Local governments watched the 2021 legislative session closely. Wyoming Public Radio s Catherine Wheeler spoke with Wyoming County Commissioners Association s Executive Director Jerimiah Rieman about how county governments fared in two issues the association was keeping an eye on throughout the session. Rieman began by discussing what changes lawmakers were considering on how local governments get revenue.
One of the top priorities of many legislators was to reduce spending for K-12 education. Governor Mark Gordon has mentioned it in his last couple of State of the State messages and the legislature was just a conference committee away from passing a bill to do that. But a major disagreement between the House and Senate over whether there should just be reductions or reductions that included some revenue led to the bill s demise.
WyoFile: Week 51 of the pandemic in Wyoming (Feb 27-March 5)
Wyomings Governor Mark Gordon address the 66th Wyoming Legislature via video message on Jan. 12, 2021 (YouTube, Wyoming PBS)
Lawmakers returned to the Capitol in Cheyenne this week to resume in-person session work following a year of mostly virtual meetings held to limit the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccinations ramped up across the state, meanwhile, as the state’s hospitalizations hovered in the 20s and active cases dropped below 600.
Article continues below.
The virus hung heavy over the session. Its impact was evident in the new plexiglass shields and quieter hallways, and it threaded its way through the proceedings as a significant foe threatening most aspects of Wyoming’s current and future health.
By Brendan LaChance on February 24, 2021
Voters cast ballots in Vista West on Tuesday, Nov. 3. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)
CASPER, Wyo. Wyoming and the United States operate as republic in which the people elect representatives who then have the authority to establish laws, including the ability to impose taxes.
Wyoming’s Senate Revenue Committee rejected an effort that could have moved the state in the direction of direct democracy rather than the republican form of government during their Tuesday, Feb. 23 meeting.
The committee rejected Senate Joint Resolution 01 on a vote of 1-4 during the meeting. That resolution wouldn’t have implemented full-blown direct democracy, but proposed putting a question before voters to amend the Wyoming Constitution such that voters would have to approve any new taxes or tax hikes.