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2004 Budget Session
2004 Budget Session
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HB 155 and SF 73 were mirror bills that proposed changes in state statutes relating to management of gray wolves in the state after the animals are delisted, or removed from the endangered species list.
Under current statutes, wolves are classified as trophy game animals if they are in Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks, the John D. Rockefeller Junior Memorial Parkway between the Parks, and wilderness areas adjacent to the Parks or Parkway. Everywhere else in the state, wolves are classified as predators.
As predators, wolves may be killed by anyone at any time during the year without a license or any other sort of regulation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has primary management responsibility for gray wolves as an endangered species in the Yellowstone region. The USFWS will not proceed with delisting (removing the animal from the endangered species list) until all three states surrounding Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) have an approved wolf management plan. The Service has approved the plans submitted by Idaho and Montana, but in January 2004 the USFWS rejected Wyoming's proposed wolf management plan, mainly because of concern over the state's ability to successfully maintain wolf populations under the dual classification scheme after the animals are removed from the endangered species list.
Following a meeting with USFWS Director Steve Williams during the first week of the 2004 legislative session, SF 73 and HB 155 were brought before the Senate and House, respectively. The bills would reclassify the gray wolf as a trophy game animal statewide after they were delisted.
Supporters of HB 155 and SF 73 favored dropping the predator classification of wolves in exchange for acceptance of the state's wolf management plan by the USFWS. They noted that the USFWS agreed to lower their requirement for the number of breeding pairs of wolves that must be maintained in the state. Supporters wanted to avoid a lawsuit and believed delisting of wolves would be achieved sooner if HB 155 or SF 73 was adopted.
Opponents of HB 155 and SF 73 expressed frustration over the USFWS's rejection of Wyoming's wolf management plan, and noted that USFWS personnel last year indicated that the dual classification of wolves would not prevent acceptance of the plan. Opponents were skeptical that USFWS would stick to their word now, and preferred to challenge the USFWS in court than to abandon the dual classification plan.
SF 73 failed the vote for introduction in the Senate, 15-12 (3 excused). HB 155 passed the vote for introduction in the House, 51-8 (1 excused) and moved forward to the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee.
HB 155 was passed by the House Travel Committee, 6-3, and moved to general file in the House. There, House Majority Floor Leader Randall Luthi (R-H21, Freedom) refused to bring the bill to the floor of the House for debate and a vote by the deadline for House action, and so the bill was killed.
The votes listed below are the votes for introduction of SF 73 in the Senate and HB 155 in the House.
A YES vote means the legislator wanted to consider changing the management classification of gray wolves to trophy game animal statewide after the animal is removed from the endangered species list.
A NO vote means the legislator did not want to consider changing the management classification of gray wolves as predators outside the Yellowstone area after the animal is delisted.
| Bighorn Basin Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 18 | Hank Coe (R) | Excused | |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R) | Yes | |
| H 50 | Pat Childers (R) | Yes | |
| S 19 | Laness D. Northrup (R) | Excused | |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R) | Yes | |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R) | Yes | |
| S 20 | Gerald E. Geis (R) | No | |
| H 27 | Jane Wostenberg (R) | Yes | |
| H 28 | Micheal Baker (R) | Yes | |
| Casper-Area Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 27 | John Barrasso (R) | No | |
| H 35 | Roy Cohee (R) | Yes | |
| H 36 | Liz Gentile (D) | Yes | |
| S 28 | Keith Goodenough (D) | Yes | |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R) | No | |
| H 57 | Thomas A. Lockhart (R) | Yes | |
| S 29 | Bill Hawks (R) | No | |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R) | Yes | |
| H 59 | Mary Gilmore (D) | Yes | |
| S 30 | Charles K. Scott (R) | Yes | |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R) | Yes | |
| H 58 | Ann Robinson (D) | Yes | |
| Cheyenne-Area Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 4 | April Brimmer Kunz (R) | Yes | |
| H 7 | Tony Ross (R) | Yes | |
| H 41 | Becket Hinckley (R) | Yes | |
| S 5 | John Hanes (R) | Yes | |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R) | Yes | |
| H 42 | Pete Illoway (R) | Yes | |
| S 6 | Rich Cathcart (D) | Yes | |
| H 9 | Wayne Johnson (R) | Yes | |
| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) | Yes | |
| S 7 | Kathryn Sessions (D) | Yes | |
| H 11 | Wayne Reese (D) | No | |
| H 43 | Ed Prosser (R) | Yes | |
| S 8 | E. Jayne Mockler (D) | Yes | |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D) | Yes | |
| H 44 | Floyd Esquibel (D) | Yes | |
| Gillette-Area Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 23 | John Hines (R) | Yes | |
| H 31 | Jene Jansen (R) | Yes | |
| H 52 | George McMurtrey (R) | Yes | |
| S 24 | Richard A. Erb (R) | No | |
| H 32 | Jeff Wasserburger (R) | Yes | |
| H 53 | Frank Latta (R) | Yes | |
| Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 25 | Cale Case (R) | No | |
| H 33 | Harry Tipton (R) | Excused | |
| H 54 | Del McOmie (R) | Yes | |
| S 26 | Robert A. Peck (R) | No | |
| H 34 | Frank Philp (R) | No | |
| H 55 | David Miller (R) | Yes | |
| Northeast/East Central WY Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 1 | C.L. Townsend (R) | No | |
| H 1 | Mark Semlek (R) | Yes | |
| H 2 | Ross Diercks (D) | Yes | |
| S 2 | Jim Anderson (R) | No | |
| H 5 | James C. Hageman (R) | Yes | |
| H 6 | Dave Edwards (R) | Yes | |
| S 3 | Curt Meier (R) | No | |
| H 3 | Deborah Alden (R) | Yes | |
| H 4 | Edward A. Buchanan (R) | No | |
| Sheridan-Area Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 21 | Bruce Burns (R) | Yes | |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R) | No | |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R) | Yes | |
| S 22 | John Schiffer (R) | Yes | |
| H 30 | Jack Landon (R) | Yes | |
| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R) | Yes | |
| South Central WY Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 9 | Mike Massie (D) | Yes | |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D) | Yes | |
| H 45 | Lorna Johnson (D) | Yes | |
| S 10 | Irene Devin (R) | No | |
| H 14 | Phil Nicholas (R) | Yes | |
| H 46 | James Slater (R) | Yes | |
| S 11 | Bill Vasey (D) | No | |
| H 15 | George Bagby (D) | Yes | |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R) | Yes | |
| Southwest WY Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 12 | Rae Lynn Job (D) | Yes | |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D) | No | |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D) | Yes | |
| S 13 | Tex Boggs (D) | Yes | |
| H 17 | Fred Parady (R) | Yes | |
| H 60 | Bill Thompson (D) | Yes | |
| S 14 | Larry Caller (D) | Yes | |
| H 18 | Mick Powers (R) | Yes | |
| H 39 | John Hastert (D) | Yes | |
| S 15 | Ken Decaria (D) | Yes | |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 49 | Saundra Meyer (D) | Yes | |
| West Central WY Legislators | HB 155 - H Intro 2/12/04 | SF 73 - S Intro 2/12/04 |
|
| S 16 | Delaine Roberts (R) | No | |
| H 20 | Stan Cooper (R) | No | |
| H 21 | Randall Luthi (R) | Yes | |
| S 17 | Grant Larson (R) | Excused | |
| H 22 | Monte Olsen (R) | No | |
| H 23 | Clarene Law (R) | Yes | |
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12 | |||