A bill that allows applications to create charter schools in Wyoming to circumvent school districts has passed into law without the governor's signature.
The members of this editorial board have received the COVID-19 vaccination. We did so because we believe it will protect us and help our community.Â
The editorial board says: When the final bell rang on this year’s legislative session, state leaders failed to turn in their assignment.Â
SHERIDAN — Sheridan advocates for Medicaid expansion in Wyoming are used to disappointment.
The Riverton Ranger writes:
... the Legislature itself is walking a hazardous course by screaming "emergency" without taking corresponding action. If the lawmakers won't clear a viable path forward on K-12 funding, then they are inviting someone else to it instead -- a consultant, a blue-ribbon commission, the governor or the courts.
In a year where police reform dominated the national conversation, criminal justice legislation largely fell short of becoming law in Wyoming.
The editorial board says: Opponents of Medicaid expansion have plenty of criticisms, but what they don’t possess are solutions. And solutions are what we need.
Salvaging roadkill in Wyoming has been illegal for generations. That’s about to change.
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Here's a rundown of what happened in the 2021 general session and how the actions taken by lawmakers could affect the state.
Wyoming lawmakers intended to address part of a $300 million shortfall in education funding this legislative session, but found no compromise. In response, Gov. Mark Gordon announced his own approach.Â
The legislature would require some public health orders to get approval from elected officials if they extend beyond 10 days.Â
Education funding bill dies in Wyoming Legislature with chambers unable to agree on deficit solution
The two sides disagreed on where cuts should occur, how to spend federal money and whether to write in a conditional 0.5% sales tax if reserves fall below a certain point.
The editorial board says: It is a fair question to ask, where is the vision and courage together with the will to address Wyoming's current problems for the good of all.
The Wyoming Community Development Authority distributed just 11.5% of the money it received to help renters and mortgage holders erase debts in 2020. The Department of Family Services will now run a wider-reaching version of the program.
The Wyoming Senate passed the K-12 education funding bill with cuts but no revenue measures. The House now must vote to concur or reject the proposal.
If signed by the governor, House Bill 75 would require voters to show specific kinds of photo identification before being able to vote in person.
"Should we send this to the floor to hear the same thing over and over again?" Sen. Lynn Hutchings asked before voting against the proposal.
Medicaid expansion will not happen in Wyoming this year.
Changes made to the bill in the Senate increased the penalty for distributing revenge porn from six months in prison and/or a $1,000 fine to up to one year behind bars and a $5,000 fine or both.
Wyoming's 66th Legislature will convene longer than initially planned this year, ending on April 7 instead of Friday.
Advocates say they're cautiously optimistic as lawmakers consider a bill to expand government health insurance to thousands more Wyomingites.
The bill would limit the initial lifespan of local or state health orders that restrict individuals’ movements or their ability to engage in an activity to 10 days without further approval from an elected body.
Both chambers have passed initial proposals, but the debate on how Wyoming should pay for its schools is far from over.
Senator Scott explains how the state legislature can and should act now to put Wyoming's K-12 education system on a sustainable path.
The bill, which passed the House of Representatives on third reading by a 32-28 margin, now advances to the Senate.
