Anthony Rodd
arodd@uwyo.edu
The 2016 Wyoming legislature is in its first week of session discussing an array of bills, but focusing primarily on appropriations and budget committee operations.
One bill that was shot down was HB No. 3 which would vastly lower the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Representative James Byrd, D-Laramie, is the main sponsor of the bill.
“Essentially what this bill is doing is lowering the penalty for possession of a small amount of marijuana from the crazy high fines and the felony jail time, so it would not show up on your record in the future,” Byrd said. “If you have an ounce or less, just pay a ticket. You don’t have to check a box on a job application, you don’t have to mention it on a job application and it won’t show up on background checks.”
The bill, which had numerous house sponsors, will be brought up again during the next house session.
The Senate also discussed creating job hiring preference for military veterans, as well as their spouses. The senate bill, which was suggested by veterans groups around the state, would basically make it okay for private employers to provide a hiring preference to military veterans and their spouses.
This would include graduates of UW who are also military veterans.
“I for one hope this encourages them [veterans] to stay in Wyoming, and they are given a leg up in employment,” Senator Fred Emerich, R-Laramie, who is on the committee reviewing the bill, said.
But not all senators are for this bill, as some believe it goes directly against some state and local equal employment opportunity laws.
The bill would be effective July 1.
“I think the bill has a 50-50 chance at best due to many thoughts of discrimination,” Emerich said.
The Senate also brought forth two bills pertaining to the Wyoming resident Hathaway scholarship, which many University of Wyoming students use. Together, the senate bills would simultaneously increase all three tiers of Hathaway reward by up to $200 and switch over the ACT requirements from concrete scores to national percentage placement.
Although no senator was available to discuss the scholarship changes, both bills have been reviewed and sent to the education committee and appropriations committee, respectively.
If the bills pass the Hathaway reward increase and the change in ACT requirements will be effective as soon as Governor Matt Mead signs and approves.
Another notable bill is HB No. 13, which would specify that student electric communications are not public records, meaning the emails cannot be requested for public appraisal. This would include UW student emails.
ASUW sent multiple executives and President Brian Schueler to Cheyenne to lobby for its approval.
“Currently, we have representatives from ASUW in Cheyenne meeting with legislators to discuss student interests, primarily focused on House Bill 13 which is about student email privacy,” Tyler Julian, ASUW’s director of institutional development, said.
If HB No. 13 is approved in the House it will move into the senate to be deliberated.
The legislature will resume on Monday.
