Tag Archive for: legislature

Wyoming towns and counties rely on state funds to help pay for local services. But state funds are drying up.

Legislature passes a bill making it easier for Wyoming communities to tax themselves

The increased ability for towns and counties to raise revenues is a nod toward diversifying Wyoming's tax structure. But because the new revenues will come from sales tax, they will come at the highest cost to the state's poorest residents.
Inflation-based cost adjustments, special education, and school districts' discretionary funds were all decreased.

Wyoming schools spared deep funding cuts despite the Senate’s best efforts

A veto by Governor Mark Gordon helped House education advocates fend off severe funding cuts pushed by the Senate throughout the Wyoming Legislature’s 2020 session. But they couldn’t stop them all.
The "born alive" bill would create a law rarely, if ever, used. But it's an incremental tool in the larger anti-abortion effort.

Wyoming House advances last surviving abortion bill of the budget session

The bill would criminalize doctors who fail to perform life-saving measures for infants meant to be aborted but that are accidentally “born alive”—a law that would rarely, if ever, be applied in Wyoming, since abortions after 12 weeks are illegal here and fetuses are not viable until at least 20 - 23 weeks. Two other anti-abortion bills have been defeated.
Sen. Perkins might give handouts to coal companies, but not tax relief to poor folks or cost-of-living bumps for state retiree checks.

Wyoming Senate President singlehandedly kills two antipoverty bills

A tax rebate program for elderly and disabled poor people and a cost-of-living increase for retired state workers both passed the House. But the bills died in the desk of Senate President Drew Perkins, who refused to introduce them for consideration.
Perhaps not all of these old men in the House voted against providing funding for childcare—there wasn't a roll call vote—but most of them did.

Cranky old guy coalition kills childcare reimbursements for Wyoming legislators

Wyoming’s Legislature is overwhelmingly made up of rich old men who have the time and money to serve as “citizen” lawmakers. The budget measure they defeated would have made the Legislature more accessible to younger working people.
Gordon has taken the throne of the Coal Kingdom.

Gov. Mark “King Coal” Gordon to receive $1 million annual Wyoming coal marketing budget

The program won’t be enough to impact global markets, but it will help distract state residents from the fact that there is no plan to transition Wyoming away from dependence on a dying industry.
For the fourth straight year, the Senate will try to defund Wyoming education while the House will attempt to shield schools from harmful cuts.

Four ways to cut school funding: House and Senate at odds as education budget negotiations begin

The Senate is proposing nearly $40 million less than the House for the state education budget, looking to cut funding for cost-of-living raises, transportation, discretionary funds, and compensation for National Board Certified teachers.
The $19 million a year raised by the tax won't come close to fixing Wyoming's budget problems. But it's a start.

“An honest first step”: Wyoming Senate passes statewide lodging tax

The Legislature’s approval of an actual tax increase suggests that lawmakers understand cuts alone can’t fix Wyoming budget crisis.
While the Legislature cuts funding for public institutions, the House advances a plan to decrease revenue.

Wyoming House advances oil tax break that would cost the state millions

A proposed severance tax break for Wyoming oil and gas companies is meant to prop up the industries. But markets—not tax rates—have historically determined production levels.
Rep. Bob "Marco Coal-o" Nicholas charts a trade route to exotic lands.

Lawmakers seek a new route to "the Orient" for Wyoming's "green coal"

A bill would give a tax break to coal companies who ship their coal from Wyoming to Asia through ports in Canada and Mexico.
Without a veto from Gov. Gordon, UW students won't be able to rely on their own private insurance plans to cover abortion.

Legislature strongarms University of Wyoming over student health insurance abortion coverage

Lawmakers used budget amendments last week to force UW to re-negotiate its student group insurance plan to remove abortion coverage. This is despite the fact that student insurance consists of private plans paid for with private funds.
Republicans control 77 of the Wyoming Legislature's 90 seats, all five statewide elected offices, and the state's entire U.S. Congressional delegation. But that's not enough...

After last year’s defeats, bills return to reinforce Wyoming GOP power

Bills to ban “crossover voting” in party primaries and to decrease minority party participation in the Legislature’s Management Council died in 2019. New, less strident versions are back in 2020.