An emotional debate broke out Thursday in the Wyoming House about what it means to be fiscally conservative when a budget amendment was brought to bolster benefits for families of fallen police officers.
Rep. Cyrus Western (R-Big Horn) brought the amendment after Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee was shot and killed Feb. 13 while attempting to serve a trespass warning on a man. Krinkee leaves behind a wife, who is also a Sheridan police officer, and an infant daughter.
Swift action by the Legislature was needed, Western said.
“The timing of that message is of the utmost importance,” Western said. “It sends a message that in these times of greatest pain, of greatest suffering, that the government that they elect is there to help them.”
Ultimately, the House adopted the amendment, but it divided members of the hard-line Freedom Caucus, who frequently vote as a bloc.
“This issue is not about the compassion of this body. This amendment is about the role of government,” said caucus member Rep. Allen Slagle (R-Newcastle), who voted against it.
Other caucus members urged an aye vote, including Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody), who worked as a police officer in California before moving to Wyoming.
“There’s a few of us in this room that have worn the badge and understand the impact that a death of a fellow officer can have not only within a department but within a community and the impact it has on the family,” Rodriguez-Williams said.
The House voted 49-13 to adopt the amendment.
Details
Police officer deaths are rare in Wyoming.
When they occur, the spouse of the deceased receives monthly payments that amount to 62.5% of the officer’s salary, which is paid for with police pension fund dollars.
Western’s amendment would boost that monthly amount to 90%.
“What this budget amendment does is, I think, it helps offer him, his family, the security that they deserve going forward,” Western said.
The amendment originally sought to also move $450,000 from the general fund to the law enforcement retirement fund. However, lawmakers voted that section of the amendment down after Rep. Steve Harshman (R-Casper) informed them the retirement fund was already at a “healthy” level with nearly $1 billion.
But a budget bill isn’t the place for bolstering duty-related death benefits, Rep. Ken Pendergraft (R-Sheridan) said.
“This is a policy discussion that should be hashed out, should be worked out in a bill and I would be glad to work on that bill with anybody that’s interested,” Pendergraft, who ultimately voted for it, said.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Art Washut (R-Casper) said a bill down the line would be necessary anyway since the budget bill only covers the next two years.
“[The Joint Judiciary Committee] could easily take up this as an interim topic to maybe put language like this into the green books,” said Washut, a retired police officer.
Washut also pushed back on an argument made by Rep. Mark Jennings (R-Sheridan) that the amendment was taking money from some constituents to give it to other constituents.
“These funds are coming out of the pension funds, which are supported by our [law enforcement] employees and their employers,” Washut said.
Other lawmakers took a different approach when discussing Sheridan’s fallen officer.
Freedom Caucus member Rep. Clarence Styvar (R-Cheyenne) said both he and Krinkee were combat veterans, both having signed “on the dotted line.”
“That was his choice,” Styvar said.
Rep. Jon Conrad (R-Mountain View), also a combat veteran, said the debate dismayed him and said it most likely dismayed Krinkee’s family too.
“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that there is a family out there now mourning,” Conrad said.
Whether the amendment makes it to the final version of the budget will depend on what happens next week. A mirror amendment was not brought in the Senate, so the Joint Conference Committee will have to resolve the difference before bringing the budget back to both chambers for a vote.
Payment to the police is one thing, but there are other heroes who of their own volition try to save a life who may not have signed a contract with our state government, who loose their lives and may or may not be covered by any other than the local public who volunteer to help the surviving family. While it does not happen often, they are a very necessary part of our state wide community.
And of course, it’s the “freedom caucus” – AGAIN. Pro-life? HA. Not if you are already born and die in service to the community safety.
I don’t think I have agreed with one thing this current legislative session has done. Sigh…..We should be supporting his family financially at the level he did, not saying, “well, you knew what the consequences could be when you became an officer.”
Wyoming: fiscally flush, morally bankrupt.
This is a knee jerk reaction to a horrendous situation that, timing wise, happened during the Wyoming Legislature session. Take some time, work out a reasonable solution, discuss it during the interim and present it next year. Done
Typical that Republicans don’t want to take care of their own citizens. Bless this poor family.
Should be no “division” on this subject. One is not “giving” away any money to the deceased!! They paid the ultimate price to keep us safe. Politics has let them down! Time to cut all benifits in 1/2 to all politicians on state/fed level!!
It is always easy to give away someone else’s money to help someone.
Legislators in favor of this could all write a check for 5,000, put it into a good fund and eventually it will make a generous payout.
Well, many people lose family members and often related to work. If they sign up for life insurance or perhaps retirement the family will likely receive some financial assistance. But to provide a percentage benefit of the deceased salary it exceptionally generous. So I don’t agree with this. It is not what should done at all.
Yeah the Russian federation is alive and well even in Wyoming! I am sick and tired of the selfish conservatives not only in this state but the entire country. Even though it passed, and I am glad it did. The ones who voted against it need to loose there seats.
“Rep. Steve Harshman (R-Casper) informed them the retirement fund was already at a “healthy” level with nearly $1 billion. ”
Im sure the families receiving their paltry sum will be glad to hear that.
Being responsible with money is one thing, but I swear this state socks away so much in rainy day funds only to do NOTHING with the money.