Porn And Pot Bills Fail In 2018 Wyoming Legislature
Bills defining pornography as a public health crisis, calling for Wyoming to stay on Daylight Saving Time year-round and a proposed term limits constitutional amendment were among the bills and resolutions that failed to win approval during the 2018 session of the Wyoming legislature.
House Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Rep. Lars Lone [R-Laramie County], would have declared pornography as a ''public health crisis" that objectifies women, hypersexualizes children, and diminishes the interest of young men in getting married. It was never considered for introduction in the state House.
Another pornography bill, House Bill 127, was also sponsored by Rep. Lone and also was never considered for introduction in the state house. It would have ordered the installation of blocking software on all computers sold in the state to prevent the viewing of obscene material as defined by the Wyoming Attorney General's office.
Buyers who were at least 18 years old or emancipated minors could have requested in writing that the software be removed.
Two proposed House Joint Resolutions put forward by Rep. Chuck Gray [R-Natrona County] also never made it to an introductory vote. HJ 6 would have put a constitutional amendment before voters to impose term limits on state officeholders, including the legislature. HJ 7 proposed a taxpayers bill of rights.
The latest legislative effort to do away with the twice-a-year time change in Wyoming also fell short. House Bill 45, sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Laursen, failed to win introduction in the Wyoming House, with 32 representatives voting against it. Lawmakers have turned back repeated efforts to do away with the time change in Wyoming in recent years.
Other bills that failed to win approval would have toughened the penalties for animal abuse in Wyoming and would have defined what amounts of drinkable or edible pot products would be needed to charge someone with felony possession under Wyoming law.
But supporters of all of the failed measures can look forward to trying again in 2019. Their chances of getting non-budget items approved next session should be better since 2019 is a General Session of the Legislature.
That means it will only take a simple majority vote to get non-budget items introduced. It took a 2/3 vote to do so during the 2018 session, which was a budget session.