Sen. Bob Ide

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Wyoming minors aged 14-16 to obtain restricted class C or M driver's licenses with expanded driving permissions. It increases the permitted driving radius from 50 to 150 miles from their home and adds two new qualifying circumstances for "extreme inconvenience": needing to commute more than 5 miles to school or working in a parent's business. The bill maintains existing restrictions, including driving only between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. and requiring parental/guardian consent. The Department of Transportation must create implementing rules, and the changes would take effect July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 156 establishes a legal presumption in Wyoming court decisions about children's best interests: it is conclusively not in a child's best interest to undergo gender transition or reassignment procedures. The bill defines prohibited procedures to include certain surgeries (like hysterectomy or orchiectomy), mastectomies, and specific hormone treatments (such as puberty blockers or supraphysiologic hormone doses), while excluding care for children with medically verified conditions like disorders of sex development or central precocious puberty. This presumption applies to family court cases involving custody, adoption, visitation, and protection orders. The bill amends multiple Wyoming statutes to incorporate this standard, affecting court rulings on minors' care.

Maddy summaryHB 140 changes how the University of Wyoming's board of trustees is structured and selected. It increases the board from 12 to 19 members (14 voting trustees and 5 non-voting ex-officio members), requiring seven voting trustees to be elected by Wyoming voters instead of appointed by the governor. The bill establishes election rules for these seven elected trustees, including four-year terms, voting districts, and non-partisan ballot placement. This directly affects Wyoming voters who will elect trustees and the university's governance structure, replacing the current system where most trustees are appointed by the governor. The changes take effect after the 2024 general election.

Maddy summaryWyoming HB 128, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing eligible students with $6,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) to cover qualified educational expenses. It directly affects Wyoming residents who are public school-eligible but haven’t graduated high school, allowing parents to use ESA funds for tuition at qualified schools (including private or online programs), textbooks, tutoring, technology, and other approved educational costs. The state treasurer administers the accounts, which are funded by state appropriations - not local tax revenues - and require parental agreements specifying eligible uses. The bill explicitly states qualified schools are not considered state or federal agents and establishes oversight mechanisms for the program.

Maddy summaryHB 130 would change Wyoming driver's license expiration rules, extending the standard renewal period from every 5 years to every 7 years. It also allows certain licensees - active-duty military personnel, government employees stationed out of state, and their dependents - to renew licenses without a test every 7 years, provided their license hasn't been suspended in the prior 7 years. The bill applies to licenses issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024. Note: This bill was withdrawn by its sponsor on February 16, 2024, and is not currently law.

Maddy summaryThis bill would repeal Wyoming's existing low-carbon energy standards for public utilities. It requires utilities to refund customers for rates collected under those repealed standards (with an exception for costs already spent on carbon capture technology before the bill's effective date). The Public Service Commission would establish rules to implement these changes. The bill directly affects all public utilities operating in Wyoming and their customers who paid the now-repealed rates.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 108 would regulate chemical abortions by requiring healthcare providers to physically examine patients, be present during the first drug dose, and provide biohazard-labeled waste bags for disposal. It mandates that providers schedule follow-up visits within seven days and instruct patients on proper disposal of medical waste. The bill also holds manufacturers responsible for the environmental remediation of abortion drugs and their byproducts entering water systems. This law directly affects healthcare providers prescribing abortion drugs and drug manufacturers, with penalties including up to three years in prison or $10,000 fines for violations.

Maddy summarySF 127 revises how Wyoming distributes sales and use tax revenue. It reduces the state general fund's share of these taxes from 69% to 66% for both sales and use tax collections. The bill also increases the portion of out-of-state vendor tax revenue distributed to counties, cities, and towns from 29.5% to 34%, and doubles the fixed annual payments to counties (from $20,000 to $40,000 for sales tax, and from $5,000 to $10,000 for use tax). These changes take effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming legislative bill (SJ 3) proposes amending the state constitution to require future constitutional amendments to be approved by a majority of voters in at least three-fourths of Wyoming's counties (not just statewide). It would directly affect all future constitutional amendment proposals by adding this county-level approval requirement. The key change modifies Article 20, Section 1 of the Wyoming Constitution, which currently only requires statewide voter approval. The bill failed to advance after a 14-17 vote against introduction on February 16, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals Wyoming's temporary tax exemption for electricity produced from wind energy, ending a moratorium that previously exempted wind power from a production tax. Starting July 1, 2024, all wind-generated electricity in Wyoming - including power produced before the repeal that qualified for the old exemption - will be subject to the tax. The bill directly affects wind energy producers by requiring them to pay the tax on their electricity output. It makes no changes to existing tax rates but removes the specific exemption that had applied to wind energy since 2020. (Note: The bill failed to advance in the legislature on February 16, 2024.)