Flourescent pink for hunters?

WORLAND - The Wyoming State Legislature is getting set to begin the 2018 budget session on Feb. 12. According to the Wyoming Legislative Service Office website there are 131 bills pre-filed at this time, not including the main budget bill.

Among the bills that have been pre-filed is Senate File 61 that would add fluorescent pink to the attire for hunters in addition to fluorescent orange. The main sponsor of the bill is Sen. Affie Ellis (R-Cheyenne). She could not be reached by press time. A State House co-sponsor includes Rep. Jamie Flitner (R-Greybull).

Renny McKay, Wyoming Game and Fish Communications Director, said hunting and fishing are on the rise significantly among women in Wyoming and that is a trend Game and Fish wants to see continue.

He said for hunting alone in 2008 there were just over 11,000 female hunters and in 2016 there were almost 15,000 female hunters.

McKay said the department is always very concerned about safety and research shows that hunter orange is effective. There has been no nationally recognized study for any other color other than hunter orange.

McKay noted that Colorado has already changed legislation in that state to allow fluorescent pink.

He added that Sen. Ellis has been in touch with Game and Fish as the legislation was being drafted.

Other pre-filed bills that are somewhat outside the norm include:

•Senate File 60, would create the Wyoming Women's Suffrage Pathway highway designation for Wyoming Highway 28 from the Fremont County line northeast to the boundary of the Shoshone National Forest.

•Senate File 37 creates Purple Heart Day. According to the proposed legislation, in recognition of the purple heart as the oldest United States military decoration in present use, creates as the badge of military merit in 1782 by General George Washington, and in recognition that the purple heart is specifically awarded to members of the United States armed forces including Wyoming citizens who have been wounded or paid the ultimate sacrifice in combat, August 7 of year is designated as 'Purple Heart Day.' The day shall be appropriately observed by state and local governments and by organizations within the state."

The bill also would designate Wyoming a "Purple Heart State" in "recognition of military service members including Wyoming citizens who have been wounded or killed in combat."

•House Bill 52 would remove debit cards as a means of paying for lottery tickets, allowing only cash or check to be used in the purchase of lottery tickets.

•House Bill 37 creates a Yellowstone National Park license plate alternative for Wyoming residents for an additional fee of $120. Fees from the license plates will be "distributed to the rest area construction and maintenance account within the state highway fund," according to the proposed legislation.

Availability of the plates would terminate after the first 1,000 sets are issues or no later than Dec. 31, 2024.

•House Bill 56 would create a state revolver, the .454 Casull, which was first manufactured in Freedom, Wyoming, in 1983.

Wyoming already has:

-State flag, adopted Jan. 31, 1917.

-State flower, Indian paintbrush, adopted Jan. 31, 1917.

-State bird, meadowlark, adopted Feb. 5, 1927.

-State tree, cottonwood, adopted Feb. 1, 1947.

-State gemstone, Jade, adopted Jan. 25, 1967.

-State mammal, bison, adopted Feb. 23, 1985.

-State fish, cutthroat trout, adopted Feb. 18, 1987.

-State fossil, knightia, adopted Feb. 18, 1987.

-State reptile, horned toad, adopted Feb. 18, 1993

-State dinosaur, triceratops, adopted March 18, 1994.

-State sport, rodeo, adopted during 2003 session.

-State coin, Sacagawea golden dollar coin, adopted March 2, 2004.

-State grass, Western wheatgrass, adopted Feb. 28, 2007

-State butterfly, Sheridan's green hairstreak, adopted in 2009 session.

-State code, James P. Owen's "Cowboy Ethics," adopted March 3, 2010.

-State shrub, Wyoming big sagebrush, adopted March 3, 2016.

All-non-budgetary bills require two-thirds vote for introduction in the respective houses during a budget session.

Online: State Symbols - http://soswy.state.wy.us/Services/StateInfo_Symbols.aspx

Legislative Service Office - legisweb.state.wy.us