Wyoming Legislature update – March 30 & 31, 2021
by Albert Sommers, House District #20 Representative
April 1, 2021
3-31-2021
Hello Sublette County, this is Albert Sommers reporting to you from Cheyenne on March 31, 2021. Today on 3rd Reading, the House passed 8 bills that I supported, including SF0096, Homicide amendments, which creates a charge of double homicide for an individual who kills a pregnant woman. I supported this bill because of the heinous nature of the crime, and the fact that two lives are lost.
An interesting procedural move occurred on this bill today, when a House member brought an amendment that would have eliminated the death penalty. This amendment triggered an immediate request for a Rules Committee meeting to determine whether the amendment was germane to the bill.
Wyoming has a one-title provision in our constitution, preventing unrelated measures from being debated in a bill. Further, Article 3 Section 20 of our constitution forbids an amendment to change the intent of the bill. Often members push the limit of these constitutional provisions, with the result that another member will ask for a Rules Committee meeting to determine if the amendment or motion is within the scope of the bill title.
The House Rules Committee consists of thirteen of the most experienced members in the body. This body provides the Speaker of the House with a recommendation on whether a motion or amendment has violated the body’s rules or Wyoming’s Constitution. Then the Speaker makes a ruling. If the Speaker rules that the motion is out of order, the member who brought the motion can appeal the decision to the entire body, and a majority vote of the body rules.
This happened twice today, with SF96 one of those instances. The body ruled that repealing the death penalty was out of order, and the bringer of the amendment had to withdraw the amendment. These are usually great debates. I usually have a very narrow interpretation on what is germane to a bill.
Today, Senate Files that passed Committee of the Whole in the House and which I supported included SF0130, Charter schools, would have radically changed our charter school laws as originally written. The House Education Committee, on which I serve, heavily amended this bill into a study bill. Wyoming has not studied and updated its charter school laws in over ten years. It is time we reviewed them through the interim.
I have serious concerns about the effects of charter schools on our public schools, but we should not ignore that good charter schools exist. As I continue to serve on House Education, I look forward to studying this topic in more detail.
More information about these bills and many more can be found at https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021
I can be reached at albert@albertsommers.com with questions or comments.Thank you.
3-30-2021
Hello Sublette County, this is Albert Sommers reporting to you from Cheyenne on March 30, 2021. Today on 3rd Reading, the House passed 12 bills that I supported, including SF0033, Physician assistants amendments, which amends the practice act for physician assistants by giving them more autonomy to provide health care to their patients. Rural Wyoming needs more options for health care.
Also passed was SF0155, Limiting firearm seizure and regulation during emergencies, forbids local government from closing or limiting the operating hours of any person or entity engaged in the lawful selling or servicing of any firearm, ammunition or other personal weapon, unless the closing of operating hours applies equally to all forms of commerce within the jurisdiction of the state, political subdivision or governmental entity.
Today, the House debated several bills in Committee of the Whole that I supported, including SF0066, Slayer rule applied to joint ownership, which helps settle estates of individuals who have murdered a spouse. The complication lies when an individual kills a spouse, and both parties have children from other marriages. Should the children of the murderer be punished for the transgressions of the parent, and receive none of the estate? An amendment passed COW that would split the estate of the murderer between the murderer’s heirs and the spouse’s heirs. This was an interesting debate about fairness.
COW also considered SF0126, Real estate subdivisions - easement requirements, which would allow counties to accept easements of a width less than twenty feet, if the subdivider demonstrates that the easement is adequate to protect the safety and health of the public.
More information about these bills and many more can be found at https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021
I can be reached at albert@albertsommers.com with questions or comments.
Thank you.
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