Jan. 19

I have been extremely busy during the development

of the budget, and I have not provided

a great deal of detail on bills of interest to our

community. I thought this would be a good opportunity

to fill constituents in.

The Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC)

finished final motions on the budget bill yesterday.

It is customary after gubernatorial elections

for the JAC to take recommendations from both

the previous and incoming governors – in this

case, former Gov. Matt Mead and newly-elected

Gov. Mark Gordon – as the base motion during

committee workup of the budget. Then we

approve, amend, or vote down the governors’

requests, depending on the JAC’s priorities for

Wyoming. Later the budget bill is subject to a

vote of the entire Legislature and ultimately to

line item vetoes by the governor.

In developing the budget, the House and Senate

Appropriations committees can each have

their own priorities, which may conflict. The

House has more members on the committee, so

it can outvote the Senate on amendments. We

try to negotiate our differences, but this time, in

the end, the House and Senate had differences of

opinions on many budget items.

The House successfully brought several

amendments including adding an inflationary

adjustment to the kindergarten through 12thgrade

education budget, in response to the funding

model providing insufficient resources after

recent cuts. Another change would require a

study of Medicaid expansion for specific populations,

like for mental health services that cost

the state millions of dollars.

Another amendment would require a study of

whether our state health plan for state employees

could be expanded to include other populations

in Wyoming, like small businesses. The cost of

health care in Wyoming is incredibly high, and

the Legislature needs to keep searching for solutions.

The Joint Appropriations Committee also

creates a separate state capital construction bill

that includes construction projects for the University

of Wyoming, community colleges, and

all other major state construction. I placed an

amendment into this bill that would set aside

$4.2 million for construction of more wildlife

crossing projects, like the Trappers Point project,

but with the condition that this money be

matched with money from the Wyoming Game

and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of

Transportation and local government or nongovernmental

organizations.

Two years ago, I attended a workshop in

Pinedale hosted by the G&F, WYDOT and

wildlife advocacy groups designed to prioritize

highway segments that had the highest rates of

vehicle collisions with wildlife. This is a great

effort, but there are no funding sources outside

of federal highway dollars and private philanthropy.

This is my attempt to stimulate matching

dollars that will continue the process of protecting

our wildlife, our cars and ourselves. We

must also continue to prudently build in Wyoming

to advance the state and replace buildings

that are past their useful lifespans.

I wish to review a few bills of interest that

have so far passed the House and moved to the

Senate. My bill, HB12, would give the Wyoming

Game and Fish Commission the authority

to set the date and timing of shed antler seasons.

The midnight opening on May 1 has caused

safety and enforcement issues, and unseasonably

late springs cause animals to stay later on

the winter range.

HB2 would give the Wyoming Game and

Fish Commission the authority to regulate a

limited number of emerging technologies that

impact the “fair chase” principle of hunting.

This bill passed the House yesterday with my

support. It was really a continuation of a bill I

brought two years ago. At that time, people out

of state were putting photographs of specific big

mule deer bucks in the Wyoming Range on their

website, and for a price would provide a map or

GPS location showing where those bucks were

hiding in the summer and fall. Clearly, the G&F

needs the ability to regulate an ever-changing

string of new technologies. For example, we

currently don’t allow hunters to utilize aircraft

or drones to scout for game in real-time. I supported

this bill.

Several tax bills have been developed and introduced

in the Legislature to help alleviate Wyoming’s

structural deficit in education funding,

though much of the proposed revenue is aimed

toward the General Fund. The Lodging Tax bill,

designed to move the Department of Tourism

off the General Fund, passed the House. I supported

this bill, because 85 percent of this tax

is paid by out-of-state individuals. House Bill

67 will hit the Appropriations Committee early

next week; this bill would lower the sales tax

rate to 3.5 percent, but would eliminate the exemption

on the food tax and would extend sales

tax to many services. Our state has seen a shift

away from sales of goods to sales of services,

and this bill is designed to modernize that revenue

flow. I will likely vote in favor of this bill

in committee, so the bill can be debated by the

whole House, but I am not convinced I will vote

for the bill in the end.

I have received comments from real estate

agents who oppose the bill but I look forward

to feedback from all Sublette County residents.

Bills are being drafted to tax vapes, which are

not currently taxed under the tobacco tax statutes.

Society spent decades lowering the nicotine

addiction in our youth and now these new

products have the potential to hook millions of

young people on a very addictive drug.

Jan. 22

The House of Representatives is back in

session after the holiday weekend. I spent the

weekend reading bills and preparing for the

short week ahead, with its heavy schedule.

Today, the House considered eight bills on

second reading.

Nine bills passed the House on third reading

and will be delivered to the Senate for consideration,

including these, which I supported: HB21

– Election readiness account, HB71 – Use of

dogs – recovery of killed or wounded big game,

HB81 – Omnibus water bill – planning and

HB89 – Wage garnishment.

The House Committee of the Whole considered

nine bills this afternoon, several of which

sparked lively debate. Six bills passed the committee,

including these bills I supported: HB60

– Underage marriage – exceptions repeal. This

bill would move the age of marriage to 18, from

the current 16. I supported this bill, but believe

that exceptions should be allowed. I am working

on an amendment.

HB 82 – Veterans skilled nursing facility, has

seen a great deal of debate. An interim committee

recommended Buffalo as the preferred site,

but that has been changed to Casper during committee

hearings in Cheyenne. I support Buffalo,

because I do not like to see all state facilities and

state jobs being located in the most populated

cities of Wyoming. Also, HB84 Wage equality

– state employees and programs passed third

reading.

Three bills failed the House Committee of

the Whole today, including these bills I voted

against including:

HB102 – Hunter safety course – preference

points. I believe the whole preference point

system needs to be studied, but this bill complicated

the system worse than it is now; HB114 –

Shared parenting, I did not support this because

it took judicial discretion away from the process

of determining custody of children; and HB115

– Lifesaving measures – immunity.

I look forward to your comments on all bills

before the Legislature. If you have sent me an

email that I have not responded to, resend and

put “Hey Albert” in the subject line. I get more

than 100 emails a day, and I can miss your feedback.

I can be reached at albert@albertsommers.

com. n