Senate report: Budget work begins Monday

CHEYENNE — The Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee moved two bills out of committee this week, Sen. Gerald Geis (R-Worland) reported Friday.

The committee met Thursday on Senate File 53, 2016 large project funding and SF31 the omnibus water bill -planning. Geis said there was little discussion and no changes on the omnibus bill, noting “We pretty much stick with what the Wyoming Water Development Commission gives us. They’re great.”

The planning projects this year total $5.3 million over three years worth of projects.

The omnibus water planning bill includes:

—Manderson Water Master Plan, $100,000 appropriated.

—Northwest Rural Water Master Plan for Big Horn and Park counties, $230,000 appropriated.

—Owl Creek Watershed Study in Hot Springs County, $375,000 appropriated.

—Shell Water Master Plan, $85,000 appropriated.

—South Worland Water Master Plan, $90,000 appropriated.

—Hanover Irrigation District Master Plan in Washakie County, $175,000.

As for SF 53, Geis said the committee approved the bill and it was re-referred to the appropriations committee. The bill provides for funding for large projects under the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act.

Projects include the Lazy BV Conservation Easement for restriction on residential development on about 2,500 acres in Park County, according to the bill. The project is designed to:

—Maintain key winter ranges and migration corridors for bighorn sheep, elk, deer and moose.

—Maintain access to spawning and year-round habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

—Maintain distribution of Greater Sage-grouse in a core population area.

—Maintain agricultural production and opportunity on high quality farm and ranch lands.

Total project costs is nearly $1.2 million with funding from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Fund requested at $269,635.

There is also a project in the Lower Encampment River, requesting $600,000 from the fund for a $2 million project.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission is seeking $445,000 of a $1.1 million project in the Wind River Range for removal of invasive conifers from sagebrush and aspen habitats in an area with high wildlife populations.

The final project is also from the Commission for a Rocking Chair Ranch Conservation Easement in Lincoln County. They are requesting $400,000 of a $1.6 million project.

Geis said the session is going well. He said he and area legislators met with all Big Horn Basin county commissioners Thursday night.

“They are seeking $110 million. The budget is for $90 million. I don’t blame them, if we had the money,” Geis said.

He said the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the budget out and the budget will come before the Committee of the Whole on Monday.

“We will have the weekend to look at it,” he said.

Monday the committee will explain the budget. Once it passes Committee of the Whole, amendments will begin, Geis said.

He said Medicare expansion will be a major issue. “I don’t know if it will get enough votes. I represent five hospitals in my district so I think I’ll vote for the expansion,” he said. There is currently no funding in the budget for expanding Medicare.

Friday was the last day for bills to be introduced so “Monday things will get serious now,” Geis said.

The bill to repeal the criminal offenses of unlawfully collecting resource data and trespass to collect data failed introduction Friday. Also failing introduction were: House Bill 132 that would have made strangulation of a household member a “violent felony” punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

The Senate killed SF 14, an act prohibiting school districts 2 from accessing students’ digital information accounts, on third reading Friday.

The House and Senate approved several bills on third reading Friday sending them to the other side for consideration including SF8 “creating a task force to study the benefits and opportunities of bicycle and pedestrian pathways and natural surface trails in the state.”

The Wyoming Legislature will be in session Monday, not taking a break for Presidents Day.