Latest news with #MikeGierau
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Gordon will see surgical abortion regulation bill again after last year's veto
CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill last year that would require surgical abortion centers to be licensed as an ambulatory surgical center. An identical bill is headed back to the governor's desk this year after the House of Representatives voted to concur with the Senate on House Bill 42, 'Regulation of surgical abortions.' On Monday, representatives passed HB 42 on a concurrence vote of 55-6, with one member excused. Five of Wyoming's six House Democrats and Cheyenne Republican Rep. Bob Nicholas voted against the bill. Fort Washakie Democrat Rep. Ivan Posey voted in favor of it. Last year's bill, HB 148, 'Regulation of abortions,' was amended in the House to also apply to chemical abortions, and require an ultrasound no more than 48 hours before a pregnant woman takes drugs or substances to induce abortion. Gordon said in his veto message these amendments to the bill 'complicated' its intention, making it 'vulnerable to legal challenges.' There are two separate bills this year addressed to surgical abortion centers and requiring an ultrasound before taking abortion pills. Although both bills crossed over to the Senate and were passed by the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee at the same time, only one of them has passed all the way through the Legislature at this point. HB 64, 'Chemical abortions-ultrasound requirement,' which is in its third and final reading in the Senate, was delayed for discussion a second time on Monday. A 'burdensome' bill Both of the Senate's Democratic lawmakers, and a handful of Republican colleagues, questioned the necessity of the bill during its first reading on the Senate floor last week. Sens. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, and Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, said abortion is the only type of surgical health care that's been targeted by state lawmakers. 'The only surgeries that we mention in the green books are abortion,' Rothfuss said. 'Every other surgery we actually leave up to the medical board.' Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie (2025) Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie Gierau pointed to the state's difficulty in keeping and recruiting health care providers. The Cowboy State faces a growing maternity services crisis, as hospitals shut down OB-GYN services in order to stay afloat. Anti-abortion laws, such as HB 42, are the only legislation that can turn doctors into felons, he said. 'At some point, we need to say we really don't want doctors here, because if we keep doing bills that turn them into felons, that is the result,' Gierau said. 'We should stop messing around with it.' Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson (2025) Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne, responded that the discrimination issue is actually reversed in the bill, since physicians who perform surgical abortions are not currently required to be in good standing with the state or have hospital admitting privileges. 'Madam Chairwoman, those are things that we require of all other types of major surgeries and even minor surgeries within the state,' Brennan said to Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, who was presiding over the Senate at the time. Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne (2025) Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne Katherine Knutter, the executive director of Wyoming's sole surgical abortion center, Wellspring Health Access in Casper, previously testified that her physicians don't admit enough patients to the hospital to get hospital admitting privileges. '(That's) because abortion is very, very safe,' Knutter said during a House committee's discussion of the bill. Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, echoed his Democratic colleagues' concerns. Landen said he failed to see the justification behind legislation penalizing doctors, especially as the Cowboy State faces a shortage in health care providers. Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper (2025) Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper 'I don't think that we're giving enough thought to what we're doing to our medical community out there,' Landen said. 'What we're doing here is making them think twice or three times before they come back, and they sure as heck aren't going to be in women's health, I'll tell you.' Potential shutdown Knutter previously told both House and Senate committee members the passage of this bill could mean shutting down Wellspring Health Access. The bill would require the clinic to undergo extensive construction in order to comply as an outpatient surgical center, in addition to the "major barrier" of getting hospital admitting privileges for her physicians. 'We feel that this is specifically targeted to put us out of business,' Knutter previously told House committee members. Senators in favor of the bill during its first reading on the floor said it was about protecting the health and safety of pregnant women. Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, denied that the bill was meant to restrict abortion access for women. "If we're going to have legal abortions, we're going to try to make them as safe as possible," Hutchings said. "The bill is pretty clear cut. Nobody is trying to prevent anybody's reproductive rights from being denied." Rothfuss, however, didn't buy that argument. "It would be refreshing to just hear, perhaps, an admittance that this has nothing to do with women's health. ... The bill is not about that," Rothfuss said. "The intent is to make it harder to have abortions."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No deal yet on Wyoming property tax cut bill
CHEYENNE – With deadlines looming, a joint conference committee of three Wyoming senators and three representatives failed to reach a deal on a sweeping property tax cut measure early Tuesday morning. The deal on the table was to amend Senate File 69, 'Homeowner property tax exemption,' to include a 25% property tax cut for residential structures up to $1 million in value with no backfill from state savings. The proposal also included no sunset date, although the cuts may have to be repealed, depending on the outcome of a 2026 ballot initiative to cut 50% of homeowners' property taxes. The Senate position on the bill had been a 50% tax cut without backfill, to sunset in two years. The House had inserted over $200 million from state savings to make up for lost revenue to cities, towns and counties that depend on property tax revenue for local services, and included a 25% cut in perpetuity without a sunset date. Sens. Troy McKeown, R-Gillette; Tim Salazar, R-Riverton; and Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, all voted for a 25% cut as proposed by the joint conference committee Tuesday morning. All three lawmakers from the House, including Rep. Scott Heiner, R-Green River; Rep. Tony Locke, R-Casper; and Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette, voted against the proposal. Senate leaders left the meeting frustrated. Wyoming Legislature's 2025 Session Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, listens during the a committee meeting on Jan. 16. Salazar was one of three members of a joint conference committee that failed to reach a compromise on a property tax cut bill Tuesday morning. 'As of yesterday, we both had decided to have a 7 a.m. JCC meeting, and we came to agree (on) the understanding we had (made) yesterday,' Salazar told reporters after the meeting. 'It was a surprise to me that this occurred.' Salazar said that while the Senate would prefer a 50% cut, 25% would offer a measure of property tax relief as requested by 'the people back home," while not being a deep enough cut to require backfill, in his opinion. 'I've always said that perfection is the enemy of the good. This was a good deal. We supported it. We came here at 7 a.m. to sign our names, and it didn't occur,' Salazar said. Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, told reporters that the House and Senate had made a deal Monday night prior to calling the joint conference committee. Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester (2025) Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester 'We shook hands. We had a deal,' Biteman said. When asked if the three representatives on the committee may have needed time to take the proposal back to that body, Biteman added that the representatives 'wouldn't have made a deal (Monday) if they didn't have the votes." Gierau also said that it seemed the two chambers had reached an agreement on Monday, but 'then our friends on the other side, for some reason between yesterday and today, decided – they said they wanted to go confer.' Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson (2025) Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson The proposal Tuesday was not a surprise to the House, Gierau said. 'When they have agreed and shook on a deal, I find it interesting that they have to talk to their body,' Gierau said. '(Senate) leadership has been forthright and open. It is not everything I wanted, but it has been totally transparent on our side.' Heiner told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that SF 69 is an 'important piece of legislation that has wide implications for the citizens of Wyoming." He said he did not feel the House leadership had rejected the proposal by voting against it. Rep. Scott Heiner, R-Green River (2025) Rep. Scott Heiner, R-Green River 'After getting the Senate's proposed amendment this morning, we wanted to go back to our chamber and discuss it with our members and to run the numbers,' Heiner said. 'We asked for a couple days and (will) reconvene for further discussion.' Locke also told the WTE that the intention was not to 'burn anything down,' but to give the House time to deliberate. 'I'm very in favor of property tax relief. It was not an intention to burn anything down. It was just more of a ... we need a little time to discuss exactly the direction we want to take this,' Locke said. When asked if the House knew what deal would be on the table Tuesday morning, Locke said that 'a lot of ideas had been thrown around, and we wanted to make sure we knew the nuance of what was being proposed.' McKeown said that as it stands, any large-scale property tax relief is in representatives' hands. Sticking points in the negotiations leading up to the joint conference committee included the percentage of the cut and backfill. 'I am not going to mince words. This wasn't just our offer. This was what they wanted. It is what they agreed to, until this morning. It is very, very disappointing,' McKeown said. 'I have been pushing this bill for three years, and I thought we were there. This morning was hugely disappointing, and it will be what they want to do with it. We can't make them vote yes.' Salazar said that he was concerned the bill might not meet legislative deadlines at this rate. Gierau said he had hoped the joint conference committee could get back together Tuesday to agree on a deal, but Heiner said negotiations may take another day or two. Friday is the last day to send bills to Gov. Mark Gordon's office in order to allow enough time for a veto override by lawmakers before they adjourn March 6. Locke said to expect ongoing negotiations over the next day or two.
