Fires, Game and Fish, and education on interim committee to-do list for May

Barely two months have passed since the end of Wyoming’s legislative session, but lawmakers are about to get back to work. A series of interim committee meetings begins around the state in May, giving legislators a chance to prepare for next year’s short 20-day budget session.

Much of the important legislative work happens in the interim. Committees usually meet three times over the course of the spring, summer and fall. Typically interim meetings last 1-3 days, during which the committees discuss topics set out in agendas beforehand. Click here to see the interim calendar with links to each committee’s agenda.

All interim committee meetings are open to the public. No prior arrangements or registration are required, though it is helpful to inform the committee chairs if you wish to speak on a specific issue. Lobbyists well-versed in the issues attend all the meetings to present their points of view.

So what’s in store? The month of May begins with the National Council of State Legislatures meeting in Denver from May 2-4. Many of Wyoming’s lawmakers belong to this non-partisan organization, which gathers legislators from other states to share ideas. Informational seminars at the Denver conference will focus on demographics, immigration, preventing violence, hydraulic fracturing, water quality, renewable energy, education accountability, agriculture, and health reform. Read the full agenda here.

The Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands, and Water Resources Interim Committee will meet May 6-7 at Northwest College in Powell. Topics will include:

• Report on fire danger from Wyoming State Forestry Division
• Update on raw milk, interstate shipment of meat and pest control from Dept. of Agriculture
• Discussion of groundwater policies from State Engineer’s office
• Animal cruelty provisions update from Wyoming Livestock Board
• Read the full agenda here.

The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee will have a three day meeting from May 6-8 at the First State Bank in Guernsey. The committee will discuss funding needs and license fees increases for the Game and Fish Department, which were both major topics of during the last legislative session. Other topics include:

• Reports from Dept. of Tourism, Dept. of State Parks and Cultural Resources, Natural Resources Trust Fund, and the Game and Fish Department.
• Funding needs for Dept. of State Parks and Cultural Resources
• Read the full agenda here.

The Select Committee on Legislative Facilities will meet at the state Capitol in Cheyenne on May 9^th to discuss the capitol renovation and restoration project. Read the full agenda here.

The Select Committee on Statewide Education Accountability will meet May 9-10 at the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building in Casper. Topics include:

• Report on Phase I of the Statewide Education Accountability System
• No Child Left Behind Waiver
• Statewide Students Assessments
• District graduation requirements
• Outreach plan for accountability system
• Phase II Teacher/Leader Accountability
• Wyoming Department of Education Status Report.
• The full agenda is here.

The Joint Judiciary Committee will meet May 13-14 in Teton Village. Topics include:

• Jury pool selection
• 24/7 sobriety program
• Controlled substances update
• Probation supervision, criminal history records, apprehension of offenders, home incarceration, and work release
• Criminal statutes and penalties
• Aggravated assault
• Post-conviction relief
• Game wardens/state park rangers update
• Mental health and involuntary commitment cost reduction
• Juvenile justice update
• Residential treatment facilities
• The full agenda is here.

The Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee will meet May 14 and 15 at the Campbell County Public Library in Gillette. Topics include:

• Solid waste landfill funding
• Coal bed methane update
• Reclamation and bonding issues
• Federal mineral royalty reduction
• Atomic Energy Agreement State Feasibility Study
• Wyoming Infrastructure Authority
• Cameco Resources, Inc.
• The Moneta Divide project
• State agency efficiency
• Wyoming Business Council
• University of Wyoming
• Wyoming coal export issues
• Energy Producing State Coalition
• Groundwater baseline monitoring
• Wyoming Energy Plan
• Read the full agenda here.

The Joint Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Committee will meet at the Best Western in Lander May 28-29.

• Funeral directors’ practice act and coroners’ standards
• Own risk solvency insurance standards
• Guarantee association model act and electronic delivery of insurance documents
• Campaign finance reporting and voter identification
• Business fraud prevention and modernization of business entity reporting systems
• Legal publication requirements for local governments
• Utility ratemaking for renewable resources
• Telecommunications act and universal service fund review
• Misclassification of building industry employers as independent contractors
• Roofing and siding contractor regulation.
• The full agenda is here.

The Education Committee and the Revenue Committee will meet June 3^rd and 4th, while the Labor Committee will meet June 4^th and 5^th. Agendas will be made available on the Capitol Beat and the LSO website as they become available.