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January 30, 2007Day 16 – Tuesday INDEX OF BILLS COVERED IN TODAY’S REPORT HB 11: Subdivisions - Exemptions TODAY’S ACTION ON BILLS HB 11: Subdivisions - Exemptions HB 11 would require a landowner to own the property for at least five years before the family exemption to subdivision law could be applied. The bill would also create a new exemption to county subdivision laws, to allow parcels of five acres or less to be created to establish unmanned communication facilities, compressor stations, metering stations, fiber optic booster stations, or other similar unmanned facilities. The House passed HB 11 on second reading, and the bill will move on to third and final reading in the House on Wednesday. HB 68: Methamphetamine – Endangering
Children Before Birth HB 68 would extend the definition of criminal child endangerment to include prenatal exposure to the drug methamphetamine. As related to child protective services, the definition of a child would be extended to include newborn babies exposed to methamphetamine prenataly. Drug courts and state-supported treatment facilities would give priority to pregnant women charged with endangering children by prenatal exposure to methamphetamine. The House Judiciary Committee considered two bills on this topic on Tuesday, HB 68 and HB 188 (see description below). HB 188 died in committee, while HB 68 was passed, 5-4. HB 96: Quality Child Care Appropriations As introduced, HB 96 would provide $12.34 million to support HB 95, the 2007 Quality Child Care bill. Six million dollars reserved by the 2006 legislature for this program would be re-appropriated for the program, plus another $6.34 million in new spending would be appropriated. The House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee scaled back HB 95 to about $6.8 million. The House Appropriations Committee unanimously passed the scaled down spending in HB 96 to support HB 95, and the bill will move to general file. HB 97: Hathaway Scholarship Eligibility The Senate Education Committee will consider HB 97 on Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. 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 amended the appropriation for this program from $30 million to $1 million, basically enough for a pilot project. Thus amended, the House passed HB 138, 49-11. The bill will now move to the Senate. HB 159: State-Owned Building Energy Efficiency Program HB 159 would create an energy efficiency program for state-owned buildings. costs of government and set a good example of energy efficiency for the general public. The House Appropriations Committee passed a revised HB 159, 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. The House Committee of the Whole passed HB 159, and the bill will move on to second reading on Wednesday. HB 169: Clean Coal Technology HB 169 would create a sales tax exemption for equipment used to construct “clean coal” power plants that would have reduced pollution impacts compared to traditional coal-fired power plants. Pollution control equipment that would be tax exempt would include circulating fluidized bed combustion, low nitrogen oxide burners, supercritical boilers, electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers, flue gas desulphurization, selective catalytic reduction and mercury filtration, and carbon dioxide sequestration equipment. Coal gasification facilities that convert coal into energy without combustion would likely also qualify for the tax exemption. The House Committee of the Whole passed HB 169, after amending the bill to remove the laundry list of equipment that would be exempt and replacing it with language that would require genuinely clean coal technology. Interestingly, the House also passed an amendment that would extend the tax break to any equipment that lowers emissions from current levels. The House passed HB 169 on second reading, and the bill will move on to third reading on Wednesday. HB 188: Endangering
Children and Unborn – Methamphetamine HB 188 would classify intentional prenatal exposure to methamphetamine as criminal child endangerment that would lead to a felony conviction punishable by imprisonment up to five years, a fine up to $5,000, or both. The House Judiciary Committee considered two bills on this topic on Tuesday, HB 188 and HB 68 (see description above). HB 188 died in committee, while HB 68 was passed, 5-4. 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 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. After the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee passed HB 213, it was re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee, which is scheduled to consider the bill again on Wednesday upon adjournment. HB 229: DUI – Penalties - 2 HB 229 would increase the penalties for third convictions of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The bill proposed to punish a third or subsequent conviction as a felony with a prison sentence of at least 30 days but not more than two years, and a fine of at least $750 up to $10,000. The bill was similar to another 2007 bill, HB 239, although the proposed penalties in HB 229 were not as strong as they were in HB 239. The House Labor, Health and Social Service Committee was scheduled to consider HB 229 on Tuesday, but a report on their action has not yet been filed. 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. The Senate passed SF 13 on second reading on Tuesday, and the bill will move on to third reading on Wednesday. SF 52: Outdoor Lighting SF 52 would allow municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate outdoor electrical lighting to reduce light pollution and light trespass. The Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee heard public testimony on SF 52 on Tuesday, and will continue to evaluate the bill on Thursday morning. 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 on general file in the Senate. Please Visit The Following Links:
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