introducing the 2019 conservation vote report 

Every year the Wyoming Outdoor Council sends a team of skilled and knowledgeable staff to Cheyenne during the legislative session to advocate sound conservation policies that protect Wyoming’s environment and quality of life.  

This year we are excited to bring you our Conservation Vote Report — a publication that identifies how your state representatives voted on key conservation bills during the 2019 General Session.  

The Outdoor Council debated a wide range of bills affecting our state’s conservation values at this year’s session, from the creation of Wyoming’s first Public Lands Day to law that impact our wildlife, energy resources, and access to public records. Of the more than 50 bills that we tracked, this report highlights the seven that we felt were crucial to conservation in Wyoming and identifies the votes cast by your representatives.  

We believe in a Wyoming where people’s voices are more powerful than special interests; where our world-class rivers, lakes, and streams are pristine; where wildlife roam free across unbroken wildlands; where our air is clean and healthy to breathe — a Wyoming where we protect the ecosystems and public lands that shape our economy and our outdoor way of life. And understanding how your representatives vote is fundamental to staying engaged in our state’s democratic process, and continuing to protect these important values we share as Wyomingites.

Read the report below to see how your representatives voted on these important issues.

KEY LEGISLATION FROM THE 2019 WYOMING STATE LEGISLATURE

To find all 2019 legislation, including those listed below, visit the Wyoming Legislature’s website.

For past year’s bills: 2016, 2017, 2018

BILLS WE SUPPORTED:

HB  1, General government appropriations (Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee) PASSED

HB  2, Regulation of hunting methods (Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee) PASSED

HB 12, Shed antlers and horns (Sponsor: Rep. Sommers) DIED in Senate (but is largely covered in HB 38)

HB 26, Limited mining operations — amendments (Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee) PASSED

HB 28, Regulation of shed antler and big game horn collection (Sponsor: Rep. Haley) PASSED

HB 32, EQC amendments (Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee) PASSED

HB 99, Wyoming public lands day (Sponsor: Rep. Schwartz) PASSED

HB 228, Highway and wildlife safety studies and improvements (Sponsor: Rep. Crank) DIED in Senate (but is an interim study topic)

HB 231, Net metering amendments (Sponsor: Rep. Yin) DIED in Senate (but is an interim study topic)

HB 305, Land access study (Sponsor: Rep. Roscoe) DIED

SF 29, Cease and transfer priority list (Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee) PASSED

SF 57, Public records (Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee) PASSED

SF 77, 2019 large project funding (Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Funding) PASSED

SF 118, Tax liability mineral production (Sponsor: Sen. Driskill) PASSED

SF 121, Municipal solid waste cease and transfer appropriation (Appropriations Committee) PASSED

SF 162, State funded capital projects (Appropriations Committee) DIED

SJ 01, State-federal school trust lands exchange (Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee) DIED in House

Budget amendment to increase WWNRT Fund by $5 million (Budget bill) PASSED

BILLS WE OPPOSEd:

  HB 10, Crimes against critical infrastructure (Sponsor: Rep. Larsen) DIED

  HB 50, Legislative review of state land transfers (Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee) DIED

  HB 51, Lawful fence standards county preemption (Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee) DIED

 HB 139, Uranium taxation rates (Sponsor: Rep. Burkhart) DIED

 HB 167, Severance tax on coal (Sponsor: Rep. Hallinan) DIED

HB 194, School trust land studies (Sponsor: Rep. Harshman) DIED

HB 248, Sage-grouse game bird farms — extension (Sponsor: Rep. Harshman) DIED

SF 134, Severance tax — exemption (Sponsor: Sen. Perkins) DIED

SF 145, State trust land revenues (Sponsor: Sen. Hicks) DIED

 SF 148, Federal facilities seizure (Sponsor: Sen. Scott) DIED

BILLS WE TRACKED:

HB 54, Federal natural resource policy account — amendments (Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee) PASSED (Amended)

HB 96,Wind energy production tax (Sponsor: Rep. Clem) DIED

HB 142, Wildlife and natural resources trust account — board duties (Sponsor: Rep. Paxton) PASSED

HB 166, Electric vehicle fees (Sponsor: Rep. Brown) PASSED (Amended)

HB 217, Wyoming camping act (Sponsor: Rep. Gray) DIED

HB 239, Wind energy production tax rate (Sponsor: Rep. Loucks) DIED

HB 241, Wind energy production tax — repeal (Sponsor: Rep. Loucks) DIED

HB 261, Application for permit to drill (Sponsor: Rep. Ekland) DIED (potentially an interim study topic)

HB 272, Oil and gas flaring waste (Sponsor: Rep. Burkhart) DIED

HB 285, Eminent domain in wind energy collector systems (Sponsor: Rep. Henderson) DIED

SF 13, Eminent domain — wind energy collection systems (Sponsor: Sen. Case) DIED

SF 87, Temporary instream flow use (Sponsor: Sen. Case) DIED

SF 159, New opportunities for Wyoming coal fired generation (Sponsor: Sen. Dockstader) PASSED (Amended)