January 26, 2023 |
At the legislature, a bill sponsored by Senator Larry Hicks to limit spending from the “rainy day account” failed to clear the appropriations committee Wednesday.
SJ 8—a joint resolution—would have amended the Wyoming Constitution to limit appropriations and transfers from legislative stabilization reserve account to 25 percent of the balance in any one fiscal biennium unless 3/4 vote of all members of each of the two houses of the legislature agreed to the expenditures.
The LSRA, more commonly known as the “rainy day fund,” was created in 2005 and codified in statute in 2015. The account has been used for various appropriations, including backfilling lost funding for schools during the energy downturn. The LSRA has grown to a current balance of $2 billion.
Senator Hick’s bill to safeguard the balance failed on a 2-3 vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The digest reports that Senators Kinskey and Salazar were the two “aye” votes. Anderson, Gierau and Nethercott were the “no” votes.
Also, in the Senate yesterday, a bill that prohibits chemical abortions cleared the first two hurdles.
Senate File 109 is unchanged from a similar bill that failed in the House last year. The Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee voted 4-1 Thursday to move the bill forward with a do-pass recommendation.
Senator Tim Salazar of Riverton, the bill’s sponsor, said the four-page bill is the same as last year’s without a single change.
The bill prohibits the use of mifepristone and misoprostol, the two most common medications used in drug-induced abortions, as well other similar drugs.
The bill does not apply to common contraceptives.
Any violation of the ban on abortion pills by a doctor or other is classified as a misdemeanor with a fine not to exceed $9,000 and imprisonment not to exceed six months.
The committee took testimony for over 90 minutes from Wyomingites on both sides of the issues. Each person was allowed two minutes since over 50 people were queued up, many online, to have their voices heard.
Committee Chairman Fred Baldwin of Kemmerer began the hearing by urging respect for the views of others.
Chairman Baldwin was the lone “no” vote on the committee. SF 109 was sent to the Senate Floor where it was placed on General File.
