March 6, 2023 |
Photo – Wyoming Capitol Building – Bigfoot99 file photo
The 40-day session of the Wyoming Legislature came to an end Friday well before the midnight deadline.
House Speaker Albert Sommers gaveled the lower chamber to close shortly after Governor Mark Gordon addressed the chamber. Sommers came under criticism during the session because of how he used the Speaker’s chair to railroad into oblivion three bills brought by populist conservatives in the chamber.
The bills included Senate File 117, “Parental Rights in Education,” which passed the upper chamber in late January on an 18-12 vote. The legislation prohibited classroom instruction “on sexual orientation and gender identity” through third grade. Speakers Sommers deep-sixed the bill. A motion to suspend the rules and force the speaker to have the legislation introduced to the floor for debate failed on a 27-34 vote.
One of the House Speaker’s roles is to function as a traffic cop, directing bills to committees and greenlighting when or if they are introduced to the floor.
Speaker Sommers sidelined two other bills with procedural moves. The Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act would have established a scholarship fund for students to attend private schools. The third bill doomed by the speaker was SF-144, Chloe’s law, which would have banned doctors from performing transgender surgeries on children.
SF144 passed the Senate by a wide margin, 26-5, on February 8. Speaker Sommers referred the health and social services related bill to Appropriations, skeptically known as the “kill committee” among some lawmakers. True to its moniker, Appropriation voted 5-2 to kill the bill with a do-not-pass recommendation. The legislation never saw the light of day again and was not introduced to the floor.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Anthony Bouchard, called for the House Speaker and members of the House Appropriations Committee to by publicly censured for aborting the legislation.
The fate of the three bills brought unfavorable national attention on the Wyoming Legislature among critics who presumed Wyoming lawmakers would support culturally conservative legislation.
Among them was U.S. Representative Harriett Hageman. The first term-Congresswoman retweeted a statement from the national State Freedom Caucus that took note of the the legislation being blocked by the Wyoming House Speaker. In her tweet, Hagemen stated, “This is about our children. In Congress, I’m fighting for these very issues. I hope the Wyoming Legislature will do the same.”
Texas congressman Chip Roy also retweeted the State Freedom Caucus post, adding a sarcastic question: “Red” state leadership?”
Hageman’s tweet drew heat from Rep. Langdon Brown of Cheyenne. Brown, defending Speaker Sommers, said Hageman should stay in her “lane,” and out of legislative politics.
Hageman did not back down. In response she told Brown that he is “a living argument for allowing only Republicans to vote in Republican primaries.” Others chimed in, noting that Brown is endorsed by the Wyoming Education Association, which is viewed in conservative circles as marching in line with the ultra-liberal National Education Association.
The controversies hung over the final week of the session.
Governor Mark Gordon avoided stepping into the controversy when he made the traditional final comments to the House on Friday. The governor thanked the lawmakers for their accomplishments, especially passing an interim budget in record time that saves $3.50 for every $1.00 spent.
The governor also addressed the ongoing impacts of a winter that have closed roads for extended periods of time and have caused financial losses for livestock growers.
The governor said he has been in touch with FEMA and is working to see if the federal emergency management agency has a program that will fit the needs of Wyoming ranchers. The governor also noted that he is seeking financial relief through the U.S Department of Agriculture. The governor is also looking at other resources.
With their work done, lawmakers left Cheyenne for home Friday, leaving two controversial bills on the governor’s desk. The governor has three options: sign them, veto them, or let them become law without his signature.
House Bill 152, “Life Is A Human Right Act,” rejects abortion as a form of health care. The legislation prohibits abortion as the “intentional termination of the life of a baby, and contrary to the health and general welfare of the people.” The bill would ban abortion earlier than last year’s abortion trigger ban bill, which is still being contested in the courts.
The other bill waiting its fate, Senate File 133, would restrict transgender athletes from competing on female school sports teams.
Both HB 152 and SF 133 passed both chambers by wide margins.
The Wyoming Legislative Service Office reported there were a total of 497 bills and resolutions numbered for introduction in the session. The Legislature passed 196 of them by the final day.
