Wyoming Lawmakers Team Up with Counterparts in Western States to Tackle Major Policy Issues

NEWS RELEASE

August 12, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                

Contact: CSG Media Relations

The Council of State Governments

(859) 244-8246

Wyoming Lawmakers Team Up with Counterparts in Western States to Tackle Major Policy Issues 

Legislators Advocate for Wyoming Energy, Education, Economy and Major State Issues at CSG West Annual Conference 

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Several Wyoming legislators joined state officials from across the West to tackle major policy issues during the joint Council of State Governments National/CSG West Annual Conference Aug. 9-13 in Anchorage, Alaska. 

During the five-day conference, Wyoming legislators attended the various CSG-West committees to which they have been assigned to address policy issues affecting the West. Included were overreach of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), energy, education, healthcare, transportation and fiscal issues.

“As an energy producing state, we need to have a seat at the table to engage with lawmakers from other western states,” said Wyoming House Speaker Pro Tem Rosie Berger, who served as CSG West chair in 2012. “It is critical for western legislators to come together to discuss matters that may affect western interests. Cooperation between the Western states is critical to dealing with Federal overreach such as the Endangered Species Act.

U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming discussed federal energy policy and the impact on states during the CSG West Energy and Public Lands Committee session Sunday. Nearly every energy issue federal policymakers address has an impact on state legislatures, especially energy producing states like Wyoming. The U.S. Senate is looking at a number of key issues that could affect states. This session also explored current issues that will affect the states, and examined management of federal lands in the West. 

In an environment where tensions are heavy between the Federal Government and the Western states, the CSG conference provided a venue for state officials from all political parties to come together to exchange information about important state policy topics and share best practices in search of solutions to address the problems states face today. It also provided an opportunity for professional development for state leaders.

Speaker Pro Tem Berger notes the importance of the multi-branch discussions at CSG conferences. CSG is the only national organization that includes state executive, legislative and judicial branch officials in its membership.

“Effective communication among all three branches of government is essential,” Berger said. I am most impressed by the collective skills of the participants and how we strive to find common ground to develop better outcomes to complex issues. As leaders of the 21st century, the CSG West meeting provides an environment to learn from leaders across the nation and gives time to build on personal strengths.”

The meeting kicked off Saturday with two policy academies built around critical issues facing state legislatures across the country—public pensions and U.S. workforce development, a focus of 2014 CSG Chair Mark Norris, Tennessee Senate majority leader, in his initiative, “State Pathways to Prosperity.”

CSG West, which covers 13 Western states and three U.S. territories, opened the meeting with sessions about arctic policy in relation to the future of energy in the West; fiscal issues facing Western states; economic development and trade; and the growing and competing demands for water in the region.

The agenda includes topics covering important policy areas for all states, including agriculture, education, energy and the environment, health care and fiscal issues.

Highlights include:

•    A CSG National session focused on the new Clean Air Act regulations affecting carbon emissions; 

•    A joint session looking at the three major goals in health care: improving patient care, creating healthier communities and reducing health care costs;

•    A joint CSG National/CSG West session on the importance of preschool in college- and career-readiness;

•    A CSG National session focused on the CSG Overseas Voting Initiative, which aims to improve the voting experience of U.S. military personnel and other citizens living overseas; and

•    A CSG West discussion focused on the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, as well as medical marijuana policies in other states throughout the country.

In addition, CSG West remembered longtime Wyoming state Senator John Schiffer, who chaired CSG West’s Energy and Public Lands Committee and was recognized with the organization’s Distinguished Faharenkamp Leadership Award in 2012, and Wyoming Rep. Sue Wallis, who was a member of the CSG West Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

For more about the meeting, visit http://www.csg.org/2014annualconference/default.aspx. 

WY Legislature Delivers on Promise to Deliver ‘Balanced, Conservative’ Budget

FY 2015/2016 Budget Holds the Line on Spending While Making Focused Investments in Infrastructure, Education and Energy

March 6, 2014

Cheyenne, Wyoming – The Wyoming State Legislature concluded today after delivering on its promise to produce a balanced, conservative budget that holds the line on spending while investing in Wyoming’s people, jobs, communities, responsible mineral development and education.

Governor Matt Mead signed the Fiscal Year 2015/2016 Budget Bill into law yesterday. The budget appropriates $3.32 billion, a slight decrease from the previous biennium with nearly 300 fewer state employees. It also does not grow the size of state agencies.

Most importantly, this budget plans for the future. The budget contributes to the growth of the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (LSRA), commonly referred to as the “rainy day fund,” while the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund (PWMTF) also continues to grow. Legislators said the budget does more with less and strikes an appropriate balance between current needs and long-term planning.

During a bipartisan press conference at the Capitol today, lawmakers addressed several measures that passed the Legislature including a budget that prepares Wyoming to be a major player in the world economy. The budget makes targeted investments in infrastructure and education, two critical components for growing the Wyoming economy in the long-term. The budget provides over $175 million in funding for cities, towns and counties to grow and improve infrastructure.

“This budget establishes the foundation we need today for economic development tomorrow,” said Senate President Tony Ross. ”This will ensure today’s generation, and those to come, have the opportunity for meaningful careers and good paying jobs right here in Wyoming.”

The Budget also makes focused investments in education. Over the next two years, Wyoming’s K-12 schools will also see an influx of $250 million for new school construction and major maintenance to give Wyoming kids the best environment and tools to achieve success. The budget also includes $102 million for new construction and major maintenance at Wyoming’s community colleges and UW, which play a critical role in providing the advanced knowledge and technical training citizens need to compete for high-wage jobs.

“It’s not enough to just educate and prepare Wyoming citizens for competitive jobs,” said Senate House Speaker Pro Tempore Rosie Berger. “We need to bring these jobs right here to Wyoming. This starts by putting in place world-class infrastructure that entices the private sector to set up shop in Wyoming.”

This session the Legislature also concentrated on defending and promoting Wyoming’s energy sector, a critical job and revenue producer for the state. The Budget invests in projects that will spark innovation and help ensure a future role for mineral production, including the study of an energy mega-campus designed to be a one-stop shop for commercial scale industries in Wyoming. Lawmakers also passed legislation that helps safeguard the future of Wyoming coal by allowing the state to take an active role in establishing terminals capable of exporting Wyoming coal to new and existing markets.

“Promoting and protecting our state’s extractive industries is essential to safeguarding revenues, jobs and our local economies and building reserves,” said House Speaker Tom Lubnau. “It is vital to preserve and protect Wyoming’s rich natural resources that will power us into the future.”

The Legislature also took action against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), passing measures to minimize EPA intrusion and keep state control over regulation of mineral extraction.

With the aim of ensuring the public has adequate access to the Wyoming State Capitol and legislative process, the Legislature designated $259 million to the renovation and restoration of the Capitol and adjacent office building. The Capitol is nearly 130 years old and in dire need of repair. In its current state, the Capitol is vulnerable to fire and fails to meet a number of important safety codes.

“The Capitol is a symbol of our state and a part of Wyoming’s history, a part worth preserving,” said President Ross.

Lawmakers Eye Energy “Mega-Campus” to Boost and Sustain WY Economy

Legislators Tour Canadian Energy Complex as Part of Initial Project Study

March 5, 2014

Cheyenne, Wyoming – Nine Wyoming lawmakers traveled to Alberta, Canada last weekend to get a first hand look at a major energy complex that has spurred billions of dollars in economic investment and created thousands of high-paying jobs. During the Budget Session, legislators designated funding to study the energy mega-campus and the potential benefits a similar model could bring to Wyoming.

Legislators from the House and Senate toured Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Complex, a one-stop shop for commercial scale industries that spans over 200,000 acres. Lawmakers who participated in the trip were Representatives Kermit Brown, Steve Harshman, Michael Greear, Bob Nicholas, David Miller and John Freeman and Senators Ogden Driskill, Larry Hicks and Jim D. Anderson.

Canada successfully leveraged many of its natural resources to create one of the world's most attractive locations for chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas investment. Nearly sixteen years after the project launched, the region is now home to over 40 companies with over $25 billion in investments.

“This is one of many options the Legislature is looking at to bolster and sustain our energy economy for the long-term,” House Majority Floor Leader Kermit Brown said. “With an energy mega campus such as this, the potential is there to create lots of high paying jobs for Wyoming citizens. The average income for employees at Alberta’s complex is estimated to be $148,000.”

According to Brown, Alberta’s Industrial Heartland complex utilizes a number of symbiotic relationships that allow different industries to work in tandem, minimizing costs and maximizing benefits. The infrastructure exists within the campus, in terms of roads, pipeline corridors and other necessary functions, that allows one process to finish and another to pick up where the first left off, creating a “one-stop” shop for production.

“This is only a conceptual idea right now,” Brown added. “But if Wyoming is going to get beyond being seen as a colony only mined for it’s resources, we have to find ways to add value to our production chain.”