Rep. Eric Barlow

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 149 prohibits abortions performed solely because of an unborn child's disability, sex, race, color, national origin, or ancestry. It directly affects health care providers who perform abortions, requiring them to avoid these specific reasons for termination. The bill imposes felony charges (up to 14 years imprisonment), civil liability for wrongful death, and potential license discipline for violations under Wyoming's health licensing laws. It also defines "disability" broadly to include conditions like Down syndrome and "lethal fetal anomaly" as a condition likely causing death within three months of birth.

Maddy summaryHB 141 appropriates $1.2 million from Wyoming's general fund to the Governor's office for lawsuits challenging state or federal laws that block Wyoming coal exports or cause early closures of coal-fired power plants using Wyoming coal. The funds are specifically for litigation to defend Wyoming's coal industry against legal actions that impede coal exports or force plant shutdowns. The appropriation expires on June 30, 2030, with unspent funds reverting to the state treasury. The Governor and Attorney General must submit annual reports to legislative committees detailing how the funds were used in these lawsuits.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 101 clarifies that nonconsenting landowners (those whose property is included in an oil and gas drilling unit without their agreement) are entitled to a cost-free royalty interest equal to the acreage-weighted average fee royalty of leased tracts within that unit. This policy change directly affects landowners whose mineral rights are pooled into drilling units but who did not consent to the development. The bill requires the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to create implementing rules and applies only to new pooling orders issued after the law takes effect. It does not alter existing royalty agreements but ensures new nonconsenting owners receive a standardized royalty rate based on the unit's average lease terms.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission that would draw Wyoming's legislative district boundaries after each U.S. census, replacing the current process where the legislature handles redistricting. The commission would consist of five members appointed without regard to political affiliation (two by the governor, one by the Senate president, one by the House speaker, and one by the chief justice) and must create 60 house districts and 30 senate districts (each senate district covering two house districts) with populations within 5% of the state average. The commission would have 90 days to adopt a final plan requiring approval from three of its five members, with judicial review available through the Wyoming Supreme Court if errors are alleged. This change would repeal the current requirement that each county have at least one representative and one senator.

Maddy summaryHB 102 requires oil and gas applicants seeking a "pooling order" (which forces combined development of adjacent mineral rights) to first make good-faith lease offers to unleased mineral owners within the proposed area. It mandates that applicants provide evidence of these offers to Wyoming's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission before a pooling order can be approved. The law applies to all applications filed after its effective date (July 1, 2022), and pooling orders must expire after 12 months if drilling doesn't begin. This directly affects mineral owners who may now receive lease offers and oil/gas operators who must negotiate before forced pooling.

Maddy summaryHB 143, the "Wyoming Patient Cannabis Act of 2022," proposes a legal framework for medical cannabis in Wyoming. It would allow patients with qualifying conditions (like chronic pain, cancer, or multiple sclerosis) to access cannabis products through licensed dispensaries, with caregivers permitted to assist them. The bill establishes licensing for cultivation facilities, testing labs, and dispensaries under the Wyoming Department of Revenue Liquor Division, prohibits local governments from banning such operations, and defines medical cannabis products while banning synthetic marijuana prescriptions. This would be the first state-regulated medical cannabis program in Wyoming, affecting patients, caregivers, and licensed businesses.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution proposes amending the Wyoming Constitution to change signature requirements for initiative and referendum petitions. Currently, petitions need signatures from at least 15% of voters in at least two-thirds of counties; the amendment would require signatures from 15% of voters in at least two-thirds of legislative districts instead. It directly affects citizens and groups seeking to place proposals on ballots through citizen initiatives or referendums. The bill states this change aims to align with the "one person, one vote" principle by ensuring more equitable geographic representation in petition collection. (Note: This is a proposed constitutional amendment, not yet enacted.)

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits hunting, fishing, or trapping on private land without the owner's permission, including traveling across such land. It directly affects hunters, anglers, and trappers who enter private property without consent. The law expands existing penalties to include travel across private land, imposing fines up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or forfeiture of illegally taken game. It became effective July 1, 2022.

Maddy summaryHB 106 decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana in Wyoming by replacing criminal penalties with civil fines. It eliminates jail time for possessing up to 3 ounces of marijuana in plant form or equivalent amounts in edibles (up to 16 ounces), paraphernalia, or other forms. The bill also removes marijuana possession as a criminal offense but does not legalize recreational use or expand medical access - doctors remain restricted to prescribing only FDA-approved products like dronabinol. This change affects individuals caught with specified small quantities, shifting enforcement from criminal courts to civil penalties. The bill was introduced in 2022 but was not advanced for consideration.

Maddy summaryHB 94 sets a maximum size of 1,280 acres for oil and gas drilling units in Wyoming, directly affecting oil and gas operators who establish these land groupings for drilling. The bill amends state law to require that drilling units must be large enough to efficiently drain with one well but cannot exceed 1,280 acres. This change applies to all new drilling unit orders issued on or after July 1, 2022. The law aims to standardize unit sizes for operational efficiency without specifying environmental or economic impacts.