64th Wyoming Legislative Session At the Capitol WAM Weekly Update Week of January 30 - February 3, 2017 WAM Members, The fourth week of the 2017 Session brought a few victories to WAM members. Your Legislative Leadership Committee and your WAM Staff has been busy tracking and lobbying bills that are related to your municipal day. Thanks largely to your discussions with your Legislators SF0017- Municipal Jurisdiction was killed (16-14). WAM has already started discussions with WCCA to come to an agreed upon approach related to the extraterritorial zones. HB0136, HB0137, and HB0194 - the gun bills related to concealed carry in schools and government meetings passed the House and will be taken up in the Senate. WAM is watching carefully and will testify in opposition if needed. SF0155 was a bill that increased Bar and Grill licenses, adjusting the population numbers a bit. WAM and other interested communities testified in favor and also agreed that a deeper look at the liquor laws is warranted. HB001 and SF001 are the Supplemental Budget Bills - Your LLC will meet early on Monday to strategize any lobbying approaches. WAM prepared a legislator piece identifying use of Water Development Commission and other grant funds to demonstrate how cities and towns use this funding. Once it is approved by LLC, we will distribute for you to send to your Legislator. And finally....we are cautiously optimistic that the final two payments of the 17/18 Direct Distribution should be paid out. Since this was pulled from the Supplemental Budget in March 2016, the Legislature would have had to propose a bill to remove the payment appropriation and no bill was brought forth. So Good News! For information on the activity of bills that were worked this past week, please see the list below or the embedded link. You can select a bill link, then add your comments or questions by selecting the 'Post Your Comment' and completing the form. These comments are NOT public but only visible by the staff. To follow along for daily legislative updates please go to WAM's website wyomuni.org. Feel free to call or email with any questions. Thank you for your commitment to your community and have a good weekend. Laurie, Rick and your LLC 4. Week of Jan 30 - Feb 3 HB 0001 Appropriations General government appropriations. 2/1/2017 - Bill Number Assigned Comments: This bill addresses supplemental appropriations for the operation of state government, increasing or decreasing amounts, adjusting positions, modifying prior or making additional appropriations, certain appropriations subject to terms and conditions, transfers certain funds. Summary: AN ACT relating to supplemental appropriations for the operation of state government; increasing or decreasing certain amounts; adjusting the number of positions; modifying prior appropriations; making additional appropriations; making certain appropriations subject to the terms and conditions specified; providing transfers of certain funds as specified; and providing for effective dates. HB 0055 Spending policy amendments-2. 2/2/2017 - House - COW:Passed Comments: This bill (sponsored by Capital Finance and Investment) identifies changes to revenue streams/percentages over the next five years. WAM will monitor as a priority bill to ensure no changes or amendments are introduced that would impact local government's current allocations. WAM Action Taken: 1/31/17 Laurie Heath attended JAC Summary: AN ACT relating to public funds; amending the spending policy rates for the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund, the common school account within the permanent land fund and the excellence in higher education endowment fund; amending the percentage of funds in the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund reserve account and common school permanent fund reserve account transferred respectively to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund and common school permanent fund annually; and providing for an effective date. HB 0056 Tyler Lindholm Mobile homes-title status upon permanent foundation. 2/1/2017 - Senate - Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations Comments: This bill may effect the revenues of local governments and zoning or local ordinances dealing with mobile homes. WAM ACTION: 1/20/17, Bill was amended, support from Realtors Assoc, Banker's Assoc, no need for WAM to testify--RK Summary: AN ACT relating to mobile homes; specifying procedures to surrender and cancel the title of a mobile home that has been installed on a permanent foundation; and providing for effective dates. HB 0058 Appropriations School facilities appropriations. 1/30/2017 - Senate - Received for Introduction Comments: This bill details the proposed appropriations of funds for select school facilities. This bill proposes that $80M be transferred from LSRA with additional funding for capital construction, land acquisition, and other costs equally ~$4.65M. WAM will monitor to see if creates impacts on the local government funding from LSRA or local infrastructure projects. Summary: AN ACT relating to school facility projects; modifying appropriations for school facility projects for the biennial budget period July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018; transferring funds; making conforming amendments; requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date. HB 0060 State investment policy. 2/2/2017 - House - 2nd Reading:Passed Comments: This bill expands options for investing state funds which will impact the ability of local governments investments. WAM Action Taken: 1/31/17 Laurie Heath attended JAC. This bill provides flexibility of investments with reduced restrictions to allow adjustments to market conditions. Summary: AN ACT relating to public funds; removing restriction on the percentage of permanent funds that may be invested in common stock; providing for a strategy to evaluate the risks of investments; requiring the state loan and investment board to establish metrics for managing and mitigating the risks of investments; requiring evaluations of the risks of investments as specified; requiring reports; and providing for an effective date. HB 0068 Dan Zwonitzer Election ballots. 1/30/2017 - House - COW:Failed 13-47-0-0-0 Comments: This bill requires county clerks and commissioners to adopt procedures for absentee ballots. WAM will monitor as it may have an effect on municipal clerks for special elections. Summary: AN ACT relating to elections; providing for the counting of absentee ballots received after the date of the election as specified; requiring boards of county commissioners to adopt procedures relating to such ballots; modifying the time county canvassing boards shall meet; and providing for an effective date. HB 0086 Select Water Omnibus water bill-construction. 2/1/2017 - Senate - Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture Comments: This bill identifies State funding for water projects with some being municipal projects. WAM members with water projects in this bill are Cody, Cowley, Gillette, Glenrock, Opal, Thayne, Wheatland, Casper, Deaver, Thermopolis, Riverton, Green River/Rock Springs, Laramie, and multiple irrigation districts. The expectation is all the projects on this bill will be funded but future projects are at risk of funding due to the fact that the supplemental budget proposes Water Development Commission funds are shared with the SEO department. WAM will lobby to full House and Senate when budget is proposed to them. WAM ACTION: 1/23/17, Bill passed 7-0 with no amendments=RK Summary: AN ACT relating to water development projects; authorizing construction of designated water projects; describing projects; specifying terms and conditions of funding for projects; providing appropriations; extending the sunset dates for sponsor's contingency funds; modifying project descriptions, amounts and terms of appropriations for specified prior projects; and providing for effective dates. HB 0089 Charles Pelkey Judges of first class cities-retention elections. 2/2/2017 - House - 2nd Reading:Passed Comments: This bill adds municipal judges in first class cities under current election and retention policies similar to other appointed local government positions. This creates concerns and questions as how the first class city is to provide funding and oversight of the judge. Also, if the bill would pass it could require changes in ordinances and codes regarding city appointed positions. WAM's position is the municipal judge should remain as an appointed city position. WAM ACTION: 2/3/17, bill failed COW on third reading 30-29-1 excused. WAM ACTION: 2/2/17, bill passed COW, no discussion, to third reading. WAM ACTION: 1/31/17, Rick Kaysen testified in opposition of this bill, discussion on separation of power by sponsors as well as philosophical beliefs of right to vote, bill passed Committee 6-3. Bill failed 30-29 Summary: AN ACT relating to municipal judges of first class cities; setting a term of office for municipal judges of first class cities; amending the procedure for removing municipal judges of first class cities; providing retention elections for municipal judges of first class cities; modifying the powers of municipal governing bodies and mayor; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date. HB 0092 Lloyd Larsen Payment of wages upon termination-time limits. 2/1/2017 - Senate - Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor Comments: Bill adds language for compliance in employment contracts; permitting the time period for payment of wages upon termination of employment to be specified in a collective bargaining agreement. WAM