Update from the Wyoming Legislative Session

Posted by Bobbie Frank on February 16, 2024

Week one of the Wyoming Legislative Session was strife with positioning and significant discord between the factions of the Republican party.  Action in the Senate overturned President Driskill’s decision in 2023 to remove Senator Kinskey as Chair of Appropriations Committee and replace him with Senator Tara Nethercott. President Driskill explained he took this action after receiving complaints from other Committee members. Opposers argued the rules did not allow for the President to take this action. Ultimately the vote resulted in Senator Nethercott being removed and Senator Kinskey being reinstated.

On the House side, an unprecedented number of standing committee bills were killed on introduction. These bills have been worked on by the committees over the past year.

Thanks to credit unions communicating the importance of HB 86 – Vehicle lien – amendments, both before the session and during this week’s Credit Union Day at the Capitol, the House voted 61 in favor (1 member was excused) of introduction. The bill was originally assigned to House Corporations but was rereferred to House Transportation at our request. We anticipate the bill will be up in House Transportation next Tuesday, 2/20/24, at noon.  Please let me know if you plan to attend.  Credit union attendance helps send the message of the importance of the issue.  I will be prepared to deliver our testimony to the committee.  We have not heard any opposition to the legislation up to this point.

Yesterday the House failed to introduce HB 151 – Firearms merchant category code-prohibition.  However, in the Senate SF 105 – Wyoming Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary committee.  We will be working to get the bill amended when it comes up to ensure credit unions are not liable for actions related to Merchant Category Codes specific for firearms.  Also, on the list for introduction in the House is HB 182 – Firearm purchase protections.  This bill would not have the same implications to credit unions that the other two would, but likely will not be supported as written by the gun lobby. 

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Wyoming Advocacy.