Almost to midway

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
The 65th Wyoming Legislature began its term on Jan. 8 with Secretary of State Ed Buchanan opening the session and welcoming new and returning legislators. The following day newly elected Gov. Mark Gordon delivered his State of the State address. 
“In his address, Gov. Gordon stressed the successes and expansion of Wyoming’s economy in the past few years, including the opening of a trade office in Taiwan, exports of Wyoming beef to Asian markets, and the improving of condition of the state’s finances,” said Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle. 
Rep Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, added that this was the first opportunity for the House and the Senate to hear from the new governor about his vision for Wyoming and goals for the coming year. 
“I look forward to working with the Gordon administration on shared priorities, including right-sizing government, reducing spending and promoting our energy resources, moving forward,” Lindholm said. 
As legislators headed into this session, now in its fourth week, Lindholm said, key topics of discussion included criminal justice reinvestment, addressing Wyoming’s revenue streams to support the economies of today and tomorrow, education, health care, work related to ENDOW and economic development, and continued efforts to increase efficiency, transparency and responsiveness in state government. 
Lindholm recently traveled to China with Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, to represent Wyoming at a technology conference. 
“The Global Blockchain Summit in China was a resounding success. By the time Sen. Driskill and I left the Summit, everyone in attendance was talking about Wyoming,” Lindholm said. “The efforts of the Legislature, the Wyoming Blockchain Task Force and the (Wyoming) Business Council are paying off. I think it is also important to note that the conference sponsored us as speakers at the event, and it did not cost Wyoming anything for us to attend.” 
Lindholm, besides promoting the state across the world, has introduced seven bills so far this session. 
“One bill in the House that is gaining a great deal of attention is HB0220 – the National Retail Fairness Act. This bill aims to impose a levy on the net income of large, out-of-state corporations, ultimately redirecting taxes currently being sent out of the state back to Wyoming,” Lindholm said. “Wyoming does not collect any corporate taxes and, due to that, revenue from items purchased in Wyoming are being sent to Arkansas and Colorado.” 
He noted that Wyoming residents are already paying their share of the nationwide tax burden for these business, hidden within the prices they pay. 
“This means that profits companies are making in Wyoming are being taxed to pay for roads in Arkansas or pay teachers in Hawaii,” Lindholm said. “HB 220 will allow Wyoming to claim its portion of those taxes for the benefit of Wyoming.” 
He added that conservative estimates believe the bill will raise about $45 million for K-12 education without impacting Wyoming families or small businesses. 
To date, the legislators in the House have filed 264 bills for consideration, as well as 10 joint resolutions, according to Lindholm. Jan. 29 is the last day bills can be filed and Lindholm says it is likely that more than 300 pieces of legislation would be filed for consideration in the House.