Overview of Week Two
The Wyoming Legislature’s second week was momentous for many of the bills Wyoming Family Alliance is watching.
Several nights saw both the House and the Senate hard at work, sometimes past 11:00 pm, in preparation for Monday, when the legislature will arrive at an important milestone for the session called “Crossover.” By the end of Monday, any bill will die if it hasn’t made it through all the steps in the chamber where it was introduced.
After such a packed week, we have several key updates to report on all the legislation we are watching. Browse below for quick highlights, and click the links for more details.
Key Legislation to Watch
Wyoming Family Alliance actively monitors, supports, or opposes legislation based on its alignment with our mission to defend life, advance liberty, and preserve freedom for Wyoming families.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HB0044 Parental Rights in Minor Child’s Health Care
Unfortunately, this important parental rights legislation died in committee on Thursday in a 5-4 decision. It will remain an important issue that must be addressed in future years.
Along with you, we have noticed a new awareness among parents over the last several years regarding the powers that schools have assumed over the children of America at the expense of parental rights.
HB0092 Protection of Parental Rights
Wyoming Family Alliance briefly withdrew support of this legislation after an amendment that would have removed anything of value in the bill was passed.
Thankfully, the harmful amendment was removed on Friday in an overwhelming vote. This bill has completed all the steps in the House of Representatives and is in the Senate.
See the article below for an explanation of why this amendment caused so much concern.
HB0148 Regulation of Surgical Abortion
This legislation completed all the steps in the House of Representatives with a final vote of 53-9 in support. It is now ready for introduction in the Senate.
Wyoming Family Alliance supports legislation to make sure that abortion facilities performing life-threatening procedures have licensed physicians and facilities that meet health requirements.
HB0166 Education Savings Accounts-1
The past week has been a roller coaster for this legislation. It made it through the Education Committee, only to have the House Appropriations Committee try to kill it.
We give thanks that the House of Representatives rejected their recommendations and preserved the bill.
Several heroes of education freedom in the House have emerged from this battle over the last week. We look forward to writing a special commendation for them in the future.
SENATE
SF0009 Parental Rights in Education-1
This bill passed all the way through the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives.
SF0094 An Act Regarding Compelled Speech and State Employers
Wyoming Family Alliance supports the right of every individual to speak honestly and truthfully and that no government should threaten a person for speaking against their conscience.
SF0098 Statute of Limitations-Medical Procedures on Minors
This legislation has made it through the first reading in the Senate. There are two more steps in that chamber before it can crossover to the House of Representatives.
SF0099 Chloe’s Law-Children Gender Change Prohibition
This legislation has made it through the first reading in the Senate. There are two more steps in that chamber before it can crossover to the House of Representatives.
SF0128 Approval of Charter School
This legislation has made it through the first reading in the Senate. There are two more steps in that chamber before it can crossover to the House of Representatives.
SF0130 The Equality State, Not Equity State Act
This legislation has made it through the first reading in the Senate. There are two more steps in that chamber before it can crossover to the House of Representatives.
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
Senate Budget Amendment SF0001S3013
Senate Budget Amendment SF0001S3014
We commend Senator Steinmetz and Senator Hicks for their hard work in resisting Marxism in all of its various forms at the University of Wyoming.
These two amendments defunded the “gender studies” and the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs at the University.
Wyoming Family Alliance supports efforts to ensure that Marxism is not forced into our educational institutions. In recent months, the entire United States has seen the results of these kinds of programs in other institutions and the devastating results of these ideologies. Opposition in the Wyoming Legislature claims that programs such as these promote diversity of thought when the opposite has been the reality wherever such programs have been established.
Why the Amendment Had to Go
Wyoming Family Alliance temporarily withdrew its support of HB0092 this week after Amendment HB0092H2001, introduced by Rep. Dan Zwonitzer (R, HD 43), was adopted.
Wyoming Family Alliance believes that the best legislation often balances two competing concerns, and on the surface, it appeared as though the amendment was proposed to do just that. HB0092 was introduced to ensure parents are informed about important information regarding their child, while Amendment HB0092H2001 aimed to prevent parents from being informed if doing so might put a child at risk for abuse.
Protecting children from genuine abuse is certainly important. However, we are concerned that someone who is considered a “reasonably prudent person” (such as a teacher or school counselor would likely be presumed) would be put in the position of predicting the possible intent of a parent and possible outcome of abuse.
If no previous abuse has occurred against the child by the parent, this could be subjective speculation colored by the “reasonable person’s” worldview. (One has only to look at the case in the Rock Springs school district to see how this has already played out in Wyoming.) And if the child has a history of being abused by the parent, that is a separate issue.
Parents cannot be held accountable for a crime they have not committed because someone believes they might. In the same way, information should not be withheld from parents because someone believes they might abuse their child.
This is where we found concern and urged caution over how this amendment could be misapplied, potentially undermining the whole spirit of the bill. Thankfully, this amendment ultimately ended up being defeated.
