LSO 3-17-18
With the sound of a gavel, the Wyoming Legislature wrapped up the 2018 Budget Session Thursday at the Jonah Business Center in Cheyenne.
At the start of the Session on Feb. 12, a total of 330 bills and resolutions were numbered for introduction. The Wyoming Legislature passed a total of 142 bills. Of the 126 pieces of legislation that were introduced in the Senate, 71 of those bills passed both the House and Senate. The House introduced 204 bills and 71 of those garnered the approval of both bodies. Legislation that passed both houses has either been acted on or is waiting to be acted on by Gov. Matt Mead.
In addition to those bills, the Cowboy State’s biennial budget bill was signed by the Governor on Wednesday. The total appropriation in the 2018 Budget Bill for the 2019-2020 biennium totals $8.63 billion, of which $2.9 billion is General Fund.
Both the House and Senate have addressed a broad range of issues affecting Wyoming residents and while some of these laws will take effect immediately, many will not go into effect until July 1 of this year. Lawmakers will begin their interim committee work in the coming weeks. The Legislature’s Management Council plans to finalize interim committee topics April 19. Wyoming’s Sixty-Fifth Legislature will convene on Jan. 8, 2019 for the General Session.
The Wyoming Legislature encourages the public to participate in interim activities. The public can use the Legislature’s Website at www.wyoleg.gov to find information about interim legislative committees, including committee membership, the dates and locations of interim legislative committee meetings – which are held throughout the state – and minutes of committee meetings. The Website also contains a free email subscription service for all interim committee information.