2025 Wyoming Legislature Passes Halfway Point, Taxes Big Issue

With the 2025 Wyoming Legislature just past the halfway point, property taxes and transgender access to restrooms, locker rooms and women's sports have gotten a lot of attention.

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Property Taxes Get A Lot Of Attention

Property taxes are the most discussed issue of the session with multiple bills aimed at reducing residential property taxes being put forward. Lawmakers say they continue to hear from constituents outraged by sky rocketing property taxes, with seniors in particular facing challenges in paying those taxes.

Senate Fille 69 has passed the Wyoming Senate and is pending in the house, while House Bill 169 has cleared the Wyoming House and is pending in the Senate. Both bills would cut residential property taxes by 50 percent on valuations up to $1 million.

Both bills would sunset after two years.

The key difference in the two bills is that the House bill would use money from the state's ''rainy day fund" and general fund to backfill--or reimburse--local governments for half of the revenues the will lose if the taxes covered under the bill are not collected.

The Senate bill, on the other hand, has no backfill at all for local governments, something that has many local officials concerned. But supporters of cutting property taxes say some local officials are exaggerarating the hardships caused by the lost revenues.

If either becomes law, they would give state residents breathing room on residential property taxes until voters decide the fate of a property tax ballot initiative in 2026.

Transgender access to restrooms and women's sports is an other hot topic this session.. House Bill 72, sponsored by Rep. Martha Lawley, aims to keep transgender people out of women's restrooms, locker rooms and similar facilities. It recently passed the House and moved on to the Wyoming Senate.

Rep. Jayme Lien is the sponsor of the ''What is a Woman Act." That bill attempts to legally define 'male" and "female" and allows for seperate accomodations for each sex. That bill sailed through the House, winning approval on a 50-9 vote with three absent.

The legislature is slated to adjourn on March 7, although three more days are available without a special session being called.