's and Juliet's, you have to wait until you are 16 to seek to marry.

An amended Life Is A Human Right Act passed out of Senate Committee, but stripped of the provisions that tied it to a Wyoming Supreme Court decision, and adding rape and incest exceptions.

Anthony Bouchard has called on the Wyoming GOP to censure the Speaker of the House for putting Chloe's Law in his bottom drawer.  If the bill doesn't make it out by Monday, it will fall due to a legislative deadline for bills passing one chamber to make it out of committee in the next.

Part of the problem here is that the bill was amended significantly in the House and then came back with a "do not pass" from committee, which means that its chances are poor otherwise.   Bills that suffer that fate are automatically put in the bottom drawer, although the speaker feels that it is likely to come out before the deadline.

The Speaker indicates he flat out won't let SF117, the Parental Rights In Education Act, out on the floor, in part because he feels it intrudes on local control by school boards.

Sommers  has also put Senate File 86, allowing Wyomingites to use their concealed carry permits as voter identification in the drawer, but due to  House Bill 79 which was a mirror already being passed into law. He put Senate File 143 also is stuck in Sommers’ drawer, establishing a scholarship fund to send some Wyoming students to private schools instead of public, as a nearly identical bill has already failed.

February 25, 2023

HB 103, the Cross Over Voting bill designed to prevent an imaginary problem of imaginary Democrats crossing over to spoil primary elections, has passed the Legislature.  It's unknown if the Governor will sign it.

HB 104, allowing use of infrared scopes to hunt predators at night was signed into law.  I frankly don't think this was a good idea.

The bill also cleared up some questions about predator hunteres being able to hunt on state lands.

Governor Gordon Signs Supplemental Budget with Historic Savings to Keep Taxes Low For Future Generations

**Corrected with updated budget letter**

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon signed a supplemental budget that places more than $1 billion in savings, allowing the state to keep taxes low and generate higher investment returns that will benefit future generations. Today, the Governor also took action on 16 other bills.

“I congratulate the Legislature for its work on my budget recommendations,” Governor Gordon said. “It is gratifying that the budget submitted to me is closely aligned with my original recommendations. Where we disagreed, or where they overstepped the separation of powers embedded in our Constitution, I exercised my veto authority. The fiscal condition of the State remains strong.”

The Governor thanked the Legislature for delivering a budget that reflects the approach he outlined in his supplemental budget proposal – one that sets aside funds for leaner times ahead and addresses the inflationary pressures facing Wyoming citizens and the concerns of the state’s most vulnerable and those living on fixed incomes. Most notably, this budget provides for more property tax relief for citizens. 

Governor Gordon noted that for every dollar of state revenue spent in the supplemental budget, it saves roughly $3.50. In addition to savings, the Supplemental Budget makes strategic investments in Wyoming. These include additional funding for the Property Tax Refund Program, support for the state’s energy industries and a market adjustment for state employees and teachers to offset the impacts of inflation. 

The Governor used his authority to issue several line-item vetoes, including items that are overly prescriptive and those that present separation of powers concerns. The Governor’s budget letter explaining his line-item vetoes is attached and may be found here.

Governor Gordon also exercised his veto authority on Senate File 0071- State loan and bond programs. In his letter, the Governor pointed out that the bill reduces the amount of funding available to the State Loan and Investment Board for farm loans, shrinking the safety net available to the agriculture industry. The Governor also expressed concern that the changes the legislation makes to the interest rates for farm loans put the State in competition with private financial institutions.

The Governor signed the following bills into law: 

Enrolled Act Bill # Bill Title

HEA0035 HB0021 State lands-use of land qualification requirements.

HEA0038 HB0031 BOCES as local education agencies.

HEA0039 HB0174 Homestead exemption-amendments.

HEA0040 HB0027 School facilities-consolidated remediation schedule.

HEA0043 HB0165 Living organ donor protection.

HEA0045 HB0096 Transfer on death deed-insurance coverage.

HEA0047 HB0148 Airport liquor licenses-amendment

HEA0049 HB0062 Open banking

HEA0051 HB0042 Off-road recreational vehicle operation

HEA0052 HB0104 Hunting of predatory animals-amendments

SEA0040 SF0037 Podiatry medical services-Medicaid.

SEA0041 SF0029 Brucellosis management updates.

SEA0042 SF0095 Moon landing day.

SEA0043 SF0065 Compensation of local registrars-repeal.

SEA0044 SF0058 Sutton archaeological site administration.

The Governor exercised his line-item veto authority on the following bill. The Governor's letter is attached:

HEA  0037 HB001 General government appropriations.

The Governor vetoed the following bill. The Governor’s letter is attached and linked:

SEA0037 SF0071 State loan and bond programs..

-END-

Last prior edition:

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahead. (Vol 5).

Going Feral: Trophy Hunters

Going Feral: Trophy Hunters:   Large number of animal skulls found in Neanderthal cave

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. End of the first full week, beginning of the next. (Vol 3).

January 20, 2023

Not too surprisingly, given the flood of bills, we're on to the second installment for the actual session.

Not on the topic of the legislature, but of note:

Governor Gordon Tests Positive for COVID-19

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon has received results of a COVID-19 test that showed he is positive for the virus. The Governor is experiencing only minor symptoms at this time and will continue working from home on behalf of Wyoming.

January 21, 2023

Representative Ward testified in favor of her own bill to dictate what business owners can do on their own private property in regard to masks claiming she was "prioritizing the right of the individual over the businesses", i.e., cramming down her view of rights over an established individual right.

The bill moved to the floor but the penalties for violating it were removed and the ignorant provision that would have attacked childhood immunization was also removed.  It only advanced by a single vote.

Ward repeated her story about not being able to believe that mask restrictions existed in Wyoming in 2022. Some speakers noted that the state will lose millions of dollars in Federal funds if the bill becomes law.

Speaking of money, the bill funding school facilities passed the House.

The bill putting a lower age on marriage passed the House.

The bill addressing retirement for state park rangers passed the House.

House Bill 73 on annexation vote requirements passed the House.

SF 143 was introduced to provide a scholarship to private schools.

Why, exactly, the state needs to subsidize attendance at private schools is not apparent.  The bill had widespread introductory support and I expect it to pass, which will mean that a state that's already struggling to fund its public schools will be paying parents to send their kids to someplace else, albeit in a small fashion.

A second bill on child gender mutilation was introduced.  It reads:

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0661

SENATE FILE NO. SF0144

Chloe's law-children gender change prohibition.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Bouchard, French, Hutchings, Ide, Laursen, D and McKeown and Representative(s) Heiner, Hornok and Winter

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting physicians from performing procedures for children related to gender transitioning and gender reassignment; providing an exception; providing that gender transitioning and reassignment procedures are grounds for suspension or revocation of a physician's license; prohibiting insurance coverage for children for gender transitioning and reassignment procedures; providing definitions; specifying applicability; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 26‑20‑901 and 35‑4‑1001 are created to read:

ARTICLE 9

COVERAGE FOR GENDER‑RELATED PROCEDURES

26‑20‑901.  Health insurance; coverage of gender transition and reassignment procedures prohibited.

No individual or group health insurance policy providing coverage on an expense incurred basis, individual or group service or indemnity type contract issued by any insurer including any nonprofit corporation or individual or group service contract issued by a health maintenance organization or delivered on or after July 1, 2023 shall include coverage for any gender transitioning or gender reassignment procedure provided to or performed upon a child that is prohibited by W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

ARTICLE 10

GENDER‑RELATED PROCEDURES

35‑4‑1001.  Gender transitioning and reassignment procedures for children prohibited.

(a)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Child" means a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age;

(ii)  "Health care provider" means a person other than a physician who is licensed, certified or otherwise authorized by Wyoming law to provide or render health care or to dispense or prescribe a prescription drug in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession;

(iii)  "Physician" means any person licensed to practice medicine in this state by the state board of medicine under the Medical Practice Act.

(b)  For purposes of transitioning a child's biological sex as determined by the sex organs and except as provided by subsection (c) of this section, chromosomes and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child's perception of the child's sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child's biological sex, no physician or health care provider shall:

(i)  Perform a surgery that sterilizes the child, including castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, metoidioplasty, orchiectomy, penectomy, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty;

(ii)  Perform a mastectomy;

(iii)  Provide, administer, prescribe or dispense any of the following prescription drugs that induce transient or permanent infertility:

(A)  Puberty suppression or blocking prescription drugs to stop or delay normal puberty;

(B)  Supraphysiologic doses of testosterone to females;

(C)  Supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males.

(iv)  Remove any otherwise healthy or non‑diseased body part or tissue.

(c)  Subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to procedures or treatments that are performed with the consent of the child's parent or guardian and are for a child who is born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development, including 46, XX chromosomes with virilization, 46, XY with undervirilization or both ovarian and testicular tissue.

Section 2.  W.S. 33‑24‑122(a)(intro), (ix) and by creating a new paragraph (xi) and 33‑26‑402(a) by creating a new paragraph (xxxvi) are amended to read:

33‑24‑122.  Revocation or suspension of license and registration; letter of admonition; summary suspension; administrative penalties; probation; grounds.

(a)  The license and registration of any pharmacist may be revoked or suspended by the board of pharmacy or the board may issue a letter of admonition, refuse to issue or renew any license or require successful completion of a rehabilitation program or issue a summary suspension for any one (1) or more of the following causes:

(ix)  For senility or mental impairment which impedes the pharmacist's professional abilities or for habitual personal use of morphine, cocaine or other habit forming drugs or alcohol; or

(xi)  For violating W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

33‑26‑402.  Grounds for suspension; revocation; restriction; imposition of conditions; refusal to renew or other disciplinary action.

(a)  The board may refuse to renew, and may revoke, suspend or restrict a license or take other disciplinary action, including the imposition of conditions or restrictions upon a license on one (1) or more of the following grounds:

(xxxvi)  Violating W.S. 35‑4‑1001.

Section 3.

(a)  This act shall apply to all insurance policies delivered or issued for delivery in this state on and after July 1, 2023.

(b)  W.S. 35‑4‑1001, as created by section 1 of this act, shall apply only to conduct or procedures occurring on and after the effective date of this act.

Section 4.  The insurance commissioner, department of health, state board of medicine and state board of pharmacy shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 5.  

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023.

(b) Sections 4 and 5 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

As often oddly happens, a bill that failed is back, that being SJ 4, the silly resolution banning electric vehicle sales. 

January 25, 2023

More new bills.

Let's look first at the House.

HB 223.  This bill is a "good Samaratin" bill for rendering aid to a police dog.

1‑1‑120.  Persons rendering emergency assistance exempt from civil liability.

(d)  No emergency medical services provider who in the performance of their duties and in good faith renders emergency first aid to an injured police dog shall be held personally liable for any damages occurring as a result of rendering such aid or services or as a result of transporting a police dog to a veterinary care facility, nor shall they be held personally liable to a veterinary care facility for its expenses if, under emergency conditions, they cause the admission of a police dog to the veterinary care facility.

HB 240.  This would allow for the initiative and referendum process to be used for budget appropriations.

(b)  The people may make appropriations by initiative. Upon the enactment of an initiative that makes an appropriation, the legislature shall appropriately assign the appropriation in the immediately following legislative session. The legislature's failure to assign an appropriation shall be subject to judicial review.

HB246 would adopt year around Mountain Standard Time in the state.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0246

Mountain standard time-2.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ottman, Davis, Heiner, Hornok, Tarver, Trujillo and Winter and Senator(s) Schuler

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to legal time; requiring the state to observe a time zone as specified; establishing a new uniform state time; repealing provisions; specifying a contingency; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 8‑4‑116 is created to read:

8‑4‑116.  Mountain standard time.

(a)  The year round observed time of the state of Wyoming and all of the state's political subdivisions is mountain standard time. Wyoming exempts all areas of the state from mountain daylight time.

(b)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Mountain daylight time" means the period during a year when mountain standard time is advanced one (1) hour in accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 260a;

(ii)  "Mountain standard time" means the observed time assigned to the fourth time zone in 15 U.S.C. § 261.

Section 2.  2020 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 134 is repealed.

Section 3.  W.S. 8‑4‑115 is repealed.

Section 4.

(a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective November 5, 2023.

(b)  Sections 2 through 4 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

HB247. This bill eliminates the provision that allows a person to abandon the meat of a trophy game animal.

In other words, mountain lion, it's what's for dinner!

HB250 would outlaw "Red Flag Act", i.e. the temporary suspension of a person's rights to keep firearms if they are a perceived public threat.

HB202 would provide for scholorships for students wanting to be commercial pilots.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0202

Pilot student loan payments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Walters, Northrup, Sherwood, Sommers and Western and Senator(s) Gierau and Landen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; providing financial assistance to students obtaining commercial pilot certificates; requiring pilots licensed under this act to fly commercially as specified or repay funds expended by the state; requiring students to satisfy a residency requirement to qualify for the program; allowing the community college commission to forgive student debt where undue hardship exists; requiring reports; providing an appropriation; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑18‑227 is created to read:

21‑18‑227.  Wyoming airline pilot loan repayment program; eligibility criteria; procedures; program reporting.

(a)  The Wyoming airline pilot loan repayment program is created to be administered by the Wyoming community college commission established under W.S. 21‑18‑201. Applicants shall have a Wyoming residence, as defined in W.S. 22‑1‑102(a)(xxx), or shall be graduates of a Wyoming high school and may apply for loans from the program in accordance with this section.

(b)  To qualify for a loan under this section, the applicant shall:

(i)  Be enrolled in good standing in a program at a Wyoming community college for the purpose of receiving an aviation or related degree and a commercial pilot certificate;

(ii)  Intend to obtain an airline transport pilot certification; and

(iii)  Apply for federal financial assistance.

(c)  Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this program, loans under this section may be granted to qualified applicants to pay the cost of attendance for the aviation or related program and the commercial pilot certificate specified under paragraph (b)(i) of this section.

(d)  A loan provided under this section shall not exceed the cost of tuition fees for the approved program and the cost of earning the commercial pilot certificate, reduced by the amount of any Pell or other federal grant and any employer based financial assistance received by the applicant.

(e)  A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the loan without cash payment by earning an airline transport pilot certification and actively engaging in commercial aviation as an airline transport pilot employed by an airline that regularly flies into airports within Wyoming for three (3) years.

(f)  Any recipient of a loan under this section who fails to:

(i)  Complete the academic program for which the loan was provided shall commence cash repayment of the loan no later than forty‑five (45) days after the recipient leaves the academic program;

(ii)  Obtain employment in the targeted occupation specified in subsection (e) of this section within two hundred forty (240) days after successfully obtaining the airline transport pilot certification, shall commence cash repayment of the loan within two hundred eighty‑five (285) days after successfully obtaining the airline transport pilot certification;

(iii)  Obtain the airline transport pilot certification within two and one‑half (2 1/2) years after completion of the aviation or related program and commercial pilot certificate shall commence cash repayment of the loan.

(g)  Loan repayment options under this section may be deferred for a period not to exceed five (5) years while a loan recipient is serving on full‑time active duty with any branch of the military services of the United States.

(h)  The Wyoming community college commission shall have the powers and duties specified under W.S. 21‑18‑202(c) to implement this section and shall establish terms and conditions of loans issued under this section, including:

(i)  Interest rates and loan terms;

(ii)  The form and process for loan application, review and award;

(iii)  Criteria under which students may be relieved from having to repay loans and interest thereon, in whole or in part, where the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship;

(iv)  Criteria for determining the cost of attendance as used in establishing the loan amount for aviation or related programs and commercial pilot certificates based upon each semester or summer school session of full or part‑time program attendance.

(j)  Funding of the loan program established under this section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The community college commission shall transfer approved loan amounts to the appropriate Wyoming community college.

(k)  Cash repayment of loans and interest thereon shall be credited to the general fund.

(m)  The community college commission shall annually review the loan program established under this section and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S. 9‑2‑1014 regarding program results, funds received and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under the program. 

(n)  Any person who receives a loan under this section shall continue to receive funding for the program as the person remains eligible as required by this section.

(o)  Repayment of loans provided under this section shall continue as specified by this section until all loan obligations have been satisfied.

Section 2.  There is appropriated one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming community college commission for purposes of providing loans for students seeking aviation related degrees and commercial pilot certificates under W.S. 21‑18‑227 as created by section 1 of this act for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation on June 30, 2026 shall revert as provided by law. It is the intent of the legislature that an appropriation to fund the student loans authorized by this act be included in the community college commission's standard budget request for the 2027‑2028 fiscal biennium.

Section 3.  The community college commission shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 4.  

(a)  Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023.

(b)  Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

HB 204 would regulate the length of trains.

 HOUSE BILL NO. HB0204

Allowable train lengths.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Chestek, Berger and Newsome and Senator(s) Gierau and Rothfuss

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring trains to be not more than a specified length; providing operational requirements; providing a civil penalty; providing definitions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 37‑9‑1401 and 37‑9‑1402 are created to read:

ARTICLE 14

RAILROAD TRAINS

37‑9‑1401.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this article:

(i)  "Branch line" means a secondary railroad track that branches off from a main line;

(ii)  "Director" means the director of the department of transportation;

(iii)  "Mainline" means a class I railroad as documented in current timetables filed by the class I railroad with the federal railroad administration under 49 C.F.R. 217.7 when the railroad has five million (5,000,000) or more gross tons of railroad traffic transported annually;

(iv)  "Railroad" means any form of non‑highway ground transportation that runs on rails or electromagnetic guideways;

(v)  "Train" means one or more locomotives, coupled with or without cars, that require an air brake test in accordance with 49 C.F.R. part 232 or part 238;

(vi)  "Siding" or "passing track"  means a sidetrack with switches at both ends.

37‑9‑1402.  Train length; penalties.

(a)  In addition to other administrative or criminal remedies authorized by law, the director, after notice and opportunity for hearing, shall assess a civil penalty against a railroad company, corporation or employer as provided in this section.

(b)  No railroad company operating in the state of Wyoming shall run or permit to be run any train that exceeds eight thousand five hundred (8,500) feet in length or exceeds the length of the shortest passing track or siding on which it travels on any mainline or branch line, or that routinely or repeatedly blocks any intersection for periods exceeding ten (10) minutes at one (1) time.

(c)  Except as provided in subsection (d) any railroad company who willfully violates subsection (b) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) per foot nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per foot of the amount of a train exceeding the limitation set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

(d)  Any railroad company who commits a grossly negligent violation or who has a pattern of repeated violations of subsection (b) of this section which violation caused an imminent threat of death or injury to another person or that caused death or injury to another person shall be subject to a one (1) time fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00).

(e)  In determining the amount of any civil penalty under this section the director shall consider:

(i)  The nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation;

(ii)  The degree of culpability, history of violations, ability to pay and any effect on the violator's ability to continue to do business;

(iii)  Any other matters that justice requires.

(f)  At the request of the director, the attorney general may initiate a civil action to collect any civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section. The attorney general may bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction. A civil action under this section shall be commenced within three (3) years of the date of the violation or within three (3) years of the latest violation if a repeated offense is alleged.

(g)  Any civil penalty received under this section shall be deposited in the state highway fund.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

HB 205 would ban teaching "critical race theory".

HB 217 changes the definition of "trophy game animal" to "large carnivore".  The point?  Semantics I guess. 

And now the Senate, where it was apparently firearms day.

SF 179 is a companion bill doing the same thing in the Senate on the above noted Red Flag Laws.

Senate File 149 would create a new class of "enhanced" concealed carry permits.

6‑8‑104.  Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits.

(dd)  In addition to a permit otherwise authorized under this section, an applicant may apply for, and the attorney general is authorized to issue, an enhanced permit to carry a concealed firearm subject to the following:

(i)  In addition to meeting all other eligibility requirements for a permit under this section, an applicant for an enhanced permit shall present evidence that the applicant received training in the safe use of a firearm within one (1) year of the date of an original or renewal application. Training sufficient for purposes of this paragraph may be demonstrated by:

(A)  Employment as a peace officer in the state of Wyoming within the past one (1) year; or

(B)  Completion of a firearms safety or training course providing basic training in the safe use of a firearm and conducted by an instructor certified by the national rifle association or the Wyoming law enforcement academy.

(ii)  Firearm training required under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall include:

(A)  Instruction in the fundamentals of firearm use;

(B)  Successful completion of an actual shooting qualification exercise; and

(C)  Instruction in the fundamental legal aspects of firearm possession, carry and use, including self‑defense and the restrictions on the use of deadly force.

(iii)  All rights, duties and obligations imposed upon any person, or entity relating to a permit issued under this section shall apply to the enhanced permit authorized under this subsection except as otherwise specified by this subsection;

(iv)  No person under twenty‑one (21) years of age shall be eligible for an enhanced permit under this subsection;

(v)  Applications for a permit to carry a concealed firearm under this subsection shall be made available and distributed by the division of criminal investigation and local law enforcement agencies;

(vi)  Not later than July 1, 2023, the attorney general shall notify the relevant agency regulating the concealed carry of firearms in each state of the enhanced concealed carry permit available under this subsection and take any steps necessary to achieve permit reciprocity with states that have similar requirements for concealed carry permits to the requirements of an enhanced concealed carry permit under this subsection.

What are you going to do with that enhanced permit, you may ask? Well ask no further:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0150

Capitol carry.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Kinskey, Anderson, Baldwin, Biteman, Boner, Dockstader, Hicks, Kolb and Schuler and Representative(s) Larsen, L, Olsen, Stith and Walters

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to weapons; allowing for concealed carry on the grounds of the state capitol as specified; providing that a section is contingent upon passage of a separate bill;  and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 6‑8‑104(t)(intro) and by creating a new subsection (ee) is amended to read: 

6‑8‑104.  Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits.

(t)  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (ee) of this section no person authorized to carry a concealed weapon pursuant to paragraphs (a)(ii) through (iv) of this section shall carry a concealed firearm into:

(ee)  Any person who possesses a valid enhanced concealed carry permit pursuant to subsection (dd) of this section may carry a concealed firearm on the grounds of the state capitol building, including the extension from the capitol building to and under the Herschler building, provided that:

(i)  Not less than twenty‑four (24) hours before first entering the state capitol building with a concealed firearm, the person shall notify the administrator of the Wyoming state highway patrol or his designee, orally or in writing, that the person intends to possess a concealed firearm in the state capitol building and the date on which, or the range of dates during which, the person intends to possess a concealed firearm in the state capitol building;

(ii)  After providing notice under paragraph (i) of this subsection the person may enter the areas of the state capitol building open to the public carrying a concealed firearm, including into any public meeting of the legislature or a legislative committee conducted in an area open to the public, but shall not enter into any area not open to the public while carrying a concealed firearm.

Section 2.  The state building commission and the management council of the legislature shall promulgate any rules necessary consistent with section 1 of this act not later than July 1, 2023.

Section 3.  This act shall be effective only if 2023 Senate File 0149 is enacted into law.

Section 4.  

(a)  Except as provided in section 3 of this act and subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(b)  Except as provided in section 3 of this act section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2023.

SF135 would repeal government "gun free zones".

SF171 keeps financial information regarding firearms purchases secret. 

SF160 would allow the state to make I80 a toll road.

SF 180 would make decriminalize corner crossing.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0180

Corner crossing-trespass exception.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Rothfuss and Gierau and Representative(s) Chestek, Provenza, Sherwood and Yin

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing an exception to the offenses of criminal trespass and game and fish trespass regarding incidental contact associated with crossing two (2) adjacent parcels as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 6‑3‑303 by creating a new subsection (d) and 23‑3‑305(b) are amended to read:

6‑3‑303.  Criminal trespass; penalties.

(d)  For purposes of this section, a person does not commit criminal trespass if the person incidentally passes through the airspace or touches the land or premises of another person while the person is traveling from one (1) parcel of land that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land that shares a common corner with or is immediately connected to the first parcel and that the person is authorized to access.

23‑3‑305.  Hunting from highway; entering enclosed property without permission; penalty; hunting at night without permission prohibited.

(b)  No person shall enter upon the private property of any person to hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property. Violation of this subsection constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23‑6‑202(a)(v). For purposes of this subsection, a person does not commit trespass under this subsection if the person incidentally passes through the airspace or touches the land or premises of another person while the person is traveling from one (1) parcel of land that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land that shares a common corner with or is immediately connected to the first parcel and that the person is authorized to access.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

As is probably obvious, that's a Democratic bill and will likely go nowhere in this legislature.

Here's an odd firearms one:

SENATE FILE NO. SF0182

Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission-2.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Kolb and Salazar

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the University of Wyoming; creating the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission; specifying membership and duties of the commission; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 21‑17‑127 is created to read:

21‑17‑127.  Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission created; membership; duties; compensation.  

(a)  The Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission is hereby created. The commission shall consist of eight (8) members appointed as follows:

(i)  One (1) legislative member selected by dual appointment of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives which member shall serve as an ex officio member of the commission;

(ii)  The remaining members of the commission shall be appointed by a majority vote of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction and state auditor to include:

(A)  One (1) Wyoming resident from a hunting or sportsman's organization affiliated with Wyoming;

(B)  One (1) Wyoming resident from a recreational shooting organization affiliated with Wyoming;

(C)  One (1) Wyoming resident from an organization that supports the second amendment to the United States constitution and that is affiliated with Wyoming;

(D)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed by a firearms industry manufacturer located in Wyoming;

(E)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed by a firearms retail business located in Wyoming;

(F)  One (1) Wyoming resident employed as a law enforcement official in Wyoming;

(G)  One (1) Wyoming county attorney nominated by the Wyoming county attorneys association.

(b)  The appointments made under paragraph (a)(ii) of this section shall be confirmed by the senate. Appointed members shall serve three (3) year terms. The governor may remove any appointed member as provided by W.S. 9‑1‑202. Except for the legislative member, any vacancy occurring shall be filled by a majority vote of the five (5) statewide elected officials.

(c)  The commission, in conjunction with the University of Wyoming firearms research center, shall:

(i)  Review and provide oversight regarding the center's mission to become a scholarly center for firearms and firearms law, history, technology, social sciences, economic development and recreation. The commission shall provide recommendations to the center to ensure that the center focuses on and facilitates a meaningful and measurable impact on the firearms culture and traditions cherished by residents of Wyoming;

(ii)  Facilitate the development of formal agreements between the University of Wyoming firearms research center and Wyoming stakeholders;

(iii)  Make recommendations to the legislature regarding funding for the University of Wyoming firearms research center.

(d)  The commission shall be staffed by the governor's office.

(e)  The commission shall meet at least one (1) time per year.

(f)  Nonlegislative members of the commission shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed at the same rate as state officers or employees under W.S. 9‑3‑102 and 9‑3‑103 for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the commission.

(g)  The legislative member of the commission shall receive salary and reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the commission pursuant to W.S. 28‑5‑101.

Section 2.  

(a)  There is appropriated two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2024 to be expended only on salary, per diem and mileage for the legislative member of the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission for attendance at meetings of the commission. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2024.

(b)  There is appropriated seventeen thousand five hundred dollars ($17,500.00) from the general fund to the governor's office for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2024 to be expended only on per diem and mileage for the nonlegislative members of the Wyoming firearms research center oversight commission for attendance at meetings of the commission. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2024.

Section 3.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

UW just announced it was going to have a firearms research program, and I'd take it that the legislature doesn't trust UW on this, and therefore wants some "oversight". 

SF169 would create a state shooting complex.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0169

State shooting complex task force.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Hicks, Kinskey, Kolb and Salazar and Representative(s) Burkhart, Chadwick, Haroldson, Larson, JT, Niemiec, O'Hearn, Washut, Western and Wylie

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; creating the state shooting complex development and oversight task force; providing duties of the task force; requiring reports; creating the state shooting complex account; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  

(a)  There is created the state shooting complex development and oversight task force to consist of the following members:

(i)  The governor or his designee;

(ii)  The director of the Wyoming game and fish department or his designee;

(iii)  The director of the department of state parks and cultural resources or his designee;

(iv)  The director of the department of tourism or his designee;

(v)  Two (2) members representing firearm, archery or firearm accessory manufacturing companies in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(vi)  One (1) member of the public representing a shooting sports organization that has representation in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(vii)  One (1) member of the public representing a hunting or wildlife conservation organization that is headquartered in Wyoming or that has an active chapter in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;

(viii)  Two (2) members of the Wyoming house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house. The speaker of the house shall designate a co‑chairman of the task force;

(ix)  Two (2) members of the Wyoming senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate a co‑chairman of the task force.

(b)  Any vacancy in the task force shall be filled in the same manner as members are appointed under subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  The task force shall:

(i)  Develop a framework for the selection of a location for the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(ii)  Review other shooting facilities in the region and develop preliminary specifications, plans and features for the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(iii)  Develop a request for proposals so that local governments, private sector entities or a combination of both may submit proposals to be considered for the location of the Wyoming state shooting complex;

(iv)  Make recommendations for the development, location and administrative structure of the Wyoming state shooting complex to the governor, the joint appropriations committee and the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee.

(d)  Not later than October 1 of each year the task force shall report to the governor, the joint appropriations committee and the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee on the activities of the task force under this section.

(e)  The legislative members of the task force shall receive compensation, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28‑5‑101. Task force members who are not legislators and are not state employees shall receive the compensation, per diem and mileage paid to members of the Wyoming legislature under W.S. 28‑5‑101.

(f)  The task force shall be staffed by the legislative service office.

(g)  The task force shall terminate June 30, 2026.

Section 2.  

(a)  There is appropriated forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) from the general fund to the governor's office to pay compensation, mileage and per diem for nonlegislative members of the task force. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026.

(b)  There is appropriated forty‑five thousand dollars ($45,000.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office to pay for salary, mileage and per diem of legislative members appointed to the task force. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026.

Section 3.  

(a)  There is appropriated the following amounts from any unexpended, unobligated funds in the following accounts to the state shooting complex account, which is hereby created:

(i)  Five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) ARPD;

(ii)  Two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000.00) from the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account;

(iii)  Six hundred twenty‑five thousand dollars ($625,000.00) from the game and fish fund. This amount is intended as the required match to obtain federal Pittman‑Robertson funds or other federal funds to the extent federal funds are available for a Wyoming state shooting complex. This appropriation is conditioned upon a match of funds in the ratio of one dollar ($1.00) of appropriated game and fish funds to not less than three dollars ($3.00) of federal funds.

(b)  The amounts appropriated under subsection (a) of this section to the state shooting complex account shall only be expended through additional action of the legislature for the siting and construction of the Wyoming state shooting complex. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining in the account shall revert to the accounts from which they were appropriated, unless otherwise provided, on June 30, 2026.

(c)  As used in this section, "ARPD" means American Rescue Plan Act direct funds, which are any unexpended, unobligated funds received by the state of Wyoming through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established under section 602 of title VI of the federal Social Security Act, as created by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117‑2. "ARPD" shall not include expenditures authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117‑2, section 602(c)(1)(C) for revenue replacement for the provision of government services to the extent of the state of Wyoming's reduction in revenue.

Section 4.  This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

Senate File 166 proposes to help fund a border wall in Texas and to help ship migrants around.

SENATE FILE NO. SF0166

Border wall and sanctuary city transport.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Hicks, Kinskey, Kolb and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Bear, Burkhart, Jennings and Oakley

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; providing legislative findings; providing an appropriation for the purpose of constructing a border wall along the southwest land border as specified; providing an appropriation to aid other states in transporting non-citizens of the United States to sanctuary cities located in other states; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1. 

(a)  The legislature finds that:

(i)  On July 10, 1890, the United States Congress enacted the Act of Admission that admitted Wyoming as the forty-fourth state in the United States of America;

(ii)  The southwest land border is the border between the United States and Mexico that includes the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas;

(iii)  There were two million three hundred seventy-eight thousand nine hundred forty-four (2,378,944) encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 by the United States Border Patrol and the Office of Field Operations. These encounters included apprehensions and expulsions;

(iv)  The amount of encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 reflected an eleven and one-half percent (11.5%) increase from fiscal year 2021;

(v)  The encounters at the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022 included migrants from the countries of Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela;

(vi)  The United States Border Patrol encountered ninety-eight (98) non-citizens of the United States and the Office of Field Operations encountered sixty-seven (67) non-citizens of the United States who had records with the Terrorist Screening Dataset also known as the terrorist watchlist on the southwest land border in fiscal year 2022;

(vii)  The United States Border Patrol encountered a total of twelve thousand twenty-eight (12,028) non-citizens of the United States with criminal convictions in all apprehensions in fiscal year 2022 including apprehensions at the southwest land border;

(viii)  The Office of Field Operations encountered a total of sixteen thousand nine hundred ninety-three (16,993) non-citizens of the United States with criminal convictions in all apprehensions in fiscal year 2022 including apprehensions at the southwest land border;

(ix)  The United States Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations seized a total of six hundred fifty-five thousand seven hundred eighty (655,780) pounds of drugs in fiscal year 2022. The drug fentanyl accounted for fourteen thousand six hundred ninety-nine (14,699) pounds of the total pounds of drugs seized;

(x)  The Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation reported that law enforcement seized a total of seventeen thousand three hundred twenty-four (17,324) grams of fentanyl in 2021; 

(xi)  Five hundred six (506) migrants crossing or attempting to cross the southwest land border were reported dead or missing in 2022;

(xii)  The illegal immigration of non-citizens of the United States at the southwest land border negatively impacts the state of Wyoming's economy and places a burden on Wyoming law enforcement agencies;

(xiii)  Construction of a permanent border along the southwest land border between the United States and Mexico constitutes a public purpose and provides substantial benefits to the health and welfare of citizens of the state of Wyoming.

Section 2.  There is appropriated three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Texas for the construction or partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Texas and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall provide that the state of Texas may use not more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) of this appropriation to transport non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Texas to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for the construction of the permanent border wall along the southwest land border and the expenditures for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 3 and 4 of this act. 

Section 3.  There is appropriated two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Arizona for the construction or partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Arizona and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall provide that the state of Arizona may use not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) of this appropriation to transport non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Arizona to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for the construction of the permanent border wall along the southwest land border and the expenditures for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 2 and 4 of this act.    

Section 4.  There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the office of the governor  for purposes of allowing the governor to enter into a contract with the state of Florida for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Florida to sanctuary cities in other states. The contract shall require the state of Florida to submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Florida to sanctuary cities in other states. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending on June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. To the extent funds are not expended or obligated by July 1, 2024 the office of the governor may expend the funds for the purposes enumerated in sections 2 and 3 of this act. 

Section 5.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Senate File 178 would create a mountain lion chasing season:

The commission is directed and empowered:

(xxxiii)  To establish and regulate resident and nonresident mountain lion pursuit seasons. During a mountain lion pursuit season, a person may use dogs to pursue a mountain lion but no mountain lion shall be killed or captured.

I'm a hunter, but I find this item exceedingly odd.

A Joint Resolution supports Taiwan, which is hard to square in the same year that another bill proposes to keep the National Guard from leaving the state.  In the event of an invasion of Taiwan, which isn't a recognized sovereignty, how are going to help them? 

Granted, neither bill is law yet, but one of the supporters here is the same one that's trying to castrate the Guard.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0007

Support for Taiwan.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Driskill, Anderson, Barlow, Case, Cooper, Dockstader, Ellis, French, Furphy, Gierau, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, Kinskey, Laursen, D, Pappas and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Brown, Crago, Jennings, Larsen, L, Neiman, Nicholas, Oakley, Obermueller, Olsen, Rodriguez-Williams, Slagle, Sommers, Stith, Styvar, Walters, Washut, Western, Yin and Zwonitzer, Dn

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION in support of Taiwan.

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the United States are bonded by their shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and a free market economy; and

WHEREAS, on March 5, 1984, the State of Wyoming adopted Taiwan as Wyoming's sister state; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the United States' eighth largest trading partner, Taiwan ranks as the United States' sixth largest agricultural goods export destination and bilateral trade between the United States and Taiwan reached an estimated one hundred fourteen billion dollars ($114,000,000,000.00) in 2021; and

WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan have welcomed the resumption of high-level trade engagement and have expressed a desire to work closely together; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the State of Wyoming's eighth largest trading partner in Asia and both the State of Wyoming and Taiwan are committed to strengthening bilateral economic bonds; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relation Act in 1979 to sustain a close, bilateral relationship and to advance mutual security and commercial interests between the United States and Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, based on the principles of the United States' and Taiwan's Education Initiative in 2020, Taiwan's Ministry of Education and the State of Wyoming's Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation in 2022 to further promote teacher and student exchanges and cultural awareness; and

WHEREAS, the United States has previously assisted Taiwan in its participation with the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Criminal Police Organization and the United States will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in these and other international organizations; and 

WHEREAS, Taiwan, as a willing and contributing member of the world community, has made countless contributions of technical and financial assistance in the wake of natural disasters worldwide.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That Wyoming reaffirms its commitment to the strong and deepening relationship between Taiwan and the State of Wyoming.

Section 2.  That Wyoming supports Taiwan's participation in internal organizations that impact the global trade, health, safety and well-being of the twenty-three million (23,000,000) people in Taiwan.

Section 3.  That Wyoming reiterates its support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the United States and Taiwan including signing the United States-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Section 4.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to Wyoming's Congressional Delegation, to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Seattle, Washington.

Colorado's Democratic legislatures are about to introduce a bill there which would ban very broadly defined "assault weapons".  

Colorado is a lesson for conservatives of the Chamber of Commerce mindset.  The state was conservative but encouraged in migration for business reasons, resulting in the importation of liberals who now dominate the state. 

January 26, 2022

Yet more new bills.

Somebody better start watching the clock and calendar.

HB 259 proposes to have runoff elections where nobody achieves a majority in the primaries. 

This is a good idea.  My predication is that folks like Chuck Gray, even though that wasn't his situation, will not like it.

HB262 would have you believe that religious rights need to be restored in Wyoming, when in fact its a prophylactic bill aimed at the fear they will be restricted.  It states:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0262

Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Washut, Burkhart, Crago, Harshman and Olsen and Senator(s) Biteman, Hutchings, Kolb and Salazar

A BILL

foe

AN ACT relating to religious freedom; creating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act; providing definitions; limiting specified governmental actions that burden religious freedom as specified; authorizing claims and defenses against governmental action that burden religious freedom as specified; providing exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 9‑25‑101 through 9‑25‑105 are created to read:

CHAPTER 25

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

ARTICLE 1

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT

9‑25‑101.  Religious Freedom Restoration Act; short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act."

9‑25‑102.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this act:

(i)  "Burden" means any action that intentionally either directly or indirectly constrains, inhibits, curtails or denies the exercise of religion by government action, including any person acting under the color of state law where the action is intended for that purpose, including, but not limited to:

(A)  Withholding of benefits;

(B)  Assessing criminal, civil or administrative penalties;

(C)  Exclusion from governmental programs; or

(D)  Denial of access to governmental facilities.

(ii)  "Exercise of religion" means the practice or observance of religion, including an act or refusal to act, that is substantially motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief;

(iii)  "Government" means any department, agency, division, board, bureau, commission, council, authority, employee, official or other entity of this state or a political subdivision of this state, or a person acting under color of state law;

(iv)  "Person" means any natural person, association, partnership, corporation, religious institution or other legal entity;

(v)  "This act" means W.S. 9‑25‑201 through 9‑25‑205.

9‑25‑103.  Limitation on government action; exception.

(a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, government action, including action by any person acting under color of state law, shall not:

(i)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability;

(ii)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion more restrictively than comparable secular conduct because of any economic need or benefit;

(iii)  Burden a person's right to the exercise of religion more restrictively than any secular conduct of reasonably comparable risk.

(b)  Government may substantially burden a person's right to the exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to that person's exercise of religion in that particular instance is:

(i)  Essential to further a compelling government interest; and

(ii)  The least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

9‑25‑104.  Claims.

A person whose exercise of religion has been burdened in violation of this act may have a claim in a court of competent jurisdiction and may obtain appropriate relief.

9‑25‑105.  Provisions to be liberally construed.

Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize acts of licentiousness or practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the state or its laws which protect the health and safety of the public.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

HB 264 would appropriate funds to memorialize the mining industry:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0264

Mining mural.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Conrad, Berger, Larson, JT and Sommers

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the legislature; authorizing the painting of a mural in the state capitol house chamber; providing an appropriation; providing requirements; creating a selection committee; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  

(a)  Five hundred twenty thousand dollars ($520,000.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative service office. These funds shall be used only for the purpose of the planning, design and painting of a mural in the house chamber at the Wyoming state capitol building. The mural shall depict the history of mining in Wyoming and shall match historically and artistically with the Allen True murals that are currently in the house chamber.

(b)  The legislative service office, with assistance from the Wyoming arts council, shall issue a request for qualifications to commission an artist or artists to paint the mural specified in subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  A selection committee consisting of the five (5) members of the management council who belong to the house of representatives and three (3) other non-legislative members as determined by the speaker of the house, with assistance from the legislative service office, shall select an artist or artists to paint the mural using criteria established by the selection committee. Members of the selection committee who are not members of the legislature shall receive the same per diem and mileage as members of the legislature traveling to and from meetings or while in actual attendance of meetings of the selection committee and during the performance of their duties relative thereto. The state building commission shall approve of the process to affix the mural required under subsection (a) of this section to the house chamber wall, pursuant to W.S. 9-5-106(e), before any alteration is made to the house chamber under this section.

(d)  The funds appropriated in subsection (a) of this section shall not be transferred or expended for any purpose other than for the planning, design and painting of the mural required by subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e), 9-4-207(a) or any other provision of law, the funds appropriated in subsection (a) of this section shall not lapse or revert until the mural required by subsection (a) of this section is complete.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

HB 267 would illegally grant the State of Wyoming a right of first refusal that it hasn't paid for, thereby perpetuating an adverse condemnation on entire state, in instances when somebody wants to sell property to the Federal Government.  This bill, which won't ever take effect as its illegal, states:

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0267

Conveyances to United States-right of refusal by state.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Knapp

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to property; granting the state of Wyoming the right of first refusal for real property conveyances to the United States and federal agencies; specifying conditions for the purchase of property by exercising the right of first refusal; specifying duties for property owners and the board of land commissioners; providing a continuous appropriation; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 34‑1‑158 and 36‑2‑111 are created to read:

34‑1‑158.  Conveyances to the United States; right of first refusal to state; landowner notices; requirements.

(a)  As used in this section:

(i)  "Board" means the board of land commissioners;

(ii)  "Director" means the director of the office of state lands and investments;

(iii)  "Property" means all interests in real property and shall include land, mineral rights and water rights;

(iv)  "United States" means the United States, the federal government and any agency or office of the federal government.

(b)  The state of Wyoming shall have the right of first refusal for any sale, grant or award of property to the United States.

(c)  Before entering into an agreement or contract to sell or otherwise grant property to the United States, the owner of the property shall, not less than forty‑five (45) days before entering into the agreement or contract, provide notice in writing to the director and the board that includes notice of the purchase agreement or contract, details of the property to be conveyed in the agreement or contract, the appraised value of the property if known and the agreed‑upon purchase price for the property.

(d)  Not later than thirty (30) days after receiving a notice from a property owner under subsection (c) of this section, the board shall, through the director, respond to the notice by:

(i)  Declining to exercise the right of first refusal granted in subsection (b) of this section; or

(ii)  Declaring that the board intends to exercise the right of first refusal on the property and purchase the property, subject to subsection (e) of this section.

(e)  A purchase of property upon exercising the right of first refusal under this section shall comply with all of the following:

(i)  The purchase price to be paid for the property shall not exceed the amount offered by the United States for the property or, if the property is to be granted or donated to the United States without consideration, the fair market value of the property. The board may negotiate with the property owner to purchase the property at a lower price than the maximum price specified in this paragraph;

(ii)  The purchase shall be made from funds appropriated in subsection (f) of this section or from another legislative appropriation;

(iii)  Not later than ten (10) days after exercising the right of first refusal under this section, the director shall report to the joint appropriations committee on the property to be purchased and the known or estimated purchase price;

(iv)  Upon completing the purchase, the land shall be managed by the board as state lands as defined by W.S. 36‑1‑101. The board may take any action in managing property purchased under this section as authorized by statute, including selling, leasing or exchanging the land in accordance with law.

(f)  There is continuously appropriated to the board from any unexpended, unobligated funds in the legislative stabilization reserve account an amount not to exceed the purchase price of property specified in paragraph (e)(i) of this section. Before expending funds appropriated in this subsection, the board shall report to the joint appropriations committee as required by paragraph (e)(iii) of this section. The board shall not expend funds from the continuous appropriation if other appropriated funds are available for the purchase of the property under this section.

36‑2‑111.  Right of first refusal of conveyances to the United States; duties of board.

The board shall review all notices of property conveyances to the United States that the board receives under W.S. 34‑1‑158 and shall respond to each notice in accordance with W.S. 34‑1‑158.

Section 2.  W.S. 36‑3‑102 by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:

36‑3‑102.  Duties generally.

(e)  The director shall receive all notices of property conveyances to the United States under W.S. 34‑1‑158 and immediately forward each notice to the board for the board's consideration of exercising a right of first refusal under W.S. 34‑1‑158. The director shall offer any assistance to the board as necessary to help the board make a determination on exercising the right of first refusal in accordance with W.S. 34‑1‑158.

Section 3.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

It's telling that this bill has a single sponsor.  It's going nowhere.

HB273 amends the hunting trespass bill to require that a person knowingly trespass, rather than just trespass.

HJ11 proposes to ask Congress to amend federal law to allow livestock producers to directly access antibiotics. 

January 27, 2023

More new bills

HB285 proposes to require hunters to detach landowners coupons and give them to private landowners, if they mostly hunted on private land, even if they didn't get anything.

This would effectively compensate landowners for animals that might not have been there.

An anti-historical site designation 

Today In Wyoming's History: 2023 Wyoming Legislature. Anti Historical Site Bill.:  

2023 Wyoming Legislature. Anti Historical Site Bill.

 A bill to make it more difficult to designate historical sites has been introduced in the legislature.

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0281

Local government approval for historic site designations.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Storer

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to state historic sites; requiring the board of land commissioners to provide notice and to obtain consent from counties, cities or towns before making a historic site designation as specified; providing requirements; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 36‑8‑108 is created to read:

36‑8‑108.  Designation of state historic sites; requirements.

After designation by the legislature but before any official designation is made for a state historical site when the property to be designated belongs to a county, city or town, the board of land commissioners shall obtain consent from the board of county commissioners or the local governing body of the city or town where the proposed state historical site is located. The board of county commissioners or the local governing body of a city or town shall be given not less than thirty (30) days written notice before the site is designated as a state historic site.  After notice is given and the notice period has passed, if no objection is made, consent to the designation of the historic site shall be presumed. 

Section 2.  This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

As this has a single sponsor, it likely will go nowhere, but its purpose is hard to understand.  Something being designated a historical site, contrary to widespread popular belief, doesn't commit private parties to anything.

I swear, the really radical populist concepts in the current legislature seemingly have no limits.

HB 276 declares shed antlers the property of the state, everywhere, and further provides:

Pursuant to this paragraph, the commission shall require a permit for the collection of big game animal shed antlers and horns on public lands. A permit under this paragraph shall be issued for no fee for residents and for a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) for nonresidents. The commission shall adopt rules necessary to issue a permit under this paragraph;

Frankly, I think the entire shed antler thing is out of hand.  People who find a shed antler in the non season are going to pick it up, much like they pick up arrowheads, even though that's technically illegal.  This makes this one of those areas where this hard right legislature actually acts contrary to their self professed "less government" mantra, much like dictating to property owners that you can't require people to wear masks in your own business if you wish to.

B'eh

HB 274 would effectively condemn the internet by declaring that the owners of private sites couldn't discriminate.

Newspapers can.

2023

STATE OF WYOMING

23LSO-0529

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0274

Internet freedom-prohibiting discrimination.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Hornok, Davis, Heiner, Locke, Ottman and Rodriguez-Williams and Senator(s) French, Hutchings, McKeown and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; prohibiting discrimination based on viewpoint, race, religion and location by interactive computer services, social media platforms and businesses as specified; providing legislative findings; specifying a breach of fiduciary duty for release or loss of private information; defining terms related to the prohibitions on discrimination; providing remedies for violations as specified; specifying applicability of prohibitions; specifying severability; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  

(a)  The legislature finds that:

(i)  Interactive computer services and companies are similar to common carriers, are affected with a public interest, are central public forums for public debate and have enjoyed governmental support in the United States;

(ii)  Interactive computer services and companies may owe a fiduciary duty to their users;

(iii)  Interactive computer services and companies appear to be increasingly censoring expression on their services and platforms based on the point of view of the person making the expression;

(iv)  In Hudgens v. NLRB, 424 U.S. 507 (1976), the United States Supreme Court has recognized that statutory or common law may, in some situations, extend protection or provide redress against a private corporation or person who seeks to abridge the free expression of others;

(v)  The laws of the several states and of the United States already protect against obscene, violent, harassing and other dangerous expression.

Section 2.  W.S. 40‑12‑801 through 40‑12‑805 are created to read:

ARTICLE 8

DISCRIMINATION BY INTERACTIVE COMPUTER SERVICES

AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

40‑12‑801.  Definitions.

(a)  As used in this article:

(i)  "Censor" means to block, ban, remove, deplatform, demonetize, de‑boost, restrict, deny equal access or visibility to or otherwise discriminate against a person;

(ii)  "Expression" means any words, music, sounds, still or moving images, numbers, video or perceivable communication;

(iii)  "Free speech state" means any state or territory of the United States or the federal government that protects expression from censorship by interactive computer services based on the viewpoint, race or religion of a person or of a person's expression;

(iv)  "Identifiable private information" means private information that may reasonably be expected to be associated with a user or could reasonably be associated with a user;

(v)  "Interactive computer service" means any information service, system or access software provider that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server. "Interactive computer service" includes networks, websites and a service or system that provides access to the internet including systems operated or services offered by libraries or educational institutions. "Interactive computer service" does not include an internet service provider;

(vi)  "Internet service provider" means any entity that provides internet access services and that may also provide associated internet services, such as internet transport, encryption, account security services, email hosting services, web hosting services, domain services, data storage services, intranet services and cloud‑based solutions;

(vii)  "Private information" means information acquired by an interactive computer service or social media platform from any user who has not expressly given prior authorization for the release or disclosure of the information, including its specific content, form or recipient of the information;

(viii)  "Receive" means to read, hear, look at, gain access to or otherwise receive;

(ix)  "Share" means to speak, sing, publish, post, upload, transmit, communicate or otherwise share;

(x)  "Social media platform" means any information service, system or access software that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server and that allows a user to publish or share expression with other persons. "Social media platform" does not include an internet service provider;

(xi)  "Unlawful expression" means expression that is unlawful under federal or state law;

(xii)  "User" means a person who shares or receives expression through an interactive computer service.

40‑12‑802.  Interactive computer services; discrimination prohibited; applicability.

(a)  No interactive computer service shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression from another person based on:

(i)  The race, religion or viewpoint of any user or other person; or

(ii)  The viewpoint presented in any user's or other person's expression.

(b)  No interactive computer service shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression based on the user's residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state.

(c)  The prohibitions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply:

(i)  Whether the viewpoint is expressed on an interactive computer service or elsewhere;

(ii)  Only to an interactive computer service that:

(A)  Functionally has more than twenty million (20,000,000) active users within any thirty (30) day period;

(B)  Functionally has more than one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) active users within one (1) calendar month.

(iii)  Only to protect:

(A)  A user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state;

(B)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression, sharing or receiving occurs in this state;

(C)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with or received from any other free speech state; and

(D)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with, or received from, any other state or territory of the United States that is not a free speech state.

(d)  This article shall not be construed to:

(i)  Subject an interactive computer service to any action or require a remedy from an interactive computer service for which the interactive computer service is protected under state or federal law;

(ii)  Prohibit an interactive computer service from censoring any expression that it is specifically authorized to censor under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(iii)  Prohibit an interactive computer service from censoring an unlawful expression.

(e)  This chapter shall not apply to an interactive computer service that:

(i)  Has been available to users for not more than twelve (12) months; or

(ii)  Is engaged primarily in its own expression and that allows users to comment on its expression, provided that the commentary or ability to comment is merely incidental to the expression.

40‑12‑803.  Interactive computer services; remedies; procedures; fiduciary requirements.

(a)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any interactive computer service for a violation of this article by an interactive computer service against the user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(b)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any person who aids or abets a violation of this article by an interactive computer service against that user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the courts of Wyoming may exercise personal jurisdiction over any interactive computer service subject to an action initiated under this section or any person alleged to have aided or abetted a violation of this article to the maximum extent permitted by the United States constitution and Wyoming constitution.

(d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any user initiating a civil action pursuant to this section shall have the right to a jury trial.

(e)  The court may hold an interactive computer service or a person in contempt if the interactive computer service or person fails to promptly comply with any order issued under this section. The court may use all lawful measures to secure immediate compliance, including daily penalties sufficient to secure immediate compliance.

(f)  Any loss, release or distribution by an interactive computer service of personally identifiable information or private information that has been collected by the interactive computer service and not released or distributed by the user or for which the user has not consented to the release shall be deemed a breach of fiduciary duty and shall be subject to any remedy or recovery authorized by law. For any intentional or reckless loss, release or distribution by an interactive computer service of identifiable private information, the court shall award to a person whose information is lost, released or distributed as damages treble damages or one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), whichever is greater.

40‑12‑804.  Social media platforms; discrimination prohibited; applicability.

(a)  No social media platform shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression from another person based on:

(i)  The race, religion or viewpoint of any user or other person; or

(ii)  The viewpoint presented in any user's or other person's expression.

(b)  No social media platform shall censor a user, a user's expression, a user's sharing or ability to share an expression or a user's receiving of expression based on the user's residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state.

(c)  The prohibitions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply:

(i)  Whether the viewpoint is expressed on an interactive computer service or elsewhere;

(ii)  Only to a social media platform that:

(A)  Functionally has more than twenty million (20,000,000) active users within any thirty (30) day period;

(B)  Functionally has more than one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) active users within one (1) calendar month.

(iii)  Only to protect:

(A)  A user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state;

(B)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression, sharing or receiving occurs in this state;

(C)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with or received from any other free speech state; and

(D)  Expression, sharing expression or receiving expression to the extent the expression is shared with, or received from, any other state or territory of the United States.

(d)  This article shall not be construed to:

(i)  Subject a social media platform to any action or require a remedy from a social media platform for which the social media platform is protected under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(ii)  Prohibit a social media platform from censoring any expression that it is specifically authorized to censor under the laws of Wyoming or of the United States;

(iii)  Prohibit a social media platform from censoring an unlawful expression.

(e)  This chapter shall not apply to a social media platform that:

(i)  Has been available to users for not more than twelve (12) months; or

(ii)  Is engaged primarily in its own expression and that allows users to comment on its expression, provided that the commentary or ability to comment is merely incidental to the expression.

40‑12‑805.  Social medial platforms; remedies; procedures; fiduciary requirements.

(a)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any social media platform for a violation of this article by a social media platform against the user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(b)  Any user residing, doing business, sharing expression or receiving expression in this state may bring a civil action in any court of this state against any person who aids or abets a violation of this article by any social media platform against that user. The user may seek, and the court may grant, declaratory or injunctive relief. The court shall award to any user prevailing in an action under this section treble damages or, at the user's election, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The court shall also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to any prevailing user.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the courts of Wyoming may exercise personal jurisdiction over any social media platform subject to an action initiated under this section or any person alleged to have aided or abetted a violation of this article to the maximum extent permitted by the United States constitution and Wyoming constitution.

(d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any user initiating a civil action pursuant to this section shall have the right to a jury trial.

(e)  The court may hold a social media platform or a person in contempt if the social media platform or person fails to promptly comply with any order issued under this section. The court may use all lawful measures to secure immediate compliance, including daily penalties sufficient to secure immediate compliance.

(f)  Any loss, release or distribution by a social media platform of identifiable private information that has been collected by the interactive computer service and has not been released or distributed by the user or for which the user has not consented to the release shall be deemed a breach of fiduciary duty and shall be subject to any remedy or recovery authorized by law. For any intentional or reckless loss, release or distribution by a social media platform of identifiable private information, the court shall award to a person whose information is lost, released or distributed as damages, treble damages or one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), whichever is greater.

Section 3.  If any clause, sentence or provision of this act or its application is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other clauses, sentences or provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect without the invalid clause, sentence or provision or application and to the end that the clauses, sentences and provisions of this act are severable. It is the intent of the legislature that the clauses, sentences and provisions of this section be liberally construed to the maximum possible extent.

Section 4.  The provisions of this act shall apply to actions that may be deemed violations of W.S. 40‑12‑802 or 40‑12‑804, as created by section 2 of this act, that occur on or after the effective date of this act.

Section 5.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Completely unworkable, probably unconstitutional, and tailor-made for the law of unintended consequences. 

The good news is that new Senate bills seem to have ceased.

On a personal comment, I read, purely by accident, some comments made about a serving legislature who is very conservative and personally very honorable.  None of that stopped far right populist going after him, as they're in favor of a certain bill he is not.  An irony here is that one of the people is in the very class of people he complains about.

Calling people names, falsely, is not honorable, and frankly, it's sinful.

January 27, cont.

House Bill 68, which would have allowed video surveillance of school crossings, died over concerns about the misuse of video surveillance and automatic ticketing.

January 28, 2023

Senate File 109 banning the use, manufacture and distribution of medications for the use of abortions passed the Senate and is on to the House. It passed in a 23-6 vote, 2 abstentions.

Passed one chamber:

SF0017 Off-road recreational vehicles-safety and insurance.

SF0021 High occupancy vehicle lanes.

SF0033 Defining aircraft for purposes of hunting prohibitions.

SF0034 Trespass by small unmanned aircraft.

SF0042 Taxation of cigars.

SF0055 Chancery court vacancies-extension amendment.

SF0056 Prohibiting travel across private land for hunting purposes.

SF0068 Prescriptive easement for water conveyances.

SF0086 Voter identification-concealed carry permit.

SF0088 Hunting licenses-weighted bonus points system.

SF0091 Creation of tenancy by the entirety

SF0094 Federal Indian Child Welfare Act codification.

SF0095 Moon landing day.

SF0102 Food Freedom Act-amendments.

Senate File 109 banning pharmaceutical abortions.

SF0116 Protection of lawful commerce in firearms.

SF0117 Parental rights in education.

HB0003 State assessment of independent power producers.

HB0005 Voter registry list-voter ID and absentee ballots.

HB0007 Underage marriage-amendments.

HB0017 State lands-grazing of non-owned livestock.

HB0021 State lands-use of land qualification requirements.

HB0039 Verifying the veteran designation on a WY driver's license.

HB0067 Special license plate decals-women veterans.

Failure Chart:

House Bill 6.  Specified election records not subject to disclosure.

House Bill 48.  This bill would have directed millions into pathways.

Senate Bill 60.  This would have raised the price of out of state big game licenses.

House Bill 72, reforming the sales and services tax provisions, failed.

House Bill 55, election ballot order.

House Bill 71, sales tax holiday for back to school.

House Bill 68.  Video surveillance of school crossings

Prior related threads:

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Waking Up Edition (Vol 1).

The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Legislature Convenes (Vol 2).

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming, and Montana, Legislative Session. When Freedom can be another name for things you'll lose.