Legislators get historic session underway

In any ordinary year, Wyoming’s Legislature would be preparing to debate a full slate of potential new laws and figure out the budget for the next biennium. Thanks to the pandemic, things look a little different for the 66th Legislature, which met last week for a single day for a virtual session to fulfill the requirements of the Wyoming Constitution.

“We elected leadership…I am Majority Floor Leader now,” says Senator Ogden Driskill. Representative Chip Neiman has meanwhile been selected to serve on the House Education Committee.

“What we did was gavel in, made the rules to where we’re able to meet either in person or virtually or a combination of both and then we gaveled back out.”

Over the next couple of weeks, Driskill says, committees will meet to work on a portion of the existing bills. Only a limited number have been filed thus far, he says, and, “Really, what’s out there is committee bills;” individual bills have not yet come in.

On January 27, the Legislature will reconvene for eight days to consider these bills. Shortly after, and depending on the situation with COVID-19, the intent is to go back into session for most of March.

“That’s when the budget and individual bills will be worked on,” Driskill says. “There may be a few committee bills left, but not a lot.”

State Budget

It’s been a difficult few months for Wyoming’s finances with work ongoing to balance the budget. According to Driskill, the appropriations committee has worked to make cuts that, together with the ones already made by Governor Mark Gordon, will balance the general fund.

However, he says, the K-12 education budget still needs to be tackled.

“They are still at an impasse and the recalibration committee has not come with a bill yet, so we’re still at a $200 million-plus shortfall with K-12 education,” Driskill says. “That continues to be a problem.”

The senator reiterates the personal position he has held for several years: he is not prepared to consider any new revenue measures, including tax increases, until education comes to the table.

“Right now, education is taking a larger and larger portion of the general fund every day. It’s not sustainable long-term – we’re not going to be able to plow snow on roads, we’re not going to be able to take care of our cities and towns,” Driskill says.

“It’s just really not right to burden an entire government at the pleasure of one part.”

Recalibration of the school funding model takes place every five years. Due to prior court cases involving Campbell County School District, says Neiman, the state is constitutionally required to fund education.

“There are some major decisions that have to be made here on how we’re going to do that and they’re trying to figure out how to do it without having to increase taxes,” Neiman says.

Efforts may be made to reduce school funding, he continues, while, “Some are also looking at possible tax increases to be able to meet the obligations according to the Constitution, so that’s a major issue.”

It all boils down to whether Wyoming can live within its means, Neiman says, and the feedback he has received so far from constituents is that kids should be educated well, but the amount of money it’s taking to make that happen is of concern.

The budget may be balanced for now, but Neiman says he’s looking to the future and would like to see discussion on reducing Wyoming’s reliance on federal funding and ways to be more efficient. He’s heard a lot of ideas about economic diversification, but so far no magic bullets – it’s an important focus, he says, but like a woodpecker in a petrified forest, it’s a case of “keep busy and look for opportunities.”

“We will get through this, there’s no question, but we’re going to have to be pretty creative and think outside the box on how we do this and I think everybody is going to have to make allowances because we’re in this boat together. We’ve got to work together,” he says.

“We’ve got to be able to recognize where we are and take steps accordingly.”

Issues of Interest

The initial list of bills has only recently been released and Driskill says he has not yet seen many of particular concern or interest. Most so far are routine laws, he says.

“I’m just getting my first chance to really go through them,” he notes.

The senator believes a series of revenue bills will be put forward, but does not expect any of them will pass the Senate. One issue he does believe will attract public attention concerns the authority of the state public health officer; Driskill anticipates he will be a co-sponsor on a bill that aims to address this.

The bill would change the law, he says, such that, “If the governor declares a pandemic and invokes any statutes, the state health officer and the governor will have 30 days at most and then the legislature will either meet and affirm what they’re doing or [not affirm it].” Driskill believes this change to the law is “very deeply wanted.”

In terms of personal bills, Driskill says he is working on ideas including one bill on utility deposits and a couple that would refine laws on charter schools to “make them where they’re a little more workable.”

On the education committee, Neiman says an issue of interest this year will be discussions over bringing pre-K education under the umbrella of the Department of Education.

Neiman also says that pending bills may include new revenue sources such as an increase to gas tax, which he has not heard much support from among Crook County citizens. His personal opinion, he says, is that Wyoming needs to first figure out ways of living within our means with the funding available.

Neiman has been approached by numerous legislators to co-sponsor bills this year, he says, and is looking at doing so for several. This, he says, includes a potential new heartbeat bill, which would make abortions illegal as soon as a fetus’s heartbeat can be detected, and another on informed consent.

He is also working on legislation that would, “allow livestock producers in the State of Wyoming to pick their identification of choice,” rather than use the identification methods preferred by meat packers.

Neiman is also involved in legislation regarding crossover voting and also to require voter identification.

“I think this year is going to be a critical time to get that passed…I think we’ve addressed a lot of the concerns that people had about disenfranchising people,” he says of the latter.

Political Turmoil

The turmoil in politics at the national level has already trickled down to Wyoming, says Driskill, and is likely to be something this state continues to face in the future.

Driskill says he hasn’t spoken to Wyoming’s delegation in D.C. about the impeachment of President Donald Trump or the insurrection at the Capitol. Though he has personal concerns, he says, it is not a state legislative issue.

Speaking to U.S. Representative Liz Cheney’s decision to support the impeachment, Driskill says, “I, myself, don’t understand the logic of what she did exactly.”

The senator supports the rally of Trump supporters that headed to the Capitol building to protest, but says it was tragic to see the splinter group that took things to violent levels.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, peaceful protest is part of the fabric of our society,” he says. On the other hand, the destruction and riotous behavior of some is “absolutely egregious and against everything our society is built on.”

Driskill believes that, for America to move forward, it needs to be “brought under control and that behavior rejected, not just by our government but by our people.” The destruction of property during all recent riots is not tolerable, he adds.

The senator warns that Wyoming is not free of the kind of dangers that have plagued national politics recently.

“The coercion style of politics is in Wyoming and it’s alive and well – and it’s pretty close to home. The Wyoming Gun Owners came after me last year with absolute lies and slander,” he says.

Driskill says his issue is that the attacks are brutal and not based in truth. The group went after a number of people, he adds, and were successful in certain areas.

There is no honest way for a politician to respond to “Innuendoes, lies and slander,” he says, and that creates an impossible dilemma.

Another dangerous precedent, says Driskill, is that there have been recent examples of laws being instituted without any real thought of imposing them. He points to mask mandates as an example.

“We’ve really taught people that they don’t have to follow laws. I’m a law and order person and I really believe that laws need to be reasonable and fair enough that people can follow them with a good conscience,” he says.

Neiman notes that instituting recall elections in Wyoming is likely to be on the table again this session.

“I think we need the ability to keep people accountable and make sure they’re doing what they’re meant to be doing,” he says. This has never been more clear, he adds, than during the outcry following Cheney’s vote to impeach the president.

“People are so frustrated with her right now. My phone rang off the hook for two days after that,” he says. “It’s a major concern for them that they can’t count on their electeds to go and reflect their views.”

The lesson Neiman has taken away from recent national events, he says, is that serving Crook County is not about what he wants – it’s about what the citizens want. It’s all there in the name of his position, he points out: a representative is there to represent.

So far, he has been heartened by citizens’ willingness to contact him and share his views, which he says he will take with him directly onto the floor of the Legislature. “It’s so important that people stay engaged and involved in what’s going on,” he says, especially in a time where faith in leadership has been shaken for many people.

Neiman asks citizens to please review the pending bills on the legisweb.wyo.gov website and let him know your thoughts on the matters that will be decided this year.

“I need to know what people see and feel and have experience with before I can make a well-founded decision and represent you the way you want me to,” he says. This session will not be an easy one, Neiman says, but he believes Wyoming has a bright future if its legislators forge ahead with the work that needs to be done to make that happen.