House adds back funding for in-home services

CHEYENNE — “We put together a pretty good budget,” Rep. Mike Greear (R-Worland) reported from Cheyenne Saturday.

He said the House approved an amendment stopping phase 3 cuts that would impact in-home services, disability waivers and chiropractic Medicaid waivers. He said the cost is about $15 million but there are $13 million in federal matching funds with the programs.

Greear said he supports cuts but noted that the CREG (Consensus Revenue Estimating Group) came back with estimates that revenues would be $84 million above and beyond the estimates given in October. “Those cuts are not necessary and they are going to hurt people, especially in our area,” he said.

The amendment, however, did not pass the Senate so the issue will be addressed in conference committee this week.

Mirror amendments in the House and Senate provides for $10 million from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (LSRA) “to the Wyoming energy authority subject to approval by the University of Wyoming energy resources council and the governor to match research grants and contracts related to carbon capture, utilization and storage, including coal power plant retrofit and other carbon capture, utilization and storage applications, conditioned upon a match of funds in the ratio of $1 of appropriated funds to not less than $1 of matching funds.

Greear said the Trump administration adamantly pushed for this and so far the Biden administration is also on board with the same plan, realizing coal-fired electrical generation is essential.

He said while the allocation is large in a year of cuts, he noted that the LSRA has been the beneficiary of a good stock market and should finish the fiscal year with more money that it started.

“Cuts are great to ensure government efficient, but you can’t stop looking to the future and funding long-term programs,” he said.

Greear said with the new estimates from CREG and the LSRA in good shape he does not see any tax increases being approved this session.

The one budget issue that is still a major issue is educational funding. “We still have a structural deficit,” he said. He said school funding is tied to coal, not oil and gas.

He said the school funding bill includes an additional 1% sales tax that would go into effect automatically if the LSRA drops below $650 million.

Greear said he doubts the bill will pass with the tax attached to it but noted “It’s something we need to talk about.”

Greear said smaller schools like Ten Sleep have been spared deep cuts in the House version with legislators knowing that they cannot absorb them.

In other legislative news, Greear said he has one more sponsored bill that is in committee. It was scheduled to be heard Monday in the Minerals Committee, which he chairs.

House Bill 238 – Worker’s Compensation: Student Learner Agreements, provides for student learner agreements between eligible students, school districts or community colleges, and employers; and provides for the coverage of student learners under worker’s compensation.

“It’s a good step to get some older high school students out learning a skill and trade,” Greear said.

Greear said that he is getting some emails regarding the legalization of marijuana and noted that with hundreds of bills filed he has not read them all but waits until they reach his committee or the House Committee of the Whole. Bills that are approved, he said “get worked eight times before going to the governor.”

He also received some feed back on Senate File 145 on election runoffs, calling for an additional election if a candidate does not get more than 50% of the vote in the primary.

“I don’t see a problem in Wyoming. I have a hard time supporting that. I think it is a bunch of sour grapes and to start radically changing the way to do things in Wyoming doesn’t make sense,” he said.

One bill of note that passed three readings in the House last week and has been received by the Senate is online sports wagering.

Greear said the bill failed on third reading initially but was brought back after a motion to reconsider. It passed third reading 32-28 with Greear in favor and Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis) opposed. Also opposed was Rep. Jamie Flitner (R-Greybull).

He said his first year in the Legislature he voted against the formation of the lottery and when he came home everyone told him they favored it so the next time he voted for it.

Greear said since then he has supported other gaming legislation as long as there are strong regulations in place.

Regarding online booking or betting, he said, “That’s going on right now but without any regulation or consumer protection.”

According to the Legislative Service Office fiscal note, “the Gaming Commission indicates that the state’s sports wagering market is estimated at over $449,000,000, dependent upon conversion from the illegal market.”