It’s crunch time at the Capitol as we enter the final two weeks of the 2025 Wyoming state legislative session.
Some bills are making their way to the governor’s desk for signature, while others will fall by the wayside if they miss key deadlines this Thursday and Friday. As these deadlines approach, we’re watching closely and will be ready to spring into action to support conservation priorities and fight back against threats.
Read on to find out where things stand and how you can help.
‘POISON PILL’ INCLUDED IN ROOFTOP SOLAR BILL
Rooftop solar advocates across the state were frustrated last week when House Bill 183, the net metering bill we’ve been supporting, was amended in the Senate Minerals Committee. The amendment strips key protections for existing and future rooftop solar owners by allowing utilities to impose additional fees on these customers.
In its earlier form, HB183 would have made rooftop solar more accessible for ranchers, schools, local governments, and businesses. Now, WOC and others are working to see what, if anything, can be done to reverse this amendment on the Senate floor.
If this bill passes the Senate with different language than was passed out of the House, the two chambers must resolve the differences before this bill is sent to the governor’s desk. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this bill!
ANOTHER NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE BILL DIES
Last Wednesday, the House Minerals Committee rejected Senate File 186, another bill concerning the temporary storage of nuclear waste in Wyoming, in a 3–5 vote. Similar to House Bill 16 earlier in the session, we were impressed by the excellent questions this committee raised in an attempt to better understand the potential impacts of the nuclear industry in Wyoming.
The committee decided that before passing a bill on such a consequential topic, more information and public engagement was needed. It is very likely that we will see the topic of nuclear storage reemerge during the interim. For now, read about the committee’s discussion on SF186 here.
HONORING THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE
We’re glad to share that two bills addressing tribal cultural preservation and tribal notification are moving forward! Senate File 91, which protects cultural resources by criminalizing the vandalism of petroglyphs and other historic inscriptions on state lands, passed the Senate and is now in the House Appropriations Committee. This bill creates a misdemeanor offense for such vandalism and signals a commitment to preserving these irreplaceable sites.
Senate File 16 mandates that tribal governments be informed of industrial siting permit applications and acknowledges their stake in development decisions (though it does not grant them formal participation in the permitting process). SF16 was passed by both the Senate and House and is headed towards the governor’s desk. Both of these bills are supported by the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone governments.
LARGE PROJECT FUNDING HEADED TO GOVERNOR’S DESK
In a legislative body that is often divided, it was gratifying to see widespread support last week for wildlife and natural resource project funding. Elected officials across both chambers voted with near unanimity in favor of Senate File 88, a package of large-scale projects funded by the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust.
With the bill heading to the governor’s desk for a signature, we can look forward to $16.4 million in funding for projects that will benefit Wyoming’s wildlife, rangelands, and watersheds in the coming fiscal year.
WOC started off this year’s session with 22 priority bills. We’re pleased to report that of the bills we’ve opposed, the majority have died — and it looks promising that several of the remaining bad bills will miss key deadlines this week. Of the 10 bills we’re still actively tracking, seven of these are bills we’ve been supporting.
With two more weeks of the session remaining, the dust is starting to settle. Although it’s still too soon to celebrate, the view from our perspective isn’t too bad … and that’s due in no small part to your continued engagement! As always, thank you for your support.
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Image: Meghan Riley