Guns, Taxes, and Time: Bob Geha’s Wyoming Legislature Preview

Wyomings Legislature opens up its budget session on Monday. Cowboy State Daily reporter Bob Geha explains what to expect.

February 10, 20203 min read

Bob Geha

Governor Mark Gordon will kickoff the 2020 Legislative Budget Session with his second State of the State Address Monday morning.  Videographer Mike McCrimmon and I will be covering the action for Cowboy State Daily. 

Wyoming’s Legislature opens up its budget session on Monday and the majority of action will be focused around the proposed $3 billion budget that will finance state programs for the next two years.

However, the budget is not the only topic that will keep legislators busy for the next 20 or so days. Proposed bills pre-filed for consideration during the budget session include legislation on firearm regulation, taxes, and daylight savings time.

Below is a list of some bills the Legislature will review after Gov. Mark Gordon issues his second state-of-the-state address on Monday.

HB 28, Firearm Regulation: The bill would prohibit government entities from using public money to run firearm and ammunition “buyback” programs.

HB 78, Firearms in Private Vehicles: Preventing private entities from prohibiting the storage of firearms in their parking lots. Exemptions would be allowed for the parking lots of schools, government entities and religious organizations.

SF 80, Handgun Purchases: The bill would require a 3-day waiting period for firearm purchases.

HB 63, Fuel Tax Increase: Increasing gasoline taxes by 3 cents per gallon to a total of 27 cents.

HB 64, National Corporate Income Tax: The bill would impose a 7 percent corporate income tax on businesses with more than 100 shareholders. It is similar to a measure that was approved last year by the House but killed in the Senate.

HB 44, Daylight Savings Time: Permanently shifting Wyoming to Daylight Savings Time if surrounding states do the same and the change is approved by the federal govenrment.

HB 98, “Defend the Guard Act:” Specifying that members of the Wyoming National Guard could only be sent into battle if Congress declared war.

HB 75, Medicaid Expansion: Expanding Medicaid coverage to an estimated 19,000 Wyoming residents at a cost to the state of $18 million over the next two years.

SF 6: Tolling Authority on I-80: Setting a toll to travel Interstate 80. The revenue would be used for repairs on the highway.

SF 42, 50 and 52, Tobacco Sale Restrictions: Banning the sale of nicotine products in shops, online or by mail to anyone under the age of 21.

SJ 2, Restricting Legislative Spending: The bill would put before voters a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban legislators from appropriating money outside of budget sessions, which occur every even-numbered year. The bill would allow spending during those years only on issues deemed emergencies.

Because this is a budget session, all non-budget bills proposed must win the support of two-thirds of either the House or Senate to be considered.

Lawmakers will be able to continue filing proposed legislation for introduction until Friday.

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