Legislative Session: Week 3 Wrap-Up

Budget update, this week's big wins, next week's big battles

Budget Update

One week remains in the 2024 Budget Session— and it appears that “legislative fatigue” may be setting in for members of the Uniparty. After all, adding $300 million to what was already the largest budget in state history is probably exhausting.

The Uniparty lawmakers in the Wyoming House added so much to the budget that a $1 billion difference exists in the budget approved by the House and the one approved by the Senate.

Read our statement on the reckless spending in our chamber below.

Week 3 Wins

• House Bill 125 , a measure to repeal gun free zones in Wyoming, passed the House with no weakening amendments. Sponsored by WYFC Vice Chairman Representative Haroldson, the bill is on its way through the upper chamber. While it passed overwhelmingly in the House (55-7), members of the “Wyoming Caucus” showed their true colors when debating your right to bear arms.

• Senate File 9 (Parental Rights in Education) and House Bill 92 (Protection of Parental Rights), both came to the WYFC lacking true substantive protections of your fundamental right to direct the education and upbringing of your children. After multiple rounds of debates and amendments, the WYFC substantially improved both of these bills- because we won’t let do-nothing legislation pass us by.

• House Bill 166 (Education Savings Accounts), as introduced, limited school choice to some Wyoming families, paved the way to government-run pre-K, and contained burdensome regulations on homeschool and private school students. The Senate Education Committee cured these defects, and the bill, if passed in its current form, would provide real school choice to all Wyoming families. Urge your Senator to support HB0166 as amended.

Week 4 Battles

On Monday, March 4 at 7:30 AM, the House Judiciary Committee will be discussing two critically important pieces of legislation.

• Senate File 105 -Wyoming Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act: This bill protects against the creation of a registry of Wyoming gun and ammunition purchasers.

• Senate File 99- Chloe’s Law: This bill would prohibit all “gender reassignment” abuses in Wyoming.

You can do two concrete things to support these pieces of legislation.

1. Email the members of the House Judiciary Committee and express your support.

2. Testify on Monday morning in support of these bills. You can testify in person (room E001 in the Capitol Connector) or online by registering here.