Wyoming Legislature update – January 23, 2017
by Albert Sommers, House District #20 Representative
January 24, 2017
1-23-2017
Hello Sublette County, this is Albert Sommers reporting to you from Cheyenne on Monday, January 23.Today in Committee of the Whole (COW), we heard bills proposing the following:
-To create a Yellowstone license plate to help fund the Wyoming Natural Resource Trust Fund
-To eliminate teacher accountability statutes and replace it with rule and regulation authority
-To change the WICHE repayment program for veterinarians
-To allow more flexibility for senior citizen districts
-To eliminate elementary school foreign language requirements
-To provide immunity for drug overdose reporting
The Yellowstone license plate died in COW, but I voted for it, because it seemed like a good way to raise revenue for wildlife projects.
I have received a lot of e-mails from Sublette County regarding HB135, the Government Nondiscrimination Act. This bill says that the State of Wyoming shall not take any discriminatory action against a person who believes or acts in accordance with religious belief or moral conviction surrounding the issue of gay marriage or transgender issues. I have read the bill, but the bill is long, and the language is complicated. I have asked our legal staff for an opinion. Would this bill allow a county clerk to refuse a marriage license to a gay couple, or allow a county treasurer to deny a gay person a driver’s license? Should someone whose job is to provide a government service to citizens be allowed to refuse that service based upon religious belief? These are important questions, and I look forward to your comments, as well as the results of my inquiry on the issue. I can be reached at albert@albertsommers.com.
Thanks
Albert
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