Sen. Ed Cooper

Maddy summaryWyoming's SJ 9 is a joint resolution urging Congress to protect the state's access to federal public lands while ensuring local communities have a say in land management decisions. It opposes broad or indiscriminate sales of public lands and demands federal agencies respect Wyoming's existing land-use plans, county-level input, and multiple-use frameworks that support recreation, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and resource development. The resolution also calls for funding to streamline efficient land exchanges under current laws when they benefit local communities and public access, without advocating for specific policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a legal right for electric utilities to maintain existing power lines installed before 2006 across private land, without requiring written agreements. It directly affects landowners with pre-2006 lines and utilities that historically relied on informal neighborly cooperation for rural electrification. Key provisions require lines to be visibly installed, continuously used, and limit easements to 30 feet wide, while preventing utilities from expanding rights beyond original historic use. The law protects landowners from unreasonable utility burdens and ensures existing informal arrangements receive legal recognition.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 123 creates the Wyoming Energy Dominance Fund, administered by the Wyoming Energy Authority, to support the state's traditional energy industries. The fund receives a portion of severance tax revenues (50% for fiscal years 2027-2028, then 50% for 2029 onward) that would otherwise go to the permanent mineral trust fund or school accounts. It provides grants and loans for projects like coal innovation, natural gas, uranium processing, and pipeline infrastructure - requiring a 1:1 match from non-state funds - but explicitly excludes wind and solar energy projects. The fund aims to bolster Wyoming's energy sector, which supports over 60,000 jobs and generates significant state revenue.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 61 would exempt sales or transfers of motor vehicles between immediate family members (parents, children, spouses, or siblings) from state sales and use tax. This applies only when the original seller/donor paid tax on the vehicle when they first purchased it. The bill requires the transfer to occur directly between qualifying family members and designates the vehicle as tax-exempt under state law. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 128 provides a 5-year severance tax exemption for oil and gas operators using certified advanced extraction methods (tertiary production) between July 2026 and July 2031. It directly affects oil and gas producers who implement qualifying projects approved by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after July 1, 2026. The bill requires annual reports by the Commission and Department detailing production volumes, qualifying operators, wells, and the tax savings from the exemption. This exemption applies specifically to severance taxes under Wyoming law, with reports due each November 1 from 2026 through 2036.

Maddy summarySF 105 redefines "customer" in Wyoming real estate law as a person who has not established an agency relationship with a broker, such as someone viewing properties without formal representation. It requires real estate licensees to provide written disclosures about agency relationships before discussing transactions, clarifying that customers do not need to sign agency agreements to tour properties and are not entitled to confidentiality. The bill specifies that these disclosures must include key details about the customer relationship and include a signature line for acknowledgment, though the acknowledgment alone does not create a binding contract. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, and apply to all new transactions after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the expiration date (sunset) for Wyoming's property tax exemption that benefits long-term homeowners, making the exemption permanent. It directly affects homeowners who have owned their primary residence in Wyoming for a specified period, typically 10 or more years under existing law. The key provision removes the scheduled end date for this tax break, ensuring eligible homeowners continue to receive the exemption without needing future legislative action. The change takes effect on July 1, 2026, and applies statewide to qualifying properties.

Maddy summarySF 98 creates a property tax exemption for qualifying Wyoming veterans and military members. It covers honorably discharged veterans who served 18+ consecutive months (active duty or Wyoming National Guard), current active/reserve members of the Wyoming National Guard or U.S. armed forces, and surviving spouses/parents of qualifying veterans. To qualify, applicants must be bona fide Wyoming residents for at least three years. The exemption applies starting January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 13-member Wyoming Business Council Strategic Advisory Task Force to evaluate the state's Wyoming Business Council (WBC). The task force, including legislative members, business representatives (from agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, oil/gas, and local economic development), and local officials, must assess the WBC's programs, duties, and operations - including those not specified in law - and compare them to economic development models in other states. It will develop recommendations for strategic direction, propose changes to the WBC's structure or functions, and suggest improvements for communication with state leadership. The task force must meet at least three times and submit findings by a specified deadline. (Note: This is a procedural evaluation bill, not a policy change.)

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 114 establishes a new election process for state representatives, requiring voters to select entire candidate lists from political parties rather than individual candidates. The bill specifies that parties must nominate lists (matching the number of seats per district) through primary elections (where vote totals order candidates) or other methods like conventions, with all lists certified to the secretary of state. Elected representatives are apportioned to lists based on total votes using a mathematical formula, and the bill explicitly prohibits ranked-choice voting in all elections. This directly affects how candidates are nominated, how votes are counted, and which voting systems are permitted for state representative races.