Wyoming Legislature To Convene General Session On Jan.10

The Wyoming Legislature is scheduled to convene in a two month general session on Jan,.10 in Cheyenne.

Here is the schedule:

Day 1 Tuesday, January 10

Monday, January 23 Session convenes Recess-Legislature Will Not Convene Day 12

Thursday, January 26 Day 14

Monday, January 30 Last day for Senate Files to be introduced Budget Bill-Committee of the Whole Day 15

Day 16 Wednesday, February 1 Last day for House Bills to be introduced Budget Bill-Committee of the Whole (if necessary) Budget Bill-Second Reading

Day 18 Friday, February 3 Last day for Bills to be reported out of Committee in house of origin Budget Bill-Third Reading

Day 19 Monday, February 6 Last day for Committee of the Whole in house of origin

Day 20 Tuesday, February 7 Last day for Second Reading in house of origin

Day 21 Wednesday, February 8 Last day for Third Reading on Bills in house of origin

Monday, February 20 Recess-Legislature Will Not Convene

Day 32 Friday, February 24 Last day for Bills to be reported out of Committee in second house

Day 33 Monday, February 27 Last day for Committee of the Whole in the second house

Day 34 Tuesday, February 28 Last day for Second Reading in the second house

Day 35 Wednesday, March 1 Last day for Third Reading in the second house

Day 36 Thursday, March 2 Concurrence on Amendments/Joint Conference Committee Reports

Day 37 Friday, March 3 Joint Conference Committee Reports; ADJOURN by Midnight

Because this is a General Session bills dealing with any topic can be introduced with a simple majority vote. Some of the issues that may be discussed this session include such things as Medicaid expansion, school funding, tax breaks for Wyoming senior citizens and proposals to change the current limits for liquor licenses on Wyoming cities and towns.

The roughly two month general sessions alternate with roughly month long Budget Sessions. The budget sessions are in theory intended for, as the name implies, dealing with state budget issues. But in recent years there has been an increasing tendency towards the introduction of non-budget items during budget sessions, even though doing so requires a 2/3 majority vote for consideration.