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January 26, 2007Day 14 – Friday INDEX OF BILLS COVERED IN TODAY’S REPORT HB 31: Charter School Amendments TODAY’S ACTION ON BILLS HB 31: Charter School Amendments As introduced, HB 31 would amend Wyoming’s charter school law to restrict the frequency with which charter school applications could be filed. HB 31 would increase the time the applicant had to appeal a denial from 30 days to 45 days, and would not otherwise change the appeal process. HB 31 would allow for successive periods of renewal of a school’s charter. The House amended the restriction on frequency of application out of the bill before passing it. The Senate Education Committee will consider HB 31 on Monday at 8:00 a.m. 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 continued to work HB 95 on Friday, and asked to have various revisions written into a substitute bill that the committee will again discuss on Monday after the House adjourns. 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 is waiting to hear HB 96 until the Labor Committee reports out HB 95, which will push consideration of HB 96 probably to next Wednesday. 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 House passed HB 124, 56-4, with Representatives Kermit Brown (R-H14, Laramie), Timothy Hallinan (R-H32, Gillette), Frank Philp (R-H34, Shoshoni) and Sue Wallis (R-H52, Recluse) voting against the bill. It will now move to the Senate. HB 138: Wyoming Workforce Housing Infrastructure Program HB 138 would set up a new state program to offer grants and low- or no-interest loans to cities, towns, counties, special improvement districts and joint powers boards to pay for workforce housing infrastructure and community land trusts. The stated purpose of HB 138 would be to facilitate the provision of adequate housing, the supply of which is considered inadequate in some areas of the state as a result of the expansion of extractive mineral industries and other economic development. HB 138 would appropriate $30 million to fund the grants and loans, and would cost about an additional $900,000 for program administration annually. The House Committee of the Whole passed HB 138 on Friday, and the bill will be heard on second reading on Monday. 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 passed HB 143 on Friday, 7-2. Representatives Floyd Esquibel (D-H44, Cheyenne) and Debbie Hammons (D-H27, Worland) voted against the bill. It has been placed on general file. HB 213: Game and
Fish – Wolf
Management HB 213 would authorize the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to use what the bill referred to as “aggressive” management techniques for gray wolves in Wyoming. Such techniques would include liberal hunting seasons and limits, aerial hunting and hazing, and waiver of license fees for landowners. HB 213 was drafted, as was SF 135, to act essentially as a placeholder in case the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arrived at some compromise on Wyoming’s wolf management plan during this legislative session. The House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee will consider HB 213 on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. 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 postponed consideration of HJ 2 until a later, unspecified date. SF 13: Same Sex Marriages SF 13 would specify that marriages between persons of the same sex would not be recognized is valid in Wyoming. Currently, all marriages that are legally contracted outside of the state are recognized as legal and valid in Wyoming, but SF 13 would create an exception to that statute for same-sex marriages. Opponents of SF 13 argued that it would codify discrimination. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SF 13, 3-2. Senators Bruce Burns (R-S21, Sheridan), Drew Perkins (R-S29, Casper) and Tony Ross (R-S4, Cheyenne) voted in favor of the bill. Senators Ken Decaria (D-S15, Evanston) and Kathryn Sessions (D-S7, Cheyenne) voted against it. The bill will now move to general file in the Senate. SF 104: Sex Offenses SF 104 would create new offenses and penalties for sexual abuse of minors. It would amend penalties for existing sexual offenses, including requiring a life sentence under some circumstances for a second conviction for a sexual offense against a minor. It would amend the requirements for disclosure of the identity of minor victims. Supporters of SF 104 favored the tougher penalties in the bill, arguing a zero tolerance approach toward sex offenses against minors. Opponents were most concerned about the mandatory sentencing provisions, and argued that the bill inappropriately reduced judicial power and discretion. They argued that judges should retain the ability to evaluate cases, especially those involving younger perpetrators, on a case-by-case basis. The Senate passed SF 104, 24-5 (1 excused). The bill will now move to the House. SF 135: Wolf Management SF 135 would amend current state statutes on how wolves would be classified when they are removed from the federal endangered species list. The bill would direct the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to designate areas in the state where gray wolves would be classified as trophy game animals, and to set annually hunting seasons and regulations within those areas. SF 135 was drafted, as was HB 213 in the House, to act essentially as a placeholder in case the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arrive at some compromise on Wyoming’s wolf management plan during this legislative session. Because the details of any agreement between the parties were still pending as the 2007 legislature began, either bill would likely change significantly before final passage, and both would be allowed to die by their sponsors if no compromise is reached during the session. The Senate Appropriations Committee will consider the $2.4 million appropriation in SF 135 on Monday at 1:00 p.m. Please Visit The Following Links:
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