[su_heading size=”16″]Bills are going to the Wyoming Congress that could prove beneficial to the state, residents[/su_heading]
The following bills are just a few out of the long list of proposals for the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives. They are not passed yet, so don’t get your hopes up just yet. If you really want to see something done about these issues, get involved. Email, phone or tweet your representatives. Let them know how you feel about these topics. After all, they are there to represent you, your families and your communities.
Marijuana Possession: HB 0049
Representative Byrd proposed a bill to amend penalties for marijuana possession. The bill states that no practitioner shall dispense or prescribe marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or an equivalent of either. The bill states that any amount under three ounces is subject to misdemeanor punishments no greater than $1,000, 12 months in prison or both. A person caught with less than half an ounce would be subject to a $50 fine.
Let’s face it, weed isn’t that big of a deal anymore. You can drive to Colorado and pick up a bag, even a big bag, without any kind of licensure. If people want it, they’re going to get it. It’s not like weed was even that hard to get ahold of before Colorado jumped into the market. The war on drugs could do well to focus on some harder, more illegally imported substances. I say, Wyoming would be wise to look at this issue rationally and leave the kids that are sitting in their basements watching visualizers alone.
Minimum Wage: HB 0045
Representative Byrd and Senator Esquibel proposed a bill to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $9.00 an hour. The bill also suggests that tipped employees earn at least $5.00 instead of the current $2.13. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. Wyoming, Minnesota, Arkansas and Georgia are the only states who’s minimum wage falls below national standards. The state expects no significant or personal impact at the state level as a result of this bill’s passing.
Wyoming is not an expensive place to live in, comparatively speaking. Still though, why can’t we at least keep up with the national standard? We’re fortunate enough to have a low unemployment rate and low poverty rate, but why not bump up another level and make the people of the second-largest coal producing state in America a little bit better off? People working the low-wage jobs are the majority, so it would be in the interest of representatives to act on behalf of their constituents. Is nine too much? I don’t know, I make less than that and get by, but not as comfortably as I could.
Hathaway Student scholarship program-award increase: SF 0055
The Joint Education Interim Committee proposed a bill increase Hathaway Scholarship awards. The bill would increase award values by $80 for the opportunity scholarship, $120 for the performance scholarship and $160 for the honor scholarship. The bill also proposes an increase by two and a half percent for the need-based scholarship.
This proposal would result in a ten percent increase to total scholarship amounts for the state.
The Hathaway program is a blessing that provided me and many other Wyomingites with an almost free education for four years. Once graduated, people go on to represent the University and alumni fund quite a bit of the happenings here on campus. Why not give the kids enough money to get through school with flying colors and go out to represent after? The state has plenty of money, the University has plenty of money; enough to build gateway centers and state of the art energy innovation centers. I say give some money to the students. Not to say investing in lasting structures like the business building is a bad, I’m just saying that people are more likely to make the grade when they don’t have to sacrifice their study time to go work a minimum wage job.
Veterans-resident tuition provisions: SF0061
The Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee proposed senate file 0061, aiming to make college tuition as nearly free as possible for veterans. The file proposes that all veterans not previously considered Wyoming residents qualify for resident tuition at either the University of Wyoming or Wyoming Community Colleges. Components of the bill dictate that an applicant for this program must be taking steps to establish residency in Wyoming.
The senate fiscal note states that this bill would not require additional personal at Universities. The senate estimates 46 veterans to currently attend community colleges and only five of them to attend community colleges at an out-of-state tuition rate.
Veterans deserve what we have to offer. Coming back from a “war” like that to a recovering economy isn’t easy, and the responsibility is going to fall on individual states and institutions to pay their respects. Give the people that sacrificed their time, limbs and lives a chance to make it. I’m not saying they couldn’t make it on their own. I know for a fact that our veterans have the ability to persevere, but they shouldn’t have to. I’m saying its our responsibility as a community to show our support of the individuals, even if we don’t agree with the cause.
