Rep. Allen Slagle

Maddy summaryHB 208 proposes a severance tax on hydrogen production in Wyoming, directly affecting companies extracting hydrogen from groundwater. The bill imposes a 3% tax on hydrogen from by-product water (as defined in existing law) and a 6% tax on all other hydrogen production, collected annually based on fair market value. It incorporates existing natural gas tax administration procedures for collection, enforcement, and distribution of revenues. The tax would apply to all hydrogen production in Wyoming starting July 1, 2024, if enacted. Note: The bill failed introduction on February 14, 2024, and did not advance.

Maddy summaryHB 102 would allow school employees with valid concealed carry permits to carry firearms on school property if their district board adopts specific rules. School boards that choose not to adopt such rules must submit a written explanation to the state education department. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a statewide marketing campaign to promote this authority, with funds restricted to use from July 2024 through June 2026. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House on February 14, 2024, with a vote of 35-26.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJ 1) is a non-binding request from Wyoming's legislature to the U.S. Congress. It demands that Congress extinguish federal ownership of public lands and subsurface resources within Wyoming (currently covering about 46% of the state's surface area and 69% of its subsurface resources) to fulfill Wyoming's constitutional "equal footing" status as a state admitted to the Union. The resolution requires Congress to confirm its intent to transfer these lands to Wyoming by October 1, 2024, and proposes that the transferred lands remain state public lands. It is a procedural resolution, not a law, and has not advanced beyond the introduction stage in the Wyoming Senate (failed 17-14).

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 152, the "Life is a Human Right Act," prohibits most abortions by defining "abortion" as the intentional termination of an unborn baby's life from conception. It directly affects pregnant individuals and medical providers in Wyoming by banning abortion except when a physician uses reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, address a serious risk to her life or a life-sustaining organ, or treat an ectopic pregnancy. The bill explicitly excludes contraception from the prohibition and defines "unborn baby" as a living human from fertilization through birth. This law creates criminal penalties for violations and amends existing abortion-related statutes.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 109 prohibits the use of specific abortion drugs (like mifepristone and misoprostol) for terminating pregnancies, affecting doctors, pharmacists, and anyone distributing or prescribing these drugs. Exceptions include contraceptive use before pregnancy confirmation, treatment of natural miscarriages under medical guidelines, and cases where a patient faces an immediate physical danger to life or health (excluding psychological conditions), or pregnancy from incest/sexual assault. Violations carry misdemeanor penalties of up to six months in jail or a $9,000 fine. Women seeking abortions using these drugs are explicitly exempt from criminal prosecution under this law.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 174 creates a new Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to oversee public charter schools statewide. The board, consisting of five members (including the state superintendent and appointees from the governor, Senate, and House), will approve, renew, and oversee charter schools under specific quality standards. The bill modifies how charter schools are authorized (replacing school district oversight with the state board), adjusts funding rules, and requires transparency in decision-making. This directly affects public charter schools, their governing boards, and the state education department as the local education agency.

Maddy summaryHB 171 modifies Wyoming's rules for leasing school lands. It requires the board of land commissioners to provide 30 days' notice before leasing school lands via website, local newspaper, and certified mail to current lessees, adjacent landowners, and residents. The bill allows county residents who own adjacent land or are county residents to match the highest bid within five business days, giving them priority to lease the land if they meet the bid. This applies specifically to school land leases and excludes renewals of existing grazing or agricultural leases.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 144 establishes rules for how tax revenues collected from senior citizen service districts must be spent. It requires these funds to support specific programs for seniors, including operational costs for senior centers, expanded services like nutrition, health, transportation, and in-home care, and maintenance/upgrades for income-restricted senior housing facilities. The bill explicitly prohibits using these funds for real property purchases or capital construction. It takes effect July 1, 2023, and applies directly to senior centers and housing providers within designated districts.

Maddy summaryHB 103 modifies Wyoming election rules for voters changing political party affiliation. It clarifies that voters can submit a written request to change or cancel their party affiliation at any time except during the prohibited period before primary elections. The bill specifies deadlines for submitting applications (filed with county clerks before primary nomination deadlines for primaries, or 14 days before general elections), and states that requesting a partisan primary ballot automatically declares current party affiliation. This affects all Wyoming voters who wish to change their party registration for upcoming elections.

Maddy summaryHB 100 requires Wyoming's Department of Revenue to hire a consultant to study converting the state's residential property tax system from current assessed value to one based on a property's original purchase price (acquisition value). The study must analyze revenue impacts across Wyoming, develop at least three implementation options - including one using 2017 values with annual 2% inflation - and address technical details like agricultural properties, new construction, and sales exclusions. The consultant must report findings to the Joint Revenue Committee by September 1, 2023, with the committee then determining if legislative action is needed. The bill appropriates $10,000 for this study, which is a preliminary step toward potential future tax system changes, not an immediate policy shift. This study directly affects how Wyoming might eventually calculate property taxes for homeowners.