News from the legislature

Bill addresses county landfill issues
 
Senate File 176 Solid Waste Disposal, a Weston County-inspired solid waste district bill, was approved by the House on Feb. 13 on second reading, according to Wyoleg.com. The bill passed the Senate on third reading on Feb. 2, with all 31 senators voting in favor of the legislation, according to Senate President Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower. 
 
“As you know, Weston County is home to two solid waste districts: Central Weston and Weston,” Driskill said in his Feb. 3 legislative update. 
 
“SF0176 allows for the consolidation of a county’s solid waste districts,” he continued. “This bill will allow the Central Weston and Weston solid waste districts to combine without the need (and cost) of a special election — and importantly — without raising taxes on residents.” 
 
The Central Weston County Solid Waste District is located in Osage, and according to Driskill, when the power plant and petroleum processing plant there closed, the mill levies that supported the waste district were lost because the tax base went away.
 
“The solid waste district board overseeing the district put the transfer station to sleep because the station did not have enough revenue to operate,” Driskill said in the update. “The board then handed their keys over to the Weston County Commissioners.” 
 
The News Letter Journal reported on July 25, 2019, in “Changing hands” that the five-person solid waste district board had resigned, presenting the commissioners with a letter and the keys to the transfer station and landfill. The board’s resignation was accepted two weeks later, and the commissioners officially put themselves in the board positions during their July 16 meeting. 
 
At that time, Commissioner Ed Wagoner, who also sits on the Weston County Solid Waste District board, said that the district would be opposed to absorbing the central solid waste district because of potential liability for the landfill. 
 
In Driskill’s update, he thanked Wagoner for his testimony and support for SF0176, despite his previous stance on the consolidation of the two districts. 
 
“While current law would require a special election to combine the solid waste districts, this bill removes red tape and gives county commissioners the ability to consolidate districts within a county with a resolution,” Driskill said in the update. “An amendment to the bill added that all solid waste district boards must agree to proposed mergers. This is a good common-sense measure that ensures the garbage gets picked up and the bills don’t go up.” 
Legislature budgets for the next rainy day
As the Wyoming legislature hit the halfway point of this year’s session, the Senate and House finished their deliberation on the Supplemental Budget bill, putting nearly $1 billion into savings accounts, according to updates from House Majority Floor Leader Chip Neiman, R-Hulett; Senate President Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower; and Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle. 
 
“As a part of the process, the budget bill is presented in mirror form to both legislative branches,” Neiman said in his update of Feb. 9. “Following that debate, the House and Senate come together to find agreement on the amendments that differ from the two sides. That process is now underway.” 
 
He noted that developing the state’s budget is one of the Legislature's most important roles and that with $2 billion in surplus, much focus was placed on how to best utilize those funds. 
 
“My view is that this monetary influx is a one-time boon and not a wholesale change to our economic outlook. I want to prevent hard cuts down the road, which is why I am pleased nearly $1 billion was placed into savings,” Neiman said. “The Legislature should be a steward of your tax dollars, which means planning not only for the here and now, but, more importantly, for future generations. That means saving the money we are fortunate to have into long-term accounts that will benefit our children, their children and, hopefully, their children.” 
 
In her update, Steinmetz said she hopes to see the $1 billion in savings hold. 
 
According to Driskill, the next few weeks will be spent “hashing out” the differences between the final versions of the budget bills from both the House and Senate. 
 
“This will be done by a group of five senators and five House members, known as the conference committee, who will then bring the bill to both chambers,” he said in his Feb. 10 update. “After the House and Senate vote to agree on the negotiated budget bill, it will be sent to the Governor.” 
 
Driskill noted that the two bills were closer than they had been in previous years, with a difference of roughly $1.5 million between the two. 
 
“Both the House and Senate put nearly $1 billion into savings,” he said. “The Senate passed 41 amendments to the budget bill and the House passed 42 budget amendments. Of those amendments, 11 are considered mirror amendments, meaning they are very similar, and there is no need for wrangling by the conference committee.” 
 
The big difference between the two bills is where to put the savings, according to Driskill. 
 
“The Senate wants to make a big deposit of the money into permanent savings. The House placed the bulk of the savings into reserve accounts, like the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, which are more liquid,” he said. “I am glad there is agreement on the need to save money — now we just need to decide the best place to put it.” 
 
Both versions of the supplemental budget, Driksill said, save almost twice as much money as they spend as they feature $1 billion in savings, compared to only $515 million in spending. Part of that spending, in the Senate version, is an allocation of $28 million to property tax relief, while the House voted to spend more on health care. 
 
“Overall, the House and Senate bills take different sides on where the savings go and what to spend it on, but they reflect a Wyoming Legislature fully aware of the up-and-down nature of Wyoming’s economy,” Driskill concluded.