2018 Wyoming legislative session
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| 2018 legislative sessions coverage |
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| Wyoming State Legislature | |
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| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | February 12, 2018 |
| Session end: | March 15, 2018 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Eli Bebout (R) |
| House Speaker: | Steve Harshman (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Drew Perkins (R) House: David Miller (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Chris Rothfuss (D) House: Cathy Connolly (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 30 (Senate), 60 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art 3, Wyoming Constitution |
| Salary: | $150/day + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Redistricting: | Wyoming Legislature has control |
During 2018, Ballotpedia tracked notable stories from the Wyoming State Legislature. The timeline on this page shows the major events that we tracked during 2018, including events in the regular session and in any special sessions that occurred after the regular session adjourned.
If you know of any additional events that should be added to this page, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Overview
In 2018, the Wyoming State Legislature was in session from February 12, 2018, through March 15, 2018.
Partisan control
Wyoming was one of 26 Republican state government trifectas in 2018. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Wyoming State Legislature in the 2018 legislative session.
Senate
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | |
House
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 51 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | |
Leadership in 2018
Senate
- Senate president: Eli Bebout (R)
- Majority leader: Drew Perkins (R)
- Minority leader: Chris Rothfuss (D)
House
- Speaker of the House: Steve Harshman (R)
- Majority leader: David Miller (R)
- Minority leader: Cathy Connolly (D)
Regular session
Status of legislation at the end of the regular session
This table details the status of legislation covered on this page at the end of the regular session.
| Status of legislation at the end of the 2018 regular session | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislation | Subject area | Actions during the regular session | Status at the end of the regular session |
| HB 168 | Castle doctrine/Stand-your-ground legislation | Passed legislature |
Became law without governor's signature |
| HB 194 and HB 140 | Construction funding and school finance | Passed legislature | Governor signed |
| HB 1 | General operations budget | Passed legislature | Governor signed |
February 13, 2018
Local media reports on bills to watch in the 2018 budget session
The Jackson Hole News & Guide identified several bills to watch in Wyoming's 30-day budget session, which began on February 12, 2018. The article identified the 2019-2020 biennial budget, education funding model changes, and tax base increases as the session's key issues. Other potential legislative action addressed the topics of public lands and criminal justice.[1]
March 10, 2018
Wyoming Legislature expands castle doctrine law
The Wyoming Legislature approved House Bill 168 and sent it to Gov. Matt Mead (R) for approval. HB 168 would expand the state's castle doctrine law, which asserts that the use of defensive force, including deadly force, is reasonable when an individual believes they are in danger, whether real or imagined. State law at the time of HB 168's passage did not apply outside an individual's place of residence. HB 168 would expand state law to include any place an individual is lawfully present, not an aggressor, and not engaged in illegal activity.[2][3]
- Update: The legislation became law without the governor's signature on March 14, 2018.
Budget
2018
The Wyoming State Legislature concluded its 2018 regular session with the passage of two funding bills—HB 194 and HB 140—on March 15. Gov. Matt Mead signed HB 194 on March 20, 2018, and HB 140 on March 27, 2018.
House Bill 194 funded state construction projects such as a state office building and new facilities at the University of Wyoming. House Bill 140 cut $20 million from public school funding. The bill changed school funding formulas from a school-by-school enrollment count basis to a district-wide count; reduced spending on groundskeepers; and limited funds that districts would receive for special education in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. The bill limited cuts to the five smallest school districts to 2.5 percent of their budget. Bill sponsor Rep. David Northrup (R-District 50) said the cuts were modest. Other lawmakers, such as Rep. Tim Salazar (R-District 34), disagreed. "It’s going to literally destroy my small school. This is not fair. This is not fair to small schools in the state of Wyoming," Salazar said. The measure passed the House 34 to 22, with 13 Republican lawmakers joining all nine Democrats in opposition.
The legislature approved a general operations budget that did not include state construction and school spending on March 10. Gov. Matt Mead (R) signed the budget on March 14. It appropriated $8.63 billion for 2019 and 2020.[4][5]
Process
- See also: Wyoming state budget and finances
Wyoming on 
|
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[6]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
- State agencies submit their budget requests in August.
- Agency hearings are held September through November.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Wyoming State Legislature by the third Monday in November.
- The Wyoming State Legislature adopts a budget in March. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
- The biennial budget cycle begins July 1.
Wyoming is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[6][7]
In Wyoming, the governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In addition, the legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[6]
Noteworthy events
Sexual misconduct in the state capitol
- Secretary of State Ed Murray (R): Murray resigned from his position on February 9, 2018. Before his resignation, he had faced two sexual assault allegations. One allegation came from a woman who interned at his law office in 1982. She said Murray sexually assaulted her in the workplace. The other came from a woman who worked as a babysitter for Murray's family in 1988. She said that Murray forcibly kissed her when she was leaving his house. In a statement, he said, "After deep and profound contemplation, I am announcing my resignation as secretary of state, effective today. I step aside with peace and serenity in order that I may fully focus on what is most important in my life: my marriage, my family and my health."
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Wyoming Constitution can be amended:
The Wyoming Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Wyoming requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Legislature
A two-thirds vote is required during one legislative session for the Wyoming State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 42 votes in the Wyoming House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Wyoming State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 3 of Article 20 of the Wyoming Constitution, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Wyoming State Legislature to place a constitutional convention question on the ballot. If a simple majority of voters approve the question, then the legislature needs to call for a convention during its next session.
See also
| Elections | Wyoming State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jackson Hole News & Guide, "Legislature considers range of bills in session," February 13, 2018
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "'Stand Your Ground' Measure Passes Legislature," March 12, 2018
- ↑ Wyoming Legislative Service Office, "HB0168, Stand your ground-2 (Sub #2)," accessed March 13, 2018
- ↑ Casper Star Tribune, "Legislature solves spending impasse on schools, building; session ends after week-long extension," March 15, 2018
- ↑ KGAB.com, "2018 Wyoming legislative session concludes," accessed March 16, 2018
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
