Wyo emerges from session with no long-term budget, ed solutions greenriverstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from greenriverstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wyoming lawmakers to debate marijuana legalization
A marijuana legalization supporter at rally outside the Wyoming Capitol. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City File)
Supporters of a sweeping bill to legalize and regulate marijuana anticipate a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday, where they hope to dispel myths and stereotypes held by resistant lawmakers.
Twelve representatives and two senators co-sponsored House Bill 209 – Regulation of marijuana, which would license the cultivation and sale of marijuana and tax cannabis products, including “edibles” and infused drinks. Chief sponsor Rep. Jared Olsen (R-Cheyenne), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, brought the bill only months after a majority of state residents said they support allowing adults to use marijuana without penalty.
Credit Wyoming Legislature
During a Wyoming House Education Committee meeting, School District officials said they have been cutting budgets for many years and those cuts are starting to erode programs. The committee is looking at cutting education funding by $100 million.
School leaders urged lawmakers to find the money to pay for education and avoid cuts. School district officials testified during a public hearing that they are charging fees to keep activities afloat, are asking teachers to take on additional duties including special education and are reducing their budgets that have been downsized by legislative directives and in some cases the local tax base.
Green River Star -
February 3, 2021
Wyoming’s public schools have long been a subject of derision for many Republican state lawmakers who claim they underperform. If such scrutiny leads to the constant improvement of our K-12 system, then I’m all for it.
But that’s not the solution the Legislature is considering. Instead, a committee charged with determining how much the state spends on education wants to cut funding by an estimated $250 million over the next three years.
That’s like complaining of a headache and then “solving” the problem by cutting off your head. If the topic wasn’t so serious, their response.