Wolf depredation bill fails introduction

WORLAND — The 2020 Wyoming Legislative Budget Session entered its second week this week and Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis, House District 28) said it has been an “amazing process.”

Winter was elected in 2016 and this is his first budget session.

Winter was a co-sponsor on House Bill 35 Wolf Depredation Compensation that failed to receive the two-thirds vote required for introduction for non-budget bills during a budget session. Winter said, “We are still looking at options. I think the bill is important for livestock producers because the wolf was introduced illegally by the federal government and the management and cost have been left to the State. The impacts on the landowner is financially devastating in these areas where the wolf is so prevalent.”

Similar legislation was approved by the legislation in 2016 but the program had a termination date of June 30, 2018.

Rep. Winter’s would have allocated $45,000 for fiscal year 2021 and another $45,000 for fiscal year 2022. According to the bill, this appropriation would have been used by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture to pay livestock damage claims resulting from gray wolves in an area were they are classified as a predatory animal.

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture would have again administered the program, including investigating claims for damages, in accordance with existing program rules. 

The bill failed introduction with 39 in favor, 20 opposed and one excused. The one excused was Rep. Mike Greear who was absent working on potential disaster relief for sugarbeet growers.

House Bill 33 - Agricultural Land Qualification, also failed introduction with only 27 voting in favor. Winter noted, “This bill would have required land operators (landowner or lessee) prove agricultural income of $3,000 from the marketing of agricultural products to receive the agricultural land qualification and status. The bill had nothing to do with the land itself but based on what the rancher or farmer could produce on his entire operation.”

Also failing introduction with just 20 House members in favor, was House Bill 75 that would have authorized expansion of the state’s Medicaid system. Winter said there was an initial appropriation request of $18 million in state funds for the “biennium for a relatively small number of recipients with potential of further expansion in numbers and cost.”

According to the Legislative Service Office, the Wyoming Department of Health anticipated 19,000 new enrollees after 24 months.

During his weekly report, Rep. Winter noted a few bills of interest to his district constituents that have been introduced:

•HB 197 - Abortion-48 Hour Waiting Period. It received 43 votes in favor of introduction and has been assigned to the Judiciary Committee. The bill was set to be debated in committee on Tuesday.

The bill would change current state law under section 1 regarding “No abortion after viability; exception,” to read “Not less than 48 hours after the patient has been informed as required by W.S. 35 6 119.”

It also provides for a penalty of a felony punishable by no more than 10 years imprisonment.

Viability under current statute is defined as “that stage of human development when the embryo or fetus is able to live by natural or life-supportive systems outside the womb of the mother according to appropriate medical judgment.”

•HB134 Wyoming Tourism Account Funding (lodging tax) would provide for a 5% state lodging tax. Three percent of the tax would go to the Wyoming tourism account with the other 2% distributed to cities, towns and counties.

The bill passed third reading on Monday with Winter opposed and Rep. Mike Greear (R-Worland) in favor. The bill now heads to the Senate.

•HB171 Wyoming Gaming Commission. The bill “reconstitutes the pari-mutuel commission as the Wyoming Gaming Commission and amends statutes and regulations,” Winter said.

He added, “The main concern on all sides is an opt-in/ opt-out clause for cities and counties to be allowed to vote for/or against gambling in their jurisdiction.”

It received 46 out of 60 votes in favor of introduction.

The bill has been referred to the Appropriations Committee. The committee was set to begin debating the bill Monday night.

There were 46 legislative files that were not considered for introduction with the deadline for introduction Friday; 68 files failed introduction.