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January 25, 2007Day 13 – Thursday INDEX OF BILLS COVERED IN TODAY’S REPORT HB 52: Game and Fish – License
Revenue Recoupment TODAY’S ACTION ON BILLS HB 52: Game and Fish – License
Revenue Recoupment HB 52 would create a license revenue recoupment program, under which the Wyoming Game and Fish Department would be reimbursed from the general fund for license revenue lost as a result of statutorily designated free and reduced priced hunting and fishing licenses. The House passed HB 52 on Thursday, 34-25 (1 excused). The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 62: Natural Resource Large Project Funding HB 62 would authorize funding for two large projects under the Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act that have been approved by the board of the trust fund. The Bates Creek Watershed Restoration project would receive $200,000 and the Lander Front mule deer project would receive $230,000. The House unanimously passed HB 62 on Thursday. The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 85: Game and Fish - Funding As introduced, HB 85 would provide a one-year appropriation of $5.66 million from the general fund to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, to be used for specified programs that benefit Wyoming citizens in general, regardless of whether they hunt or fish. The programs on which the general fund money could be spent would include sensitive species programs (including terrestrial and aquatic native nongame species and trophy game conflict resolution); habitat programs; conservation education programs; sage grouse planning and protection; and veterinary programs (including brucellosis, chronic wasting disease and other disease management programs). The House passed HB 85 on Thursday, 50-9 (1 excused), with funding reduced to $2.8 million. The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 93: Sales Tax
on Food – Permanent
Exemption 2 HB 93 would permanently exempt groceries from sales taxation, and as introduced would have altered the sales tax distribution formula to partially reimburse local governments for the estimated revenue decrease they would otherwise experience as a result of the exemption. The Revenue Committee passed a substitute version of HB 93, which contained no provisions for making up lost revenue to local governments. The House passed the substitute HB 93 on Thursday, 58-1 (1 excused). Representative Ross Dierks (D-H2, Lusk) cast the single NO vote. The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 95: Quality Child Care HB 95 would continue implementation of the quality child care program that was started by the 2006 Legislature, which authorized first year spending on the program to set up the program, develop rules for the quality rating system and devise the scholarship component of the program. HB 95 would authorize the Wyoming Business Council to fund child care facilities through the business ready community program. The bill would create a quality child care system to encourage the availability of high quality care for children in licensed facilities. The system would consist of a quality rating system; scholarships for families for higher levels of quality care; educational grants for child care providers; technical assistance, quality assessment and business management services; and capacity enhancement grants. Appropriations totaling $12.3 million to fund HB 95 were contained in a separate bill, HB 96 (Quality Child Care Appropriations). The House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee will continue its consideration of HB 95 on Friday during the noon recess. HB 96: Quality Child Care Appropriations HB 96 would appropriate $12.3 million to fund the Quality Child Care bill (HB 95, see description above). The House Appropriations Committee *** HB 96 on Thursday morning. HB 99: Hathaway Scholarship Program HB 99 would expand the Hathaway scholarship program to graduate and professional degrees and would extend the time students could attend post secondary educational institutions. HB 99 would clarify how to handle scholarships when a student attends more than one eligible school whereby the student would designate a home school that would be paid the entire scholarship amount granted to the student. The House unanimously passed HB 99 on Thursday. The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 124: Eminent Domain - 2 HB 124 would somewhat strengthen landowners’ standing in legal actions to condemn their private property for public or private projects. It would allow better compensation for landowners, would require reclamation and restoration of property acquired by eminent domain, and would limit condemnation authority for urban renewal projects. It would also eliminate the maximum amount on relocation expenses for a displaced farm, organization or small business (now capped at $10,000). The bill passed second reading on Thursday, and will move on to third reading on Friday. HB 143: Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Electric Generation HB 143 would exempt coal that is used for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) electricity generation from all severance taxes except the one and a half percent that is required by the Wyoming Constitution. The House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee will continue its consideration of HB 143 on Friday at 8:00 a.m. HB 159: State-Owned Building Energy Efficiency Program HB 159 would create an energy efficiency program for state-owned buildings. Under the program, all state agencies would designate an energy efficiency coordinator, and would develop strategies for improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs in the buildings in which it operates. The bill would establish incentives for state agencies and school boards to participate in the program, by entitling agencies and school districts to use 50% of all documented energy savings for maintenance projects. HB 159 included a $1 million appropriations to get the energy efficiency program started, and authorized one new position in the Division of Administration and Information to implement and coordinate the program. The House Appropriations Committee passed a revised HB 159 on Thursday, which would scale back the program to include only the capitol complex. The bill’s appropriation was reduced to $90,000, with provisions for a program coordinator until 2010. HJ
2: State Engagement in Transmission Lines & Energy Facilities HJ 2 proposed an amendment to the Wyoming Constitution to authorize the state of Wyoming to construct or improve electrical transmission lines and related facilities, without having to submit the question of the state’s authority to do so to a vote of the citizens of the state. The Constitution currently prohibits the state from engaging in such activity without first getting approval with a two-thirds vote of the people. The proposed amendment would allow the legislature to directly invest state money in the construction of power lines, both inside Wyoming and extending into other states as well. The House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee will resume its consideration of HJ 2 on Friday at about 8:30 a.m. SF 52: Outdoor Lighting SF 52 would allow municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate outdoor electrical lighting to reduce light pollution and light trespass. Proponents of SF 52 were concerned about light pollution that leads to diminishing night sky viewing. They noted that satellite images dramatically show that a third or more of outdoor lighting escapes upward into the night sky. Proponents also noted that more efficient, and less polluting, lighting conserves both energy and money. The Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee did not have time to hear SF 52 on Thursday morning. Watch for rescheduling.
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