Wyoming Legislative Coverage

Laramie could lose $400,000 over two years in state funding under a formula approved by the Wyoming Senate last week.

The House Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee moved forward on a bill that would allow coal mines to become a disposal site for decommissioned wind turbine parts if it's part of the company's reclamation plan.

The Wyoming House of Representatives has started debate on a bill that would impose a statewide five percent tourism tax. 

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon praised a number of groups for working together as he officially signed his migration corridor executive order.

The Wyoming House voted to introduce a bill sought after by cities and towns. The bill will give municipalities the ability to ask voters to pass a tax to benefit their community as long as voters also support a countywide sales tax. 

A northeast Wyoming lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require U.S. Congress to formally declare war before the Wyoming National Guard can be called up.

Last year, the Wyoming legislature passed a bill called "New opportunities for Wyoming coal fired generation" requiring any utility retiring a coal plant earlier than scheduled would make a good faith effort to find a buyer.

Through the interim, legislators have been putting together a bill that would lay the groundwork for that to happen.

During his State of the State message, Gov. Mark Gordon indicated that there is a need to reduce education spending.

Gov. Mark Gordon told lawmakers that Wyoming is envied by other states since it has savings. At the State of the State address on Monday, Gordon said that will allow the state to delay any massive cuts before the implications for the reductions can be understood.

A bill before the Wyoming Legislature this session would extend the amount of time survivors of child sexual abuse could bring a civil suit against their perpetrator.

A proposed bill before the Wyoming Legislature this session is considering tolling along Interstate 80.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rejected a proposal that would have lowered air ambulance cost for Wyomingites.

A new bill has been introduced to the Wyoming Legislature that would create a compensation program for livestock-wolf conflicts outside of the trophy area.

Three judges in Wyoming's Sixth Judicial District are handling the court's weighted caseload that should be handled by four judges. That's why Gillette Sen. Michael Von Flatern said it's time to hire a new judge for the district, which covers Campbell, Weston and Crook Counties.

Hours into a meeting of the Select Committee on Coal/Mineral Bankruptcies, Chairman Eric Barlow brought up a draft bill called "Protested Tax Payments." With little pause, Barlow welcomed in the day's regular testifiers.

Gov. Mark Gordon said although Wyoming's revenue picture is changing, the state should take the next two years to determine priorities and decide where future revenue may come from.

Natural gas producers in Wyoming are facing a dramatic new normal as prices drop and supply explodes. The state Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) report estimates natural gas production is falling at similar levels to coal projected to be down nearly 40 percent this year from 2009.

A crowd lined a room in the Wyoming Liquor Division as the Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee heard testimony on two bills that would affect the solar industry. After nearly four hours of impassioned speaking, both bills died on split seven to seven votes.

Wyoming's Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee tabled a bill that would have changed how the Public Service Commission (PSC) oversees coal-fired power plants that are closing early. The bill considered requiring the PSC to consider socioeconomic factors, reliability impacts and any other information deemed necessary when looking at early retirement.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon unveiled a mostly flat budget, rejecting a number of budget increases. But he did not cut the existing budget, using reserve funds to balance the budget over the next two years. The governor did predict that budget cuts could be forthcoming as the state's revenue picture looks dicey.

Jackson State Representative Mike Yin is proposing a bill that could help address the affordable housing shortage in his district. It would allow counties to charge a fee for homes left empty more than six months out of the year.

The Wyoming Legislature will take another crack at Medicaid expansion. The legislature's Joint Revenue Committee approved a proposed bill that will ask Gov. Mark Gordon to explore options for Wyoming's participation in expansion and determine whether it's financially viable for the state. Eventually lawmakers would need to approve a Wyoming plan.

Wyoming's Joint Revenue Committee let a bill die without a vote that would have levied a tax on electricity generation whether it's coming from coal, hydroelectric, or wind. Members of the committee considered the Electrical Generation Tax as a way to generate additional funds for the state which is looking at a major budget deficit. This bill could have raised funds ranging from $3 million to $190 million per year.

Wyoming's Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee used its last hearing before the budget session to discuss concerns over Rocky Mountain Power's recently announced Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The public utility's long-awaited plan detailed its shift away from coal, including the early retirement of two Wyoming coal plants.

Not only will Wyoming generate less money over the next three years, the state is also looking for at least $150 million to cover its next two-year budget, according to a new revenue report. But that number may actually be closer to $400 million.

Wyoming's Management Council has started a new, one-year legislative committee in response to the recent spate of bankruptcies in the coal industry. The hope is to produce legislation that puts Wyoming in an improved position in future reorganizations.