|
January 31, 2007Day 17 – Wednesday 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 heard HB 11 on third reading on Wednesday. Check tomorrow’s report for the vote. 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. The Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee will consider HB 52 on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. 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 Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee will consider HB 62 on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. HB 85: Game and Fish - Funding As introduced, HB 85 would have provided 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 House reduced the funding to $2.8 million. 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 Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee will consider HB 85 on Thursday, sometime after 8:00 a.m. 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 House passed a version of HB 93 that contained no provisions for making up lost revenue to local governments. The Senate Revenue Committee will consider HB 93 on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. HB 95: Quality Child Care HB 95 would continue implementation of the quality child care program that was started last year, 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. As amended by the House, HB 95 would use up the remaining amount of the appropriation set aside by last year’s legislature, about 6.8 million. HB 95 passed the House Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, and will progress to second reading on Thursday. 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. This would reduce the severance on coal used in IGCC plants from the current seven percent to one and a half percent. The House Committee of the Whole passed HB 143, and the bill will move to second reading on Thursday. 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 passed HB 159 on second reading, and the bill will move on to third reading on Thursday. 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. The House amended the bill to require that leading edge technologies not in use in Wyoming as of March 1, 2007 will qualify for the exemption as long as their use reduces carbon dioxide and mercury pollution from the plants below current levels with currently-used technology. The House passed HB 169 on third reading. 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. HB 229 is on general file. 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 third reading on Wednesday, 21-8. The bill will now move to the House. 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 will continue to consider SF 52 on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. Please Visit The Following Links:
|
| 2007 LAP* Book Home | | | | | Votes on Key Legislation |
| LAP* Book Home | | | ESPC Home | | | Contact Us | | | Contribute |
|
Equality State Policy Center 340 West B Street Suite 203 Casper WY 82601 307-472-5939 dneal@equalitystate.org www.equalitystate.org |