Health Care, Duis to Highlight Budget Session

By REBECCA
RODENBORG
Reporter

While Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s proposed budget will be the focus of the upcoming legislative session, the House and Senate will be bringing forth bills covering everything from DUI penalties to protecting Wyoming citizens’ gun rights.

The legislature will meet for 20 days from Feb. 8 to March 5. Several key topics are expected to be debated as the House and Senate divvy up dollars around the state.

Health Care

At a Jan. 12 public meeting, residents voiced concerns about Wyoming’s stance on the nation’s health care reform, as well as retaining health care providers in the state.

“We need to work in Wyoming as much as we can in recruiting and retaining health care providers,” Sen. Jim Anderson said. “In terms of funding – we need to do that. Sometimes it’s the promotion of students coming back to in-state, maybe with loan repayments.”

Unfortunately, since this year is a budget session, Anderson said, there may not be time to discuss the concern.

One bill that has yet to be approved for filing is the Health Freedom of Choice. It proposes an amendment to the Wyoming Constitution by creating a new section specifying that the federal government may not interfere with an individual’s health care decision. It also calls for no penalty or fine to be imposed on the individual.

Anderson said he intends to co-sponsor the bill if it’s approved in its current form.

Wyoming rights

State and individual rights are the subject of three bills that will be introduced during the 2010 session.

One bill, Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, proposes that “specified firearms that are manufactured, sold, purchased, possessed and used exclusively within Wyoming shall be exempt from federal regulation, including registration requirements.”

“The federal government has too many gun control laws,” Rep. Richard Cannady said. “We’re just trying to counteract what may come and what’s already there.”

Two similar joint resolutions from the House call for the assertion of state rights, stating, “That the Wyoming Legislature claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.”

“I don’t understand why we all don’t like the state rights because it’s in states that we have laboratories to experiment with all these things,” Rep. Frank Peasley said. “Now every experiment is national. I’d like to see states experiment with health care reform and firearms and such.”

DUI penalties

Two separate bills regarding penalties for driving while under the influence will be introduced this session.

“They both ask to stiffen drunk driving penalties,” Anderson said. “I’m very much in support of them.”

One bill, introduced by the senate, changes the time period that the alleged violator must test .08 percent, stating that it must be within two hours after the time of driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle. The law currently states that it must be within three hours.

The bill also proposes an expansion of the time period for a second violation from five years to 10 years following the first conviction.

The House introduced similar proposed amendments to current DUI laws.

Taxation

Because of the influx of internet purchasing of downloadable media, such as e-books and digital music, Anderson pointed to the loss in state sales tax revenue as a potential problem for the state.

“Right now you have a lot of these electronic products that you just download off the internet and you no longer buy that $10 or $20 book,” Anderson said. “So the state is out that (sales tax) revenue and in order for us to recapture some of that revenue that comes off those books and tangible products that are now being done digitally, we’re going to have to look at some way to tax those intangibles.”

Taxation of specified digital products, a bill sponsored by the Joint Revenue Interim Committee, calls for the imposition of sales tax on digital products if “the purchaser has permanent use, possession and control of the specified digital product.”

Digital products which are streamed to the purchaser are not subject to the tax.

Texting while driving

The prohibition of sending or reading text or e-mail messages while operating a motor vehicle is the subject of one bill.

“It’s common sense that you shouldn’t do it,” Cannady said. “And passing a law won’t stop it, but it’ll make people think twice about it.”

Violation of the law would be a misdemeanor with fines starting at $200 and reaching $500 for a third conviction.

Sage grouse

The Sage Grouse Core Area Strategy has been drafted as a joint resolution by the members of legislature. Its purpose is to serve as Wyoming’s “primary regulatory mechanism to conserve sage grouse and preclude the need for listing the bird as a threatened or endangered species.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss the possible listing of sage grouse as an endangered species Feb. 20.

“If it’s listed,” Anderson said, “it would impose a tremendous burden on industry and agriculture in Wyoming.”

Editor’s Note: The Independent will be keeping you up-todate on all the happenings at the capitol, whether a bill is passed or denied or doesn’t make an appearance on the floor.

Keep informed

Use this contact info to keep in touch with your local representation:

• Sen. Jim Anderson: jamesda1@msn.com
• Rep. Richard Cannady: rcannady@wyoming.com
• Rep. Frank Peasley: fpeasley@wyoming.com (C) 307-359-0323
• Rep. Ross Diercks: diercks@wyoming.com
• Visit legisweb.state.wy.us for the full list of bills.

This is part of the February 4, 2010 online edition of The Glenrock Independent.

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