Rep. Tom Walters

Maddy summaryHB 131 amends Wyoming's Build Wyoming loan program to clarify it as a revolving, continuing fund administered by the state loan and investment board. It sets specific spending limits: a total cap of $400 million for all loans, with separate $200 million limits for infrastructure projects (like water systems) and road/street projects. The bill ensures local governments (counties, cities, etc.) can access these loans from the Wyoming mineral trust fund to finance public infrastructure improvements. It also specifies that the program operates under established rules for loan administration and becomes effective immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill exempts sales and use taxes on equipment used to build broadband internet infrastructure in unserved areas. It applies to telecom providers, internet access companies, and video programming services constructing networks where high-speed internet isn't currently available (defined as 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload for residential areas). The exemption covers infrastructure equipment like routers and cables but excludes items sold directly to end-users. Providers may use reasonable methods to allocate equipment costs across service regions instead of tracking exact geographic locations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows businesses with retail liquor licenses in Wyoming to purchase alcohol directly from other retail liquor licensees for resale, up to a maximum of nine liters per day. It affects retail liquor stores that want to buy alcohol from other retail locations (instead of only from the state-run division) to resell. The key requirement is that sellers must record each purchase with the buyer's name, signature, date, and time, and keep these records for one year for potential state inspection. The law took effect on July 1, 2019.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual salaries for Wyoming judges across all court levels. Supreme court justices' salaries rise to $175,000, district court judges to $160,000, and circuit court judges to $145,000, effective July 1, 2019. It appropriates $1,081,000 from the general fund specifically to fund these increases, with funds expiring June 30, 2020. The bill directly affects all active judges in Wyoming's supreme, district, and circuit courts by adjusting their compensation.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 68 prohibits misrepresenting non-meat products as "meat" in labeling, advertising, or sales. It requires retailers and wholesalers to clearly label products not derived from harvested livestock or poultry as "imitation food" and foreign meat as "imported" with country of origin. The bill defines "meat" as specific edible muscle parts (excluding lips, snout, or ears) and applies to businesses selling meat or meat-like products. It became effective July 1, 2019, and mandates the Department of Agriculture to create labeling rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 147) requires Wyoming's Department of Health to propose budget changes that reduce full-time and part-time staff at five specific state facilities - Wyoming Life Resource Center, Wyoming State Hospital, Wyoming Pioneer Home, Veterans' Home of Wyoming, and Wyoming Retirement Center - and increase the use of temporary contract employees instead. It mandates that the Department of Administration's budget division must base the health department's 2021-2022 budget on these recommendations. The policy directly affects staffing models at these facilities, shifting toward more flexible, short-term contracts for operational roles.

2019/Summaries/SF0070.pdf