Tuesday, February 24, 2009

SF0070 Loss of Firearms Rights - Protections

SF0070 Loss of Firearms Rights – Protections.
Sponsored by: CASE
An act relating to crimes and criminal procedure; requiring advisement of potential loss of firearms rights prior to conviction upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere; providing for public defender representation for misdemeanor cases in which firearms rights are subject to loss; and providing for an effective date.

NEUTRAL. Passed.

SF0038 Real ID Compliance

SF0038 Real ID Compliance.
Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee
An act relating to the federal Real ID Act; amending Wyoming's motor vehicle statutes to allow Wyoming to comply with federal law; establishing an expiration for prior hazardous materials endorsement test results; conforming other statutes; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Passed.

SF0019 Costs of Emergency Detention and Hospitalization

SF0019 Costs of Emergency Detention & Hospitalization.
Sponsored by: Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
An act relating to emergency detention and involuntary hospitalization costs; limiting authority to seek recovery of costs from patients as specified; and providing for an effective date.

WATCHING. Passed.

SF0017 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Appropriations

SF0017 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Appropriations.
Sponsored by: Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
An act relating to mental health and substance abuse services; providing appropriations; specifying conditions; authorizing a competitive bid process as specified; identifying the regions designated by the department of health for purposes of certain appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

WATCHING. Passed.

HJ0013 Employee Free Choice Act

HJ0013 Employee Free Choice Act.
Sponsored by: COHEE
A joint resolution requesting Congress to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act.

WATCHING. Failed.

HB0203 Discrimination

HB0203 Discrimination.
Sponsored by: CONNOLLY
An act relating to discrimination; prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation as specified; and providing for an effective date.

SUPPORT. Failed. We will continue to support protection for sexual orientation in our statutes.

HB0181 Fair Employment Practices

HB0181 Fair Employment Practices.
Sponsored by: BYRD
An act relating to fair employment practices; providing that retaliation or discrimination for the use of sick leave is an unfair employment practice; providing penalties; and providing for an effective date.

WATCHING. Failed.

HB0159 Criminal Street Gangs

HB0159 Criminal Street Gangs.
Sponsored by: STEWARD
An act relating to crimes and offenses; creating the crime of intimidation in furtherance of the interests of a criminal street gang; amending the offense of property destruction and defacement to explicitly include graffiti; providing definitions; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Failed. This law would provide more statutes to jail juveniles and are unnecessary as these acts are already offenses under other statutes. Wyoming currently has the second highest rate of juveniles in detention in the nation and no gang prevention or intervention programs.

HB0154 Abortion-Reporting Requirements

HB0154 Abortion-Reporting Requirements.
Sponsored by: BRECHTEL
An act relating to public health and safety; amending reporting requirements relating to abortions; providing a penalty; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Failed. These laws are unnecessary and are simply another attempt to interfere in private medical decisions.

HB0151 Ultrasound Requirement for Abortions

HB0151 Ultrasound Requirement for Abortions.
Sponsored by: BRECHTEL
An act relating to public health and safety; requiring physicians to perform ultrasound examinations prior to obtaining a pregnant woman's consent to an abortion; providing exceptions; providing penalties; providing for a civil remedy and injunctive relief; providing for physician license suspension or revocation; providing definitions; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Failed. These laws are unnecessary and are simply another attempt to interfere in private medical decisions.

HB0117 Campaign Finance

HB0117 Campaign Finance.
Sponsored by: THRONE
An act relating to campaign finance reporting; modifying persons required to file campaign receipts reports; removing a requirement that contributors annually renew their consent to automatic contributions; requiring reporting from political action committees and candidate's campaign committees; requiring amendment of campaign finance reports as specified; providing and modifying criminal penalties; and providing for an effective date.

WATCHING. Failed

HB0103 Illegal Immigration

HB0103 Illegal Immigration.
Sponsored by: ILLOWAY
An act relating to illegal immigration; establishing an offense for transportation or concealment of illegal aliens; requiring certain employers to verify the citizenship status of employees; establishing an offense for hiring unauthorized aliens or failing to verify the citizenship status of employees; providing for penalties; requiring state agencies and political subdivisions to verify the citizenship status of applicants for certain public benefits; requiring a report; authorizing the attorney general to negotiate a memorandum of understanding regarding immigration with the appropriate federal agency; establishing rules for the communication of information related to immigration status; requiring the determination of the immigration status of certain prisoners; requiring certain documentation for the issuance of a driver's license or identification card; requiring rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Failed. States cannot individually make immigration laws. Immigration law is primarily the function of the Federal Government. States that have put forth discriminatory regulations and laws have ended up with lawsuits and unintended consequences to the state and the economy.

HB0098 Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sex Abuse of a Minor

HB0098 Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sex Abuse of a Minor.
Sponsored by: MILLIN
An act relating to crimes and offenses; establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for first degree sexual assault of a minor; and providing for an effective date.

WE DO NOT SUPPORT ANY MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCING. Failed. We will continue to work against mandatory minimum sentencing laws as they take discretion away from judges and give to prosecutors. There is no indication that judges in Wyoming are not thorough and fair in their sentencing.

HB0053 Unfair Employment Practices

HB0053 Unfair Employment Practices.
Sponsored by: MILLIN
An act relating to fair employment practices; providing that discriminatory and unfair employment practices include retaliatory acts as specified; and providing for an effective date.

SUPPORT. Failed.

HB0018 Voting Rights

HB0018 Voting Rights.
Sponsored by: Rep. D-D. Zwonitzer, Connolly; Sen. Burns and Vasey
An act relating to elections and voting rights; reducing the time period required before the restoration of voting rights of convicted felons as specified; and providing for an effective date.

SUPPORT. Failed. We will continue to support legislation to streamline the process to restore voting rights to felons. Our current process still has a long waiting period (5 years) and is cumbersome. We would like to see automatic restoration of rights for all felons.

Friday, February 6, 2009

HB0285 Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sexual Abuse of a Minor - 2

HB0285 Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Sexual Abuse of a Minor - 2.
Sponsored by: GINGERY
An act relating to crimes and offenses; establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for first degree sexual assault of a minor when the actor is at least eighteen years of age and the victim is less than thirteen years of age; and providing for an effective date.

OPPOSE. Passed Committee of the whole 02/02/09.

HB0278 Sex Offenders - Internet Access

HB0278 Sex Offenders – Internet Access.
Sponsored by: HARSHMAN
An act relating to criminal offenses; providing for imposition of restrictions on Internet access for sex offenders; and providing for an effective date.

WATCHING. Died in Committee.

HB0137 Videotape Depositions - Minors

HB0137 Videotape Depositions - Minors.
Sponsored by: MERCER
An act relating to criminal procedure; adding to the list of sexual assault offenses for which a child under 12 years of age may be allowed to testify by videotape deposition; and providing for an effective date.

SUPPORT.