A legislative committee advanced a bill on Thursday that would create a group to study building a "Monument to America" in Wyoming. The amended bill removes the requirement the statue be as large as Mount Rushmore, however.
On a razor thin 16-15 vote, the Wyoming Senate revived a bill on Thursday calling on Congress to hand over all public lands to the state, except Yellowstone. The bill had been rejected earlier in the day on a 16-14 vote.
A bill that would have stiffened Wyoming’s hunting trespass penalties died in committee on Thursday. The bill’s sponsor warned of violence if more isn’t done to curb trespassing.
The House Appropriations Committee, by a 6-1 margin, advanced a bill on Thursday that would give local and state political parties more power in filling political vacancies in Wyoming.
Two bills that would’ve banned voting machines and mandate hand count elections in Wyoming were rejected by Senate and House committees on Wednesday night. Legislators cited costs and vulnerabilities as reasons for striking the bills down.
A heated debate took place on the House floor on Thursday over a parental rights bill that, among other things, would require school districts to adopt a policy to ensure school district personnel and students are not required to refer to a student’s preferred pronouns if those pronouns don’t align with the biological sex.
During the debate, a back-and-forth ensued between Reps. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, and Julie Jarvis, R-Casper, over the types of arguments Jarvis was making, consistently referring to her teaching background. Another debate ensued over a call to end debate on the bill early. The bill passed on third reading.
The House also passed a bill on third reading that would base property taxes in Wyoming on the purchase price of a home, an effort that’s been about five years in the making.
The House Revenue Committee passed a bill that would make property taxes assessed at an 8.3% rate, a drop from the current 9.5% assessment rate.
