Bills on open enrollment within a school district, chemical abortion ultrasounds and a ban on ballot drop boxes all cleared important hurdles in the Wyoming Legislature on Thursday

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All three bills won final approval in either the Wyoming House or the state Senate and will now advance on to the opposite legislative house for further consideration.

Open Enrollment In Wyoming School Districts

Senate File 109 would allow parents to enroll their children in any school in the district. Such a practice is already in place in Natrona County School District#1. Other districts generally assign students to a specific school, although in some cases parents can apply for a boundary waiver to allow their children to attend a school other than the one they are assigned to.

Supporters of open enrollment say it gives students flexibility to attend the school that best fits their needs, in some cases including courses of study that may not be available district wide. But Tate Mullen with the Wyoming Education Association says the WEA doesn't support Senate File 109. He says one problem is that uneven enrollment can result in large class sizes, which are not ideal. WEA President Kim Amen says another issue is that people in Wyoming often value the idea of neighborhood schools. Open enrollment tends to cancel that option because a nearby school will not necessarily be attended by students from the neighborhood.

Senate File 109 passed the Senate by a vote of 26-4. It now moves on to the Wyoming Senate.

Ban On Ballot Drop Boxes

Also advancing on Thursday was a bill that would ban the use of ballot drop boxes in the state. Opponents of the legislation say the boxes are safe and secure and consider House Bill 131 to be a solution in search of a problem and to be largely pointless.

\But Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray disagrees with that view.

Gray released the following statement: “I applaud the House’s passage of House Bill 131,” Secretary Gray said in a statement. “Banning ballot drop boxes has been a key priority to advance election integrity, ensuring voter confidence and transparency in Wyoming elections.  I want to commend the House’s passage of this bill, which is a key priority of our election integrity reform agenda. I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to achieve meaningful, conservative election integrity reform.'

Chemical Abortion Ultrasound Bill

Also moving forward in the legislature on Thursday was House Bill 64, which would require women planning to get a chemical abortion to view a fetal ultrasound at least 48 hours before taking an abortion pill. Opponents consider the measure a thinly veiled attempt to discourage woman from getting a chemical abortion. Supporter say its a safety and informational bill.

The measure would only apply to chemical abortions, not surgical procedures. It passed the House on a 48-13 vote and now moves on to the Wyoming Senate.

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Gallery Credit: Joy Greenwald

 

 

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