Legislative Report: Compromise Pays Off [AUDIO]

The compromise on the supplemental budget has passed both houses. Amy Richards has more in Friday's Legislative Report.

This Legislative Report is brought to you by Hilltop National Bank.

Both the House and Senate approved the Joint Conference Committee report on the budget today (Friday). The Senate voted 27 to 3 and the House voted 50-8. Freshman Sen. Paul Barnard says he thought the compromise was very good.

Sen. Paul Barnard, compromise:

"Thought the legislators as a whole were very responsive to the people. I think some cities got some money. Most of the people who needed money, got it. They may not have got as much as they wanted, but they did get something."

Freshman Rep. Kendell Kroeker says he voted against the compromise and the supplemental budget bill because he doesn't think the state needs to spend the additional money.

Rep. Kendell Kroeker, no on budget:

"In my mind, increasing our budget by over 250 million dollars isn't a fiscally responsible thing to do, so it was more just the principle that I was against, most of the things in the supplemental budget. It wasn't as much a specific compromise I voted against."

The bill now goes to Gov. Matt Mead.

The Senate passed House Bill 152 on third and final reading today (Friday). The bill will prohibit the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council from declaring any more property in the state as very rare or uncommon. Sen. Eli Bebout says it's a good bill.

Sen. Eli Bebout, yes on HB 152:

"Obviously it effects private land because we had a situation in the southwestern part of our state where they did have a de facto taking of private land in the courts under our taking statutes. The surface rights are not protected but the mineral rights are, so you had a taking of that. There's a procedure you go through, no question about it, you petition, but you have a non-elected board making a decision about taking away private property rights. That's wrong. That's one of the reasons I supported the bill."

Sen. Chris Rothfuss, who unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill several times, says he's not sure the bill is necessary.

Sen. Chris Rothfuss, no on HB 152:

"This concern for the rampant federal activities protecting related to protecting different areas around the state, and what our response seems to be on that is to remove our state statutory authority to supervise the environment of the state. I'm not entirely sure that's a well guided approach to responding to the federal over-reaching."

The Senate laid back House Bill 39, the dui-elimination of the right to refuse bill on third reading until Monday.

The House passed Senate File 47, the concealed weapons bill on third and final reading today. The bill says Wyoming residents have the right to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Rep. Lorraine Quarberg says she's pleased.

Rep. Lorraine Quarberg, making history:

"I took a walk down memory lane and I came into this body seven years ago in 2005 and had the pleasure of working with this piece of legislation with Beckett Hinkley at that time, and so seven years later today, we made history."

Rep. Bernadine Craft voted no on the bill because of concerns brought to her by law enforcement.

Rep. Bernadine Craft, permit:

"I'm not even remotely opposed to our right to carry a weapon. What I think is we need to go through the really relatively simple process that to getting a permit that carrying concealed affords us."

The bill now goes to the governor. With the Legislative Report, I'm Amy Richards for K2 Radio News.