General Session Passes Halfway Mark

Wednesday, Feb. 6, marked the halfway point in the 65th Wyoming State Legislature.

When the general session convened Jan. 8, 503 bills and resolutions were numbered for introduction. Wednesday was the deadline for legislation to pass on third reading in the house of origin.

“The process for a bill to pass is a difficult one, and it gets more difficult the further along the bill gets,” Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Campbell, Converse, said when asked about a particular bill earlier in the session.

According to the Legislative Service Office, only 282 bills remain active on this downhill side of the session. In the Senate, 115 of the original 175 pieces of the legislation have moved to the House of Representatives for consideration. From the House side, 167 of 297 bills introduced have been moved to the Senate.

Meanwhile, legislators continue to work on the 2019-2020 supplemental budget bill, working out the differences between the House and Senate versions in a joint conference committee.

So far, no legislation has made its way completely through the legislative process to land on Governor Mark Gordon’s desk for signature.

The deadline for bills to make it out of committee in the second house is Feb. 20. The last day for Committee of the Whole bills in the second house is Feb. 21. The deadline for third reading for bills in the second house is Feb. 25.

The general session is scheduled to adjourn by Feb. 27.

Public comment on the remaining bills can be made online through the end of the session. Click here to browse for bills, check the status, and leave a comment. Be sure to use the filter to view active bills only.