Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND — The Wyoming State Legislature will convene on Feb. 10 in Cheyenne and one bill State Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis) hopes to get introduced this budget session is a wolf depredation bill.
Similar legislation was approved by the legislation in 2016 but the program had a termination date of June 30, 2018. That bill was successfully brought to the Legislature by Winter’s predecessor Nathan Winters.
Rep. Winter’s version filed this year would allocate $45,000 for fiscal year 2021 and another $45,000 for fiscal year 2022. According to the bill, this appropriation will be used by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture to pay livestock damage claims resulting from gray wolves. The Wyoming Department of Agriculture will administer the program, including investigating claims for damages, in accordance with existing program rules.
According to legislation, the Department of Agriculture “shall administer a program to compensate landowners, lessees or their agents whose livestock, as defined in W.S. 231102(a)(xvi), is damaged by a gray wolf in an area of the state where gray wolves are classified as a predatory animal.”
Winter said in an interview last week that unlike native predators, “the feds caused this problem and it’s not going away.”
The bill will require two-thirds vote to be introduced during the budget session.
Winter said he is working on another bill but does not know if it will be ready in time for this year’s session. The bill would allow trucking companies from out of state to license vehicles in Wyoming. He said he is working with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Trucking Association and county treasurers.
“I need to make sure it would benefit the state,” Winter said.
Winter said while Wyoming continues to work on diversifying revenue he does not feel increases or new taxes are the answer this year. “I think there are other, better ways. We’ve got to stop the spending,” he said.
Winter added that the state has gotten used to spending money during the strong economic years but now they need to be “weaned” off of spending.
There are a few tax bills already pre-filed. House Bill 63 would increase the fuel tax by three cents for gasoline, diesel and alternative fuel, with comparable increases in the tax distributions on fuel used in snowmobiles, motorboats and off-road recreational vehicles.
Revenue increases, if approved, will be distributed to the highway fund, county road funds and city and town street and alley funds.
House Bill 64, National Corporate Tax Recapture, would impose a 7 percent franchise tax on taxable income earned in Wyoming. The tax would apply to any incorporated business with more than 100 shareholders that is required to file federal Form 1120 with the Internal Revenue Service.
In the midst of his first legislative term, this will be Winter’s first budget session. “It will be a learning experience.”
FIRST TERM
Winter is a member of the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee and the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee.
He said his first year as a legislator “wasn’t what I thought it would be, but it was interesting and I enjoyed it. So I’ll probably ante up again. I’ve really enjoyed working for the State of Wyoming, especially this district [House District 26]. Hopefully I can do the job the people expect and they need.”
Winter added, “My whole reason for [serving] is to do something good for the State of Wyoming.”
One surprise Winter was not expecting is the lack of financial conservatism. “Down there they are too free with the money.”
After the session, Winter will join Senators Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) and Wyatt Agar (R-Thermopolis) on reviewing the request for proposals submitted by potential concessionaires for the Days Inn and Star Plunge in Hot Springs State Park.
The current concessionaires for the two businesses are working on a month-to-month lease and the state would like to enter into long-term agreements.
“We’re hoping to get that resolved and make Hot Springs State Park a go-to place,” Winter said, noting there is plenty of recreation opportunities to enhance the park as well as the other counties that the Big Horn River runs through.