With week one of many Wyoming legislative session within the rearview mirror, I really feel prefer it’s time to rejoice.
What do we now have to have fun, 5 days right into a 20-day session? I’m celebrating that half the payments that had been filed are already lifeless, both voted down for introduction or just not thought-about for introduction by the deadline.
Yes, we misplaced some good payments, however the legislature additionally eradicated a bunch of payments that weren’t wanted to deal with urgent points, permitting extra time for deep deliberations on prime precedence gadgets. And with about 180 payments nonetheless in play, legislators have a giant workload and a brief timeframe.
By necessity, the finances session needs to be centered on approving the finances and sorting by the main points of one of the best ways to offer property tax reduction to our residents, however a number of the different payments are worthy of legislative consideration as effectively and shouldn’t take a lot time.
The committee payments normally obtain probably the most consideration, and rightly so since by being handed out of committee signifies that they’ve already been topic to dialogue and deliberation by the committee by public conferences. But this can be a bizarre yr and 13 of the committee payments had been killed at introduction, which looks like a waste of time and money.
I’m all the time intrigued by the payments put forth by individual legislators and their co-sponsors. These payments usually aren’t addressing one thing already coated by a committee, and normally tackle a selected want recognized by constituents. This is a yr to “look for the helpers.”
For instance, Senate File 69 by Senator Bill Landen would enhance the Medicaid reimbursement charge for hospice care to equal that of the Medicaid charge supplied for sufferers in nursing houses.
The reimbursement charge is at the moment solely half the Medicaid charge for nursing home room and board, so this can be a terrific repair for households coping with end-of-life care. The program would cost $225,000 per yr.
Senator Dan Furphy’s SF57 would create a program to offer listening to aids for hearing-impaired adults who’re unable to qualify for help underneath different packages. The program would cost $99,000 per yr.
SF45 sponsored by Senator Tara Nethercott would enable for civil lawsuits in opposition to any person who exploits a vulnerable grownup, together with the power to get well damages and legal professional’s charges for the exploitation.
HB66, by Representative Landon Brown authorizes firefighters who’ve carried out these duties for 10 years or extra to obtain annual most cancers screenings underneath the Wyoming employee’s compensation act.
The invoice acknowledges that firefighters are uncovered to cancer-causing brokers whereas firefighting, and the invoice assumes about 1,159 Wyoming firefighters can be eligible for the most cancers screenings.
HB81, sponsored by Representative Dalton Banks, would remove the coaching mandate for “public officers” whereas sustaining the requirement that the state present instruction on the correct dealing with of accounts and supply complete written supplies.
This invoice addresses considerations state considerations that native authorities boards conduct their operations in accordance with state necessities however removes the obligatory coaching requirement that has brought on a lot concern for volunteers who serve on these boards.
HB93 by Representative Scott Heiner would enhance the quantity the Wyoming Livestock Board may reimburse a livestock producer for the cost of a quarantine from $25,000 to $50,000. The invoice acknowledges the substantial cost placed on producers when animals are quarantined.
I used to be a upset that Representative Clarence Styvar’s House Bill 107 already met its demise, however maybe this invoice can be extra acceptable in a common session.
This addresses an issue that generally happens with renewal of a business driver’s license when the motive force fails to offer a present medical qualification by the deadline.
Under present legislation, the state can disqualify or downgrade the CDL, however this invoice enable the state to reinstate the CDL if the motive force will get the certificates submitted inside 60 days of the license expiration, with out the necessity to return and take the information and driving checks once more.
It’s a easy repair to an issue that impacts a restricted group of individuals (business truck drivers), however a 60-day grace interval would go an extended approach to serving to these of us out once they screw up and don’t get their medical certificates filed.
But the House didn’t contemplate it for introduction by final Friday’s deadline, so it’s lifeless for this session.
Cat Urbigkit is an creator and rancher who lives on the vary in Sublette County, Wyoming. Her column, Range Writing, seems weekly in Cowboy State Daily.
