UW Receiving A Lot of Legislative Attention [AUDIO]

The House Minerals, Business and Economic Development committee voted 9-0 to send a bill to the full house that would allow searches for University of Wyoming and state community college presidents to be closed to the public. The bill was proposed after media outlets in the state protested the decision by the UW Board of Trustees to hold a closed search for a new president to replace retiring president Tom Buchanan.

The Senate gave initial approval to a that calls for a Constitutional Amendment to allow out of state residents to serve as members of the UW Board of Trustees.Senate President Tony Ross says there is a lot of talent out of state which could be utilized.

the testimony was that we have some 110,000 graduates from the university of Wyoming but only 38,000 live in the state....

The senate gave initial approval to a second bill that increases the number of trustees from 12 to 14 and makes the statutory changes necessary should the constitutional amendment pass.

Lawmakers will get their first at the supplemental budget bill next week. Senator Eli Bebout, co-chair of the Joint Appropriations Committee says its a good bill.

I'm going to vote fore it, I think we worked really hard...

Bebout says for the most part the state agencies did a good job bringing their proposed budget reductions to the committee.

..you know the governor provided some great leadership there..this is just the beginning...

A bill that would continue to allow school districts to use capitol lease financing to help fund enhancements, passed the house. The bill's sponsor, House Majority Whip Representative Tim Stubson, says a recent Wyoming Attorney General's opinion put the practice in jeopardy.

The issue kind of came to a boil in Casper due to a high school project...

A bill to end the state's prohibition on hunting with silencers has passed the Senate, it now goes to the House where an identical bill died in a house committee earlier in the session.

Complete Audio

Sen. Tony Ross on UW Trustees