Heading into Legislative Session 2020

The 2020 Legislative Session is only a couple of weeks away.  In preparation for this budget session the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC), which I am a member of, met for two weeks prior to Christmas and an additional two weeks concluding on January 17th  to review Governor Gordon’s biennial budget and capital construction request.  To help us better understand the budget and the exception requests each state agency and the judicial branch presented their budgets to the committee.  After hearing the agency testimonies, we went back through the budget, the K-12 School Capital Construction bill, the State Capital Construction bill, and the Local Government Direct Distribution bill.  It is a lengthy process which had over 850 documented motions from the committee on the bills that resulted in 200 substantive revisions to the bills.  The result will be the creation of the  Budget Bill, K-12 School Capitol Construction bill, the State Capitol Construction bill and the Local Government Direct Distribution bill that will be presented to the House and Senate during the legislative session.

I was pleased with the efforts the House and Senate Appropriations Committee members made together in getting these bills prepared.  Our state revenues are still less that what we have been accustomed to for state government which creates some significant challenges as we try to provide the services our citizens expect from state government.

The following are some of the actions taken by the Joint Appropriations Committee:

1.      Reduced the Governor’s recommended General Fund (GF) appropriations by more than $120 million dollars.

2.      Because the Governor has limited ability to transfer or access funds he was required to make a number of the agency requests “effective immediately”, but the JAC was able to remove all of those requests except for a warranted few an make them effective July 1, 2020 consistent with biennial budgeting.

3.      The JAC recommended approving a deposit to the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (LSRA) or “rainy day” account from the Budget Reserve Account (BRA) of approximately $89 million and allowing and additional $50 million for appropriations by the legislature during the legislative session if required, or it too can be put into savings.

4.      The JAC recommended diverting the one percent severance tax into a “One Percent Severance Tax Account”.

5.      Revised the distribution for revenue from severance taxes of federal mineral royalties in excess of the January 2020 CREG forecast to provide a greater share to the K-12 school district funding accounts.

6.      Reduced the computer hardware and software exception requests by agencies in half saving $15 million dollars.

7.      Denied the $20 million dollar request for state employee compensation.

8.      Reduced General Fund appropriations by $13 million to the Business Ready Communities Program, replacing those funds with mineral royalty grant funds.

9.      Using Highway funds to cover upgrades to WYO-LINK, the state’s emergency communications network.

10.  Funding the projected increase to the Department of Health’s Long Ter Care Wavier one year at a time to insure a more accurate figure is provided for appropriations.

The JAC added funding for:

1.      $4 million dollars for scholarships and programs associated with the new Wyoming Works Program to help train and retrain our workforce.

2.      $12 million dollars to provide a 20% match for a Department of Energy research  on an oxy-fuel pilot program.

The committee approved a $10 million dollar appropriation to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust.  $6 million for fund existing projects and $4 million to be added to the Trust corpus.

K-12 Operations:

1.      The Committee by a divided vote approved the Governor’s recommendation for a K-12 external cost adjustment of $38.7 million dollars.

2.      The Committee approved funding to the K-12 model to account for the increased enrollment of students statewide of an additional $28.4 million.

Local Governments:

1.      The JAC ADOPTED THE $105 million biennial funding level for distribution to cities towns and counties with a change the base distribution giving the small communities of 35 people or less $15,000 up from $10,000 distributed previously.

School Capital Construction:

1.      $19.2 million for construction of Slade elementary in Albany County.

2.      $8 million for the construction of an auditorium and the Riverton High School.

3.      Reduced funding for K-12 security projects by $10 million.

4.      Reduced funding for overall component projects by $4.7 million.

5.      Reduced “other” budgets requests by $4.3 million.

6.      Added $2.5 million for the design of a new K-12 school in Ten Sleep.

State Capital Construction projects funded from “one time” funds in the Strategic Investment and Projects Accounts (SIPA).

1.      $25 million for the redirecting energy and coal commercialization.

2.      Denied $14 million for funding a women’s honor camp.

3.      $12.5 million one-to-one matching funds for UW athletic facilities.

4.      $12 million one-to-one match for the UW College of Law.

5.      Reduced funding for the Honor Farm administrative building from $7.6 million to $5 million.

6.      $5.6 million for the demolition and refurbishment of the Tonkin building in Riverton.

7.      $5 million one-to-one matching funds for Northern Wyoming Community Cllege manufacturing facility.

8.      $4 million dollars for costs associated with the abatement of asbestos containing material at the Wyoming Life Resource Center.

9.      $4.5 million for the Capitol Square Preservation Account.

A Little Fun in the Snow

A chilly week in mid-November followed up with a warm weekend made perfect conditions for Roland and Milly Dayton to make a snowman in our front yard. Yes, your are right, Milly isn’t wearing shoes, and that is okay when they are at our house. Roland and Milly and their younger brother Keith are the children of our youngest daughter Sarah and her husband Scott who live in Cokeville.

BLM and Lander Middle School Field Day

In early November I had the opportunity to spend the day with the State Department of Environment Quality, the BLM and students from Lander Middle School under the direction of teachers Gayla Hammer, Casey Swift, and Jeramie Prine in the Gas Hills planting sagebrush seedlings at the Day Loma mine reclamation site. The reclamation of the Gas Hills uranium mines have evolved over the years as science and technology changes come about. Sagebrush seeding have a much better chance of surviving that do seeds. The sagebrush is being planted where grass has already been established in the reclamation process, and will help re-establish habitat for the wildlife in the area.

The BLM was very organized, it was fun to see their staff interact with the students. These types of educational opportunities don’t come along every day, I appreciated the state and federal agencies for allowing this type of participation, and I am grateful that we have teachers who have the energy and dedication to make these opportunities available to our children. Mrs. Hammer cuts a broad swath, if you know her, you are aware she has organized week long trips with kids in Yellowstone, and now she is planting sagebrush in the Gas Hills, not surprising at all.

My Wyoming

A perfect Sunday afternoon for my grandchildren Rowland and Amelia (Millie) to be flying a kite in the hay meadow at the ranch on the Bear River near Cokeville. Their mother is our youngest daughter Sarah who is married to Scott Dayton.

Wind River Cares 12th Street Clinic

On August 9th I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for Wind River Cares’ 12th Street Clinic in Riverton.  Northern Arapahoe Health Care Director Richard Brannan emceed the event and Senator Mike Enzi was the guest speaker.  The Northern Arapahoe Tribe has really been impressive in ther effort to make health care available to the members of their tribe, since they took over the responsibility from the Indian Health Service with a 638 contract.

Native American Education Conference

August 7th and 8th was the annual Native American Education Conference sponsored by the Wyoming Department of Education, and hosted on the Central Wyoming College campus in Riverton.  I was fortunate to be asked to emcee the morning activities on the 8th.  Senator Mike Enzi was there supporting his wife Diana as she help educators better understand the Wyoming Congressional Awards along with the Wyoming Congressional Awards Director, Tobi Cates.  All Wyoming students are eligible for the award.  The highlight of the morning was to recognize the outstanding Native American youth in Wyoming who were recipients  of the Youth Pacesetter Awards.

This years conference was attend by nearly 600 individuals.  Thanks to the Wyoming Department of Education for their continued support of this event.

For the Next Generation

It was fun to have part of my family attend the grand opening of the capitol after the renovation was completed. My oldest daughter Jessica Martineau, her husband James and their two daughters Ada, and Ella joined us. It was a privilege to have young Ella set at my desk in the House chambers and give her grandfather a stern look and some well needed advice.

A Fine Day for Wyoming!

On July 11th week we celebrated the completion of the renovation of our state capitol building. It was a grand celebration with a lot of Fremont County citizens attending. I hope everyone will take an opportunity this summer or fall to make a trip to Cheyenne and see the renovation for yourself. It is the “People’s House”, and the changes have improved the public’s ability to attend and participate in state government.

A New Perspective

Last Sunday I attended church and come home with my spiritual battery recharged.  This afternoon Mark Vogel offered to take me for a spin in his 1942 Stearman biplane, and I must say, it too was a religious experience .

Thanks Mark!

Trip to D.C. for Tax Academy and Conversations

House Speaker Steve Harshman asked me to attend a NCSL Budget and Tax Academy in Washington DC.  It was a very interesting few days interacting with legislators from around the country to learn what they are doing in their states in regards to balancing their budgets and what is impacting that process.  Wyoming’s challenges associated with the closure of power plants is very similar to New Mexico, they are already seeing some serious impacts to education funding and funding to local governments.  

I engaged with the legislators from Utah in a productive discussion on electrical vehicles.  It is a united prediction from industry that the percentage of electrical vehicles on our highways will be a significant percentage of the total number, and because they will not be purchasing gasoline or diesel the states will see a significant reduction in fuel tax revenue directed to maintenance and construction of highways.

I met with Senator Barrasso, and the staff of Congressman Cheney and discussed issues impacting Fremont County and Wyoming such and Medicaid, and Bureau of Indian Affair policies impacting the Wind River Reservation, and suggestions to help our veterans receive better care as they get older.

Summer Work and Capitol Ceremony

Tis the season for interim legislative committee meetings with several of the committees having already met.

My time since the end of the last legislative session has largely been consumed with an assignment from our House Appropriation Chairman, Representative Bob Nicholas to start working on the our committee’s interim priority to update the statutes that govern procurement of professional services such as architects and engineers and the statutes for contracting with state and other public entities for construction projects.

The bidding and negotiation process for state agencies like the Department of Construction, WYDOT, the University of Wyoming, Community Colleges, school districts as well as counties and towns are governed in various statutes where definitions and bidding requirement conflict.  This creates difficulties for contractors and professionals as the try to navigate the process, which in turn is important to the state as we try to insure preference to Wyoming professional services and contractors. 

I have been meeting weekly for the last couple of months with representatives from state agencies, the community colleges, county commissioners, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities,  the Wyoming Contractor’s Assoc., the Wyoming Contractor’s Coalition, AIA Wyoming, engineers, and the Legislative Service Office  to review and a make recommendations for statutory changes.  It has consumed a significant amount of time by all involved, but we have three draft bills ready to present to the Joint Appropriations Committee at their first interim meeting on July 9th.  The meeting will be the first to be held in the newly renovated state capitol building.

We are approaching the first Tribal Relations Committee meeting with a full schedule for both days.  We will be looking at legislation to address missing indigenous women and girls as one of the top priorities.  Another priority is to conform state statutes and the Tribal Law and Order Code to reflect a consistent effort on and off the reservation on issues of chronic absenteeism and truancy.

The Select Natural Resource Funding Committee is in the process or reviewing the conservation applications submitted to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust board for approval.

We have some very good applications this year and we are also able to fund additional projects this year because of additional funds we appropriated during this year’s legislative session.

I will be in Biloxi Mississippi next week for my assignment on the Energy Council, and in Washington D.C. a couple of weeks later to attend a conference on state budgets.

Closer to home I have been able to work with the Department of Health and the Department of Family Services to provide much needed help to a couple of Wyoming children who for no fault of their own have some very difficult physical challenges in this life.  I am very appreciative to the response we received from these agencies and as well from our local school districts to insure their educational needs are met.

We are ready to move back into the State Capitol Building with festivities planned for July 9th and 10th.  I would encourage everyone to consider attending this grand event and to tour the capitol and see how impressive the renovation is.  You can find details of the events on the legislative web site, and on the Capitol Website.

April Updates

At the end of the legislative session, the Speaker of the House assigns House legislators to serve on various Select Committees and other various committee assignments in addition their respective Standing Committee assignments to address various needs of the state during the interim months between sessions.  Below are my assignments:

Standing Committee:

My Standing committee assignment continues to be the House and Joint Appropriations Committee

Select Committees, Task Forces, and other assignments:

1. Chairman of the Select Committee on Tribal Relations

2. Chairman of the State Health Facilities Task Force created to give oversight and direction to the Construction at the Wyoming State Hospital and the Wyoming Life Resource Center

3. Chairman of the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee

4. Member of the Select Committee of School Facilities

5. Member of the Select Natural Resource Funding Committee created to give legislative input on funding projects from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust

6. Member of the Energy Council

7. Member of the Council of State Government – West committee on Energy.

8. Legislative member assigned to the Supplemental Budget’s Section 338 Hospital Study

I will be sharing the priorities and the work of these committees over the summer and fall. 

Governor Gordon was in Fremont County on March 19th He took time to visit the Volunteers of America facility in Riverton, and then we had the chance to visit with the administrators at Aethon Energy where Andrea Taylor explained the water permitting process Aethon Energy is engaged in with the Department of Environmental Quality. (See the picture of Andrea and the Governor)

Then the Governor came to Lander with the new director of Work Force Services Robin Sessions Cooley and toured the constructions sight.  (See picture of me and governor.)

It is good to step back from time to time to adjust priorities, this week it was important to help Grady Phillips build a pine wood derby for this Saturday’s big race. (see picture of Grady and me)

There is a gasoline leak near the Maverick store in Lander where petroleum product has been seeping into the River.  I am sure everyone is keenly aware to the work taking place there.  I have been in contact with the DEQ, the EPA, and the Maverick Store representatives, and I would just suggest people be careful to let the facts of the situation determine the conversation.  The system tests on the Maverick Store’s tanks and pumps have not revealed any faults in the system.  Product tests and additional testing are on-going and a concrete structure to capture leaking product from entering the river is being constructed.  I am impressed with all those on site and the work they are doing.

I was able to attend parts the Lander Trail Charrette, and get a feel for current and future needs for public trails in the Lander area that could be used year around.  The turnout was very good and the interaction facilitated by the Ruckelshaus Institute was well done.

A quick photo with Governor Gordon during his trip to Fremont County

End of Session Wrap Up

The Legislative session is over and it is a wonderful thing to sleep in my own bed again.  This session will be the last one we hold in the Jonah building, next year we will be back in the capitol.  The capitol’s renovations are scheduled for completion this summer.  We took a tour of the capitol during the session and I was deeply impressed, it will surely be a landmark worthy to represent the state.

There are some interesting facts for political junkies like myself for this year’s general session, one is that there were 503 total bills filed for the session, 326 in the House and 177 in the Senate, of those 127 House bills became law and 87 Senate bill be came law.  It is worth noting that of the 214 bills that became law 78 were committee bill and the rest were bills brought forth by individual legislators.  This may seem like a lot of bills but most are sponsored by legislators who are responding to the requests from constituents or perhaps agencies.  I sponsored 4 personal bills this year and one resolution to make an adjustment in our state constitution for sewer system funding, all of my efforts were in response to requests and concerns of constituents.

Central Wyoming College has been working for a number of years to construct a new Ag and Animal Science facility, which had been funded based on estimations from the state, but when the actual design was completed it was determine the estimates were significantly short.  Senator Bebout and I were able to work with the Joint Appropriations Committee to fund the $3.9 million dollar shortfall associated with this project.  I am excited to see it move forward this year.

For a summary of the legislative session from the Republican Party, click here.

Mid-February Updates

This last couple of weeks the House Appropriation Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee met in conference several times to work out the differences in their respective budget bills.  We were able close all of the gaps on Tuesday evening and of Friday voted to approve the Joint Conference Committee Report.   We will be presenting the Joint Conference Committee Report to the House and Senate members on Tuesday.  

Even though it doesn’t mean a lot in the whole scheme of the total budget, I am very pleased that I was able to get funding for the tribal liaison positions we had previously reduced. The Senate had pulled the position funding out in their floor amendment. The House members were very supportive and in Conference Committee Senator Bebout and Senator Gierau along with all of the House Committee members supported putting it back in.  I was also able to put additional funding in for our Senior Citizen Boards, and our Senior Citizen Centers.

On Wednesday Senator Kinskey from Sheridan and I were asked to appear on PBS’s Capitol Outlook to visit about the budget bill.  If anyone is interested you can access the interview on You Tube.  Let me apologize ahead of time if I embarrass anyone with my comments or appearance.

Last Sunday evening the Fremont County legislators had the pleasure of meeting with our school districts from the county while they were here in the capitol city. 

You will recall that we were working with the students from Pathfinder High School to adopt the Blotched Tiger Salamander as the State Amphibian.  The House had a lot of fun debating the merits of the Blotched Salamander verses the Wyoming Toad and the Leopard  Frog.  In the end the Blotched Tiger Salamander prevailed.  The students will be in Cheyenne on Tuesday to join Governor Gordon in signing the bill.

Testing my Mandarin in the Wyoming Legislature!

A couple of weeks ago we had Mr. Chu, one of Taiwan’s delegation who has was here to further extend the conversation Wyoming is having with Taiwan to increase economic relationships.  In meeting Mr. Chu I tried to scrape some of the rust off my Mandarin for my experience in that country in the 70’s.  Speaker Harshman listening to the conversation asked that I introduce Mr. Chu to the House members the following day.  Mr. Chu was very kind and pretended like he understood my Mandarin, and I fooled the members of the House who thought I actually knew what I was doing.

Updates from Appropriations

This week is “hell week” for the appropriations committee we are presenting and defending the supplemental budget.  Yesterday the day ended at the capitol building at 11:45 pm.  We heard all of the second reading amendments  yesterday, after presenting the budget bill in the Committee of the Whole on Monday.  Tomorrow we hear all of the 3rd reading amendments, we have been successful thus far in providing additional funding for the Wyoming Permanent Wildlife Trust Fund, and putting additional funds in for our Senior Citizen Centers and Senior Citizen Board. 

I was also able to pass my personal bill HB108 for contractors receiving their final payments on public projects out of the House along with my Joint Resolution that will put a constitutional amendment on the ballot of your next general election to give cities more ability to fund sewer projects.  I also got my personal bill HB216 regarding the Children’s Trust Fund past the first reading today.

My opportunity to present the Department Health’s budget to the House.

A Lesson in Fremont County

It is never too early to get our youth engaged in democracy. Below is the story of a bill I am proud to be supporting as a path for our young people to understand the legislative process and see just how accessible Wyoming truly is.

A few students under the guidance of Charles Woolwine the science teacher at Pathfinder High School in Lander been working with the legislative delegation from Fremont County to pass legislation designating the Tiger Salamander as the official state amphibian.  These students after making a study of the creature and learning it is the only salamander found in Wyoming and is found throughout the state.  They brought their suggestion to Senator Case who had the bill drafted.  Representatives Salazar, and Clifford along with myself have signed on as co-sponsors.  The bill has passed the Senate where Fremont County Senator Eli Bebout also supported the effort.

This weekend we were able to return to Lander, and yesterday (Sunday) the girls from Pathfinder High School, Alyssa Woody, Acaisha LeBeau, and Jordan Gowen along with Mr. Woodwine met at my office to strategize how the House of Representative should be approached to insure the Salamander bill SF-50 will get passed. 

The girls met with Governor Gordon while working the Senate and have secured his support for bill if it is successful in the House.

Picture  left to right

Acaisha LeBeau, Jordan Gowen, Alyssa Woody and Representative Larsen spend time in Representative Larsen’s office working on the legislation created by the girls to designate the Tiger Salamander as the State Amphibian.

Week One Summary

In week one we brushed off the rust that accumulated on our procedural decorum, we were down right rough on the first few bills debated on the floor of the House, but it didn’t take long to get up to speed, and run like a well oil machine.  We have some great House leaders again this year led by our Speaker Steve Harshman.

The most significant event for me this week was the inauguration of Governor Gordon, Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, State Auditor Kristi Racines (a Riverton girl), State Treasurer Curt Meier, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow.  Judy Legerski from Lander led everyone in the pledge of allegiance, she was perfect.

I can’t express how I felt to witness the transfer of governmental authority in a venue where the previous four governors with their spouses were setting together on the same stage, two from one party, and two from the other party in support of the action taking place.  Our congressional delegation was also present reaffirming the united working relationship that exists in Wyoming. In the audience all of the legislature were seated with each other without segregation between the House and the Senate members again affirming we are colleagues working to represent the best interests of the state.  It is an event that ranks high in my life’s experiences. 

I sure am proud to live in Wyoming.

Photo Credit AP

The Start of Session

January 5th,   I am now in Cheyenne for the legislative session.  I have been receiving a fair number of emails voices support and opposition to many of the bills drafted for this session.  Receiving these emails are very helpful and I hope people will pass along their thoughts and suggestions.  The best way to contact me is on my legislative email address, which is: lloyd.larsen@wyoleg.gov.

I served as the temporary Speaker of the House until Speaker Harshman was sworn in, it was a real honor.

Pre-Legislature Meetings Around Fremont County

On December 18th I was invited to help judge and critique student presentations in Mrs. Lisa Moss’s government class at LVHS.  This is the second year I have been asked to participate.  It is fun and impressive to participate in this activity.

On December 24th I meet with Kelsey Beck, the director of the Popo Aggie Conservation District along with board members Tim Wilson and Arlen Lancaster to visit about issues prior to the legislative session.  They expressed concerns on the requirements to address public information requests, wanting clarification to make sure they are complying with the request and yet protecting private information of those receiving grants.  The second concern was the response time requirements.  Later in the week when meeting with Dubois Conservation District and the Lower Wind River Conservation District I heard similar concerns.  I reached out to Wyoming’s new Attorney General, Bridgett Hill to see if her office could provide any guidance.  Attorney General responded that there is training available to conservation districts and with new laws on the table on providing public information she has a staff member in place to help educate conservation districts on the issues.

While meeting with citizens from around Fremont County on the 27th of December, 3 students from Pathfinder High School in Lander met with us to answer questions regarding the bill they have coming before the legislature this year.  Alyssa Woody, Acaisha LeBeau, and Madison Slinkard who are in Mr. Chip Woolwine’s science class are proposing the state name the Tiger Salamander as the official State Anphibian.  They were very convincing in their arguments, to the point that now in addition to Senator Case being the prime sponsor of the bill, myself and Representative Salazar have signed on as co-sponsors.  I look forward to seeing them in Cheyenne and the bill works it way through the process.

On December 28th, I met with Kathleen Laidlaw the director of Fremont County Health and her staff to discuss the implementation of prevention responsabilities now taken on by the county and funded by the Department of Health.  The new plan takes some coordination and planning to make sure the prevention dollars are directed most appropriately such as suicide prevention, alcohol, drug, and tobacco prevention and education.  The effort is well underway in Fremont County.