Latest news with #ElectionsandPoliticalSubdivisionsCommittee
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Corporations Committee: Educating on election process top priority; affordable housing low priority
CHEYENNE — Affordable housing isn't likely to be studied by Wyoming lawmakers for the first time in years. Meanwhile, the topic of studying Wyoming's election processes is priority No. 1 for the Legislature's Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee this interim. The Management Council recently reduced the number of days a committee can meet from six to four, in hopes of narrowing down the focus of topics studied this interim. The chairmen of the Corporations Committee requested back the extra two days, given the heavy lift of topics the committee wants to study. The interim is the Legislature's off-season, where legislators break up into 12 different joint committees to study a variety of topics and draft legislation. This time is also spent educating lawmakers on Wyoming issues, including catching new members up to speed. The Corporations Committee is the only group that listed workforce housing as an interim topic this year. But co-Chairman Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle last week he didn't consider this a top priority for the committee. 'I think a lot of housing difficulties are caused by the way communities have chosen to regulate housing,' Case said, 'and that's an internal thing.' Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander (2025) Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander The topic was added to the committee's list because several members believed state government should play a role in addressing this issue. Using a ranked-choice voting system, Case listed it as the fourth priority. 'I'm not a heavy-handed chairman. I'm a person that believes we have to talk about things and make decisions and make your point,' Case said. 'You know, it passed the committee before — it could pass again.' Several affordable housing bills sponsored by various committees were filed in the recent legislative session, but all failed to pass the Legislature. Case said he wasn't impressed with any of the bills. Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Knapp, R-Gillette, said there's an apparent 'lack of interest' in having state government address this issue. 'And I think that's been the case for the last six years, and continues to be the case,' Knapp said. 'It's probably time to bring those (bills) individually.' Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette (2025) Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette Since legislative leadership reduced the amount of days committees can meet, it's likely affordable housing will not be addressed this interim, Knapp added. However, election integrity remains the top priority for the committee. Forty-five election-related bills were filed during the recent general session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to Only a fraction of these bills made it to the governor's desk. Case invited Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese to walk committee members through the election process in the first meeting. 'I want to let the committee have some discussion and education first before we dig into (election bills),' Case said. However, Knapp told the WTE he didn't think an education on the election process will change anyone's mind. 'I understand the idea of bringing (election machines) in and looking at them. I don't know that will necessarily change the mind of any committee member,' Knapp said. Failed election bills, including a ban on ballot drop boxes and getting rid of voting touch screens (which are only used in Laramie County), are among those that will be reconsidered by the committee, he said. Why election laws? Secretary of State Chuck Gray announced his top priorities to boost election integrity before the start of the general session. He told the media he'd work closely with lawmakers during the session to push through legislation that reforms Wyoming's election laws. There have only been four reported cases of election fraud in the Equality State since 2000, according to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. In addition, a randomized survey of 739 adults conducted by the University of Wyoming for the 2024 election year found 89% of respondents believed their county's tally of presidential votes to be somewhat or very reliable. Case said taking on the topic of revising Wyoming's current election laws is a 'waste of time.' However, amid a rise of questioning election processes across the state, he noted it's important to educate the public on this issue. 'Part of our job as policymakers is to provide a forum for people to learn and ask questions and satisfy their curiosity about this,' Case said. 'If we spent 10 hours and we didn't do a darn thing other than teach people … I don't ever look at that as being a waste.' Knapp said it's 'because of the influx that we've had of illegal immigrants.' County clerks previously testified they've caught four or five individuals who tried to illegally vote in an election, he said, and four more are being investigated. 'So it does happen in Wyoming,' Knapp said. 'I think it's important to safeguard our elections as much as we can. That's part of (the) title of our committee.' Other top priorities Management Council member Sen. Barry Crago, R-Sheridan, brought up corporate fraud issues to the Corporations Committee chairmen on Tuesday. He said this is an issue that's being reported in the news, and he asked if it was discussed as a potential interim topic, since it's currently not on the list. Case mentioned to the WTE last week that corporate fraud is an issue he wants to address, but he's holding off for two reasons. One, it's a 'big lift' to study and the next session is a budget session — meaning non-budget bills need to pass a two-thirds introductory vote in order to be considered. Two, a new federal law, the Beneficial Ownership Information Report, recently went into effect that requires companies to list their beneficial ownership. 'I think we need to understand the implications of the disclosures that will occur federally,' Case told the WTE. 'The real problem is anonymity in Wyoming, and the fact that we may have fraudulent filings. That's going to be a lot harder to do with the federal checklist.' He told the council 'it would be prudent' to gather a report from various entities and 'keep that topic open.' Public records is another top priority for Case, which is listed in the interim topic letter for the committee. His constituents have approached him with complaints about the associated fees with these requests and their ability to access public records. To view the interim topics letter, go to or visit
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five House elections bills fly through Senate committee, head to the floor
CHEYENNE — A record number of elections-related bills were filed for the 2025 general session, and a majority of them are still in play. One bill, Senate File 78, 'Distribution of unsolicited absentee ballot request forms,' is already headed to the governor's desk, and others are not far behind. The Legislature's Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee passed five election-related House bills Wednesday night, finishing the work they started last Friday morning. The proposals in these bills would require proof of residency for voter registration, heighten requirements for independent candidate filings, create a statewide ban on all ballot drop boxes, prohibit the activity of ballot harvesting and amend current laws related to voter fraud. Committee members had their work cut out for them, having spent three cumulative meetings (one last week and two on Wednesday) taking public testimony and discussing and amending each of the five bills sent over by the House of Representatives. Last Friday, committee members didn't even get through the first of the five bills, House Bill 131, 'Ballot drop boxes-prohibition,' before time ran out and senators rushed upstairs for the start of the floor session. Ballot drop box ban A House bill banning ballot drop boxes in Wyoming received a total of three hours of public testimony, spanning over the course of two meetings, before it was passed Wednesday morning on a 3-2 vote. Chairman Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, and Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, voted against the bill. Around a dozen or so members of the public, including county clerks, offered anecdotes either in support of or against the ban on ballot drop boxes. Those who testified in support of the bill argued ballot drop boxes are a breach in the 'chain of custody' of elections. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Chris Knapp, R-Gillette, told committee members on Feb. 14 that voters should return to a full reliability on the U.S. Postal Service. Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette (2025) Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette 'Wyoming is extremely vulnerable due to the low population,' Knapp said. 'I think it's very important that the chain of custody be true in any election, and especially in Wyoming.' Knapp and supporters of the bill said the Postal Service is a safe and secure way of delivering absentee ballots to the county clerk. Secretary of State Chuck Gray recounted recent attempts to tamper with or destroy ballot drop boxes in Montana, Washington and Oregon. Chuck Gray mug Chuck Gray A video went viral on social media last October of a person, allegedly aligned with the Democratic Party, attempting to remove a ballot drop box from a wall in Glacier County, Montana. However, the person was not successful in removing the ballot drop box from its secured position, 'The National News Desk' reported on NBC Montana. A spokesperson for Montana Secretary of State Christi Jackson told TNND the individual failed to remove the box and was turned over to Montana law enforcement. Also last October, ballot boxes were set on fire in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, destroying hundreds of ballots, the Associated Press reported. The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information related to the ballot drop box fires. 'These incidents illustrate the inherent risks posed by relying on drop boxes, which could undermine public trust in elections and compromise the secure handling of ballots,' Gray said. 'Banning ballot drop boxes would eliminate these vulnerabilities, ensuring that ballots are returned through more secure and regulated channels, such as direct submission and election offices, or via the U.S. Postal Service.' Wyoming county clerks have previously testified there's never been a reported incident of tampering with ballot boxes in their counties, and they insist these are a safe, secure way of delivering absentee ballots. Platte County Clerk Malcolm Ervin confirmed to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle there have been no reported tampering incidents with ballot drop boxes in the state. The only anecdote he provided was in Fremont County, where some individuals were concerned with the security of a ballot drop box, but did not tamper with it. Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese said she has never had an incident of tampering with the ballot drop box since it was installed in 2016. 'Something to note is that former-Secretary (of State Ed) Buchanan's directives regarding drop boxes were the first time security requirements were attached to the use of drop boxes,' Ervin said in an email to the WTE. 'Once those directives expired, the counties who utilized drop boxes agreed upon certain security measures, which were consistent with former-Secretary Buchanan's directives.' Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee said a combined 5,600 ballots were delivered to the ballot drop box in the 2022 and 2024 election cycles. The 2024 election cycle accounted for more than 2,000 of those ballots. In contrast, 770 ballots for the 2024 election were returned in person to the county clerk, Lee said. Debra Lee portrait after Canvassing Board meeting (copy) Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee poses for a photo after the Laramie County Canvassing Board meeting, where they certified the results of the primary election in the Historic County Courthouse on Aug. 23 in Cheyenne. 'Chain of custody has been mentioned as a reason for this bill, and I would argue chain of custody is a reason to have a drop box,' Lee said. The Postal Service also announced additional cuts of rural mail carriers last fall, Lee said, which means slower delivery of absentee ballots. With a new change in Wyoming election code creating a shorter window for absentee ballot mail, this could put voters at risk of not getting their ballot counted on Election Day, she said. 'This just underscores, I would say, the need for us to have alternative methods for voters,' Lee said. Sen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas, successfully brought an amendment to the bill that would allow for a 'secured receptacle' to be placed on the exterior of a courthouse for receiving ballots. Case also successfully amended the bill to provide reimbursement to counties for the removal or relocation of ballot drop boxes. Firearm v. election regulations Twice, Chairman Case asked bringers of two different election bills whether firearms should be regulated as heavily as they're pushing to regulate elections. Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander (2025) Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander 'So, do you think the right to vote is as important as the right to keep and bear arms?' Case asked. Knapp responded that certain rights rise to that level of importance, before Case interjected. 'Which one's more important?' Case asked. 'I think one ensures that the other one stays important,' Knapp answered. The chairman repeated his line of questioning Wednesday night, during discussion of another bill, HB 156, that requires proof of residency in voter registration. Critics of the bill argued the new proof of residency requirements could disenfranchise qualified electors, such as senior citizens and individuals without homes, from voting. If these same regulations were being discussed on gun rights, instead of elections, elected officials and members of the public would be 'prickling right now,' Case said. 'We're talking about people that have the right to vote, and we're making them jump through hoops, unlike with gun rights,' Case said. 'In my mind, the right to vote and the right to carry a firearm are equivalent constitutional rights, guaranteed by different amendments, but fundamental to our democracy. 'So, the more restrictions you put on someone, it's no different than putting restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, as well.'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Partisan school board bill advances in House committee
CHEYENNE – A measure to make Wyoming's school board elections partisan is moving through the House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee voted 8-1 to approve Senate File 98, 'School board trustees-party affiliation.' Bill sponsor Sen. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, told the committee that the measure would require the political party affiliation of a candidate for school board be printed on a general election ballot, effective July 1. 'Clear voter alignment (through) partisan labels helps voters quickly identify candidates whose values and priorities align with their own,' Olsen told the committee. Further, Olsen said he believes the measure would increase voter engagement. 'Partisan elections are more likely to increase voter turnout, because we tap into political parties' efforts to get out the vote,' Olsen said. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray approached the committee to say that he stands 'fully in support of Senate File 98.' Under current state law, school board trustees are on the nonpartisan ballot, requiring that no political party affiliations be listed. He did express concern that 'timing of political party affiliation' be considered. In 2024, there were four to seven days where allowed party changes overlapped with the filing period for school board positions. 'I'm a little bit worried. I don't think the statute is clear,' Gray said. 'Somebody (could switch) after the primary, and then they can file for the school board in that new affiliation.' Gray said that he would prefer the bill include language that a candidate must file affiliated with the party they belonged to in May of an election year. Civics 307 blogger Gail Symons told the committee, though, that when people change party affiliation, they stay – although in past years, lawmakers have debated crossover voting, discussing ways people might 'play the game' to get elected under a party to which they don't belong, she said. 'Using actual voter data … they don't move over and go back,' she said. The committee did not consider an amendment regarding filing date, but Gray said he would continue working on "proposed language" for a committee of the whole amendment on the House floor. Several members of the public spoke against the bill, saying it was unnecessary. Jenny DeSarro, executive director of the Equality State Policy Center, as well as Brian Farmer, executive director of the Wyoming School Boards Association, urged the committee to leave school board elections nonpartisan, much as they did when the bill passed through the Senate. Brian Farmer Brian Farmer, Wyoming School Boards Association executive director 'If you take a look at any school board agenda, the vast majority of what they're dealing with doesn't matter whether the person is Republican or Democrat,' Farmer said. Mary Lankford with the County Clerks Association of Wyoming said that she did not have a policy stand on the bill but that she would propose some administrative amendments: The first would be to include language for party affiliation on filing applications, as well as a correction to the ordered list of partisan offices on a ballot. Rep. Nina Webber, R-Cody, made a motion to amend the bill as proposed by Lankford. The amended bill passed in a 8-1, with only Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, voting against it.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cheyenne mayor dismayed as bill incentivizing affordable housing dies in House committee
CHEYENNE — Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins shook his head in disappointment after a committee-sponsored bill that incentivized affordable housing development in Wyoming died Friday afternoon in the House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee for lack of a hearing. Last year, Collins rallied lawmakers to draft legislation that would expand affordable housing development qualifications for tax increment financing (TIF). Cheyenne has long taken advantage of TIFs to fund development projects within its community, such as the site of the former Hitching Post Inn on West Lincolnway. TIFs work a bit like a loan program. Developers who want to build property on blighted areas can request help from the city to pay for its infrastructure development. Blight is a legal term that refers to areas with deteriorated structures or faulty layout and poses a risk to public health and safety. The city pays off that investment with the increased property taxes from the new development. Once that is paid off, the city sees all further property taxes from the development as profit. The Wyoming Urban Renewal Code provides definitions for 'blighted area,' 'urban renewal area' and 'urban renewal project.' House Bill 68, 'Tax increment financing,' sponsored by the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee, would have created a new definition for 'affordable housing.' Affordable housing projects currently only qualify for TIFs if they're built on blighted areas, Collins told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. 'In a lot of places where you're gonna build housing, there isn't blight,' Collins said. HB 68 would have allowed affordable housing projects to apply for TIFs under the Wyoming Urban Renewal Code, without the blight requirement. This bill was an important tool to incentivize more affordable housing projects, Collins said, which is needed to grow Wyoming's workforce. 'We studied this one all summer long in the interim committee,' Collins said. '(We) worked really hard to bring a bill that would give another tool to governments to provide more workforce affordable housing.' Friday was the last day for the Wyoming Legislature to push bills out of legislative committees in their house of origin. Any bills not advanced by the committee died on the spot. Four bills were scheduled to be heard by House committee members at noon; however, lawmakers were only able to advance the first two bills before time ran out. 'I offer my apologies for not making it through to complete the four,' said committee Chairman Rep. Chris Knapp, R-Gillette. 'Many, many bills die from not getting into committee or dying on the floor … with the time frame.' Collins said he understood there was a high volume of bills filed for consideration this legislative session. He told the WTE he planned to push for this bill again next year, but worried about the bill's likelihood to get past introduction. Since next year is a budget session, all non-budget bills will have to pass a two-thirds majority vote in order to be considered.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Net-metering bill passes through Senate committee
CHEYENNE — Lawmakers have thrown support behind a bill to revise the state's net metering compensation model, or the rate at which utilities buy surplus energy from small-scale customers with solar panels in Wyoming. The Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee voted 4-1 to approve Senate File 111, 'Net metering revisions,' on Monday. 'Net metering' means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied by an electric utility and the electricity generated by a small customer who generates their own electricity, that is then fed back to the electric utility over an applicable billing period. SF 111 would revise how net metering compensation applies to new small customer generators, authorizing the Public Service Commission to use a different system of compensation for excess energy production, if that service is being subsidized by other customers. Under SF 111, existing small customers who own an electrical production system before Dec. 31, 2025, would be exempted at existing rates, according to bill co-sponsor Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander. Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, speaks on the Senate floor last week. Case is a co-sponsor on SF 111, 'Net metering revisions.' 'We have tried to wrestle with the issue of net metering and how it's applied by statute in Wyoming' for years, Case told the committee on Friday. 'There's a lot of confusion about the concept of net metering. It's frequently promoted as a way to 'stick it to the man,' or to 'stick it to your electric utility,' to go off the grid to be energy independent.' However, net metering simply involves installing a special electric meter or reprogramming an existing meter so that electrical flow can be measured in both directions: electricity flowing from the utility company to the customer, and vice versa, according to the University of Wyoming. Some see it as a way to reduce their monthly electric bill, and some electricity provided by a renewable, local or alternative-generating resource. Opponents argue that net metering has the potential to reduce revenue for utility companies, which will then pass that loss on to other customers in the service area. Every utility in Wyoming has a tariff structure consisting of a connection charge, as well as a charge for energy, according to Case. The energy charge does recover the cost of the network, and an additional 'customer charge' comes in at $20 to $50, depending on the utility. 'That subsidy is built in. It's not something I like, but it has one purpose, and that's to provide very small users with small bills, so it is a fixed cost that doesn't get recovered from net metering producers,' Case said. Bills similar to SF 111, Case said, have been debated before, but did not include pre-exemptions. 'This bill is virtually the same as the bills that you've seen before, but there's one significant difference,' Case said. 'Somebody that has an existing system ... is grandfathered under the current system for as long as they have it under existing rates, for as long as they own the system. That's the bottom line.' If SF 111 is to pass, anyone with a system installed after Jan. 1, 2026, will face new rates set by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Chris Petrie, deputy chairman of the PSC, told the committee on Monday during public comment that the commission exists 'primarily to ensure just and reasonable rates.' Chris Petrie Then Wyoming Public Service Commission Chairman Chris Petrie, center, speaks in May 2022 at the PSC. 'We've looked at this bill, and with that in mind, I think that it, in fact, does create a path to establishing just and reasonable rates for utilities, and the treatment of net-metering customers,' Petrie said. New customer generators would face a rate set according to the PSC's usual public process, according to Petrie. Bruce Asay with MDU Resources said he believes the revision would provide a 'necessary compromise' in the system. However, many others commented against the proposed legislation on Monday, saying it was a solution in search of a problem. John Burrows of the Wyoming Outdoor Council said the bill directs a foregone conclusion that rooftop solar owners are being subsidized by other ratepayers. 'We think it is premature to require the PSC to revise rates for this small group of customers, when net metering represents such a tiny fraction of electricity generated in Wyoming,' Burrows said. The idea that rooftop solar owners are 'not paying their share' of a utility's network cost, he said, does not adequately portray the system already in place. 'Consider the example of rural customers who depend on miles and miles of grid network, but still pay the exact same rate as customers who live next to a substation in town,' Burrows said. 'Cost shifting from an urban to a rural customer is a common and accepted practice.' Natalie Johansen, a renewable energy community organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, said the bill would create 'unnecessary barriers' for rural families who may want to invest in solar energy. Net-metered systems in Wyoming only make up about 0.2% of the system, and so Johansen said the 'bill is solving no real problem.' Wyoming resident Stef Kessler testified on Zoom, similarly saying SF 111 'addresses a problem that doesn't exist, and affects small users.' 'I urge you to consider the little people of Wyoming,' Kessler said. 'I have only ever seen utilities themselves and regulators speak in favor of these bills.' Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, said he would support SF 111. Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper (2025) Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper 'I am ready to support this one, because we grandfather everybody in at this point, (protecting) those who are passionately involved in this now,' Landen said. Further, Landen said he trusts the PSC to create a system that is also fair for future users, who he said will likely still see returns for investing in their own energy infrastructure. Sen. Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, said he also would vote in favor of SF 111, citing faith in the PSC process. Also voting in favor were Case and Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Torrington. Only Sen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas, voted against the measure Monday morning.
