• The Wyoming House went late into the night Thursday deliberating a number of bills on first reading, which paves the way for a lengthy discussion on the supplemental budget Friday.
• The Wyoming House sent a proposed $165.4 million rebuild plan for Campbell County High School in Gillette to the Senate for approval Tuesday despite fears that the Legislature's property tax cuts could torpedo the project.
• A tearful Becky Barber of Afton, Wyoming, testified for a state Senate committee about how her dog Jester had his throat crushed by a beaver trap last February. She was among those supporting a trapping reform bill, which unanimously passed.
• The Wyoming House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday that would ban the use of ballot drop boxes in the state. Despite opposition from county clerks, the House voted 51-10 to advance the bill on to the Senate.
• The Wyoming House passed a bill Thursday requiring women to have ultrasounds before getting the abortion pill. Supporters say it’s a health safety issue, while opponents claim it’s designed to shame women.
• A controversial proposal to base Wyoming property tax rates on a home’s fair market value and purchase price passed a House committee Thursday. Opponents call the plan “an affront” that would “bankrupt local communities.”
• The Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously passed a bill that would terminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across all public institutions in the state.
• The House Appropriations Committee declined to take up a bill that would have implemented random hand count audits of Wyoming election results. A different bill that would implement mandatory hand count recounts of close races passed earlier in the week.
• The House Transportation Committee passed a bill that would make all public parking within a half mile of the state Capitol free while the Legislature is in session and while any committee meeting is being held.
