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HB 212: STATE EMPLOYEE TRAVEL EXPENSES - 1997 General Session

Sponsor: Rep. Wayne Johnson (R-H9, Cheyenne)

 

Under current law, state employees receive a per diem allowance for expenses incurred during travel for state business.

Per diem for state employees is paid by quarters of the day at $15 per full quarter of in-state travel ($60/day) and $17.50 per full quarter of out-of-state travel ($70/day). (This contrasts to the $80/day per diem allowance for legislators.)

HB 212 proposed to replace per diem with reimbursement of actual expenses. It was amended on the House floor to propose a seven-month study where employees of the Public Service Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Environmental Quality would be reimbursed for actual expenses.

A comparison of these expenses and the amount of per diem which otherwise would have been paid would then be reported to the Joint Appropriations Interim Committee by December 15, 1997.

HB 212 also provided that all claims for reimbursement, except for meals and tips where the total amount did not exceed $15, would have to be accompanied by original vendor receipts.

No payment would be made for alcoholic beverages, and the State Auditor was authorized to establish maximum limits on reimbursements reflecting the cost differences for suitable meals and lodging in different areas within and outside Wyoming.

Proponents of the change to reimbursement of actual expenses argued that $60/day is not enough to cover lodging and three meals.

Opponents said that reimbursement of actual expenses would lead to higher expenditures, as the State Auditor’s maximum limit for reimbursement would become the effective per diem.

HB 212 passed the House, 56-3 (1 excused), and passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 5-0. However, it died on third reading (final passage) in the Senate, 7-23.

The votes listed below are the third reading (final passage) votes in the House and the Senate.

A YES vote means the legislator favored reimbursing actual expenses (subject to limits) for state employees traveling on state business rather than paying per diem.

A NO vote means the legislator favored staying with the per diem allowance payment.

 

BIG HORN BASIN LEGISLATORS

Vote

S18

Sen. Hank Coe (R)

No

H24

Rep. Peg Shreve (R)

Yes

H50

Rep. Pat Childers (R)

Yes

S19

Sen. Carroll Miller (R)

Yes

H25

Rep. Denny Smith (R)

Yes

H26

Rep. Chas. Hessenthaler (R)

Yes

S20

Sen. Gerald Geis (R)

No

H27

Rep. Ray Harrison (R)

Yes

H28

Rep. Mike Baker (R)

Yes

 

CASPER-AREA LEGISLATORS

Vote

S27

Sen. Gail Zimmerman (R)

Yes

H35

Rep. Dorothy Perkins (R)

Yes

H36

Rep. Bruce Hinchey (R)

No

S28

Sen. Keith Goodenough (D)

No

H56

Rep. Pat Nagel (R)

Yes

H57

Rep. Bob Tanner (R)

Yes

S29

Sen. Bill Hawks (R)

No

H37

Rep. Rick Tempest (R)

Yes

H59

Rep. Nancy Berry (D)

Yes

S30

Sen. Charles Scott (R)

No

H38

Rep. Carolyn Paseneaux (R)

Yes

H58

Rep. Ann Robinson (D)

Excused

 

CHEYENNE-AREA LEGISLATORS

Vote

S4

Sen. April Brimmer Kunz (R)

No

H7

Rep. Tony Ross (R)

Yes

H41

Rep. Mac McGraw (D)

Yes

S5

Sen. Donald Lawler (R)

Yes

H8

Rep. Larry Meuli (R)

Yes

H42

Rep. John Hanes (R)

Yes

S6

Sen. Rich Cathcart (D)

No

H9

Rep. Wayne Johnson (R)

Yes

H10

Rep. Pete Anderson (R)

Yes

S7

Sen. Guy Cameron (D)

Yes

H11

Rep. Wayne Reese (D)

Yes

H43

Rep. Kathryn Sessions (D)

Yes

S8

Sen. Jayne Mockler (D)

No

H12

Rep. Leo Garcia (D)

Yes

H44

Rep. Floyd Esquibel (D)

Yes

 

GILLETTE-AREA LEGISLATORS

Vote

S23

Sen. Larry Gilbertz (R)

No

H31

Rep. John Hines (R)

Yes

H52

Rep. George McMurtrey (R)

Yes

S24

Sen. Dick Erb (R)

No

H32

Rep. Jeff Wasserburger (R)

Yes

H53

Rep. Nick Deegan (D)

No

 

LANDER/RIVERTON-AREA LEGISLATORS

Vote

S25

Sen. John Vinich (D)

No

H33

Rep. Harry Tipton (R)

Yes

H54

Rep. Cale Case (R)

Yes

S26

Sen. Bob Peck (R)

No

H34

Rep. Frank Philp (R)

Yes

H55

Rep. Eli Bebout (R)

Yes

 

NORTHEAST/EAST CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS

Vote

S1

Sen. Bill Barton (R)

No

H1

Rep. Marlene Simons (R)

Yes

H2

Rep. Ross Diercks (D)

Yes

S2

Sen. Jim Twiford (R)

No

H5

Rep. Jim Hageman (R)

Yes

H6

Rep. Jim Anderson (R)

Yes

S3

Sen. Curt Meier (R)

No

H3

Rep. Bill Stafford (R)

Yes

H4

Rep. Roger Huckfeldt (R)

Yes

 

SHERIDAN-AREA LEGISLATORS

Vote

S21

Sen. Tom Kinnison (R)

No

H29

Rep. Rick Badgett (R)

Yes

H51

Rep. Bruce Burns (R)

Yes

S22

Sen. John Schiffer (R)

No

H30

Rep. Bill Bensel (D)

Yes

H40

Rep. Douglas Osborn (R)

Yes

 

SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS

Vote

S9

Sen. Vince Picard (R)

No

H13

Rep. Mike Massie (D)

Yes

H45

Rep. Wende Barker (D)

Yes

S10

Sen. Irene Devin (R)

Yes

H14

Rep. Phil Nicholas (R)

Yes

H46

Rep. Tom Rardin (R)

Yes

S11

Sen. Bob Grieve (R)

No

H15

Rep. Tony Rose (R)

Yes

H47

Rep. Teense Willford (R)

Yes

 

SOUTHWEST WYOMING LEGISLATORS

Vote

S12

Sen. Rae Lynn Job (D)

Yes

H16

Rep. Kenilynn Zanetti (D)

Yes

H48

Rep. Jack Steinbrech (R)

Yes

S13

Sen. Ray Sarcletti (D)

No

H17

Rep. Fred Parady (R)

Yes

H60

Rep. Louise Ryckman (D)

Yes

S14

Sen. Mark Harris (D)

Yes

H18

Rep. John Eyre (R)

Yes

H39

Rep. Chris Boswell (D)

Yes

S15

Sen. Greg Phillips (D)

No

H19

Rep. Wayne Morrow (D)

Yes

H49

Rep. Ken Decaria (D)

Yes

 

WEST CENTRAL WYOMING LEGISLATORS

Vote

S16

Sen. Delaine Roberts (R)

No

H20

Rep. Louie Tomassi (R)

No

H21

Rep. Randall Luthi (R)

Yes

S17

Sen. Grant Larson (R)

No

H22

Rep. Budd Betts (R)

Yes

H23

Rep. Clarene Law (R)

Yes


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