Leg session kicks off

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
A new year brings a new legislature, even during a global pandemic, and while the 66th Wyoming Legislature’s general session may look different this year as legislators from across the state meet virtually to address Wyoming’s biggest issues. 
According to  Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle , and Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Sundance, the main topic of discussion will be spending and efforts to increase revenue throughout the state. 
Kicking off the session on Jan. 12, the Legislature convened at noon to swear in leadership and adopt rules for the 2021 session, Hunt told the News Letter Journal. Though the session was virtual, Hunt reported that roughly half the representatives were in attendance at the Capitol in Cheyenne. This one-day meeting, according to Hunt, signified the starting point of a session that will be spread out over months. 
“Rather than moving straight into normal legislative business, as would be done in any other year, this year’s session will be spread out over a longer amount of time,” Hunt said. “Initial business will be conducted virtually, with the hope that an in-person session can be convened by March.” 
This week, legislators are meeting virtually in their standing committee groups to conduct interim committee business. The intent, according to Hunt, is to hear, debate and vote on as many bills as possible. 
“The next phase will be an eight-day virtual session, which will convene on Jan. 27. The eight-day session will attempt to work the interim committee bills through both respective bodies. Once this is concluded, the Legislature will stand in recess until the first week of March,” Hunt explained. 
The hope is that by March the COVID-19 vaccine can be distributed enough to allow an in-person session, held under “relatively normal circumstances,” Hunt said. During the in-person session, which will be roughly a month long, bills brought by individual legislators will be worked and debated. This phase will last about a month. 
“Even at this point, all of the current plans are still fluid,” Neiman said. “If there is a silver lining, it would be that the delay has given the voters more opportunity to read bills and give comment.” 
The newly-elected representative noted that he encourages everyone to go to the Wyoleg.gov website to review the 2021 bills. That same website, Neiman said, has the contact information for legislators so the public can provide feedback and interact with those representing them in Cheyenne. 
“The chief issue coming into the 2021 session will be the budget. With a sharp decline in state revenues over the past year, any and all options will be on the table when it comes to spending reductions,” Hunt said. “Several tax increases have been proposed to address the budget shortfall as well, including a nine-cent increase in the state fuel tax and a proposed road use fee.” 
Neiman echoed Hunt, stating that he believes Weston County, as the rest of the state, needs to keep a “weather eye” on spending and efforts to increase revenue through taxes and fees. 
“On a related note, a proposal to change the state’s current seat belt requirement to a primary law, in which a driver could be pulled over for simply failing to wear a seat belt, is also seen as an attempt to raise further revenues through a projected increase in the number of fines issued by law enforcement,” Hunt said.