After the session

After session adjourned, Judy and I took a few days for ourselves. We have six grandkids in Wyoming from ages 4 to 17. So, we went south and celebrated two birthdays and attended both a track meet and soccer game while visiting two of our kids and both their families. Seems, “Let’s go, Papa” was the word for the visit. The youth do step out at a brisker pace than I most often use. That being said, it was good to get home just in time for 8-plus inches of snow following about a half inch of rain.

As I mentioned in my last article, I would like to give some more detail on the bills I saw in each of my committees. In the Energy and Telecommunications Committee, we saw a total of 44 bills with 16 of them failing along the way. Our committee killed six of the 16 and the rest either missed some timeframe or failed in the House Energy Committee.

Next was the Education and Cultural Resources Committee with 59 total bills analyzed during session. Fourteen of those failed in one way or another. Eight of them where not passed by our Education Committee and the other six were either killed on the floor or the House Education Committee.

Tax is the committee I attend every day of session. Of all my committees, it had the most total bills needing to be addressed. We had a total of 71 bills come to the Tax Committee. Of the 24 total bills failing to make it to the governor’s desk, our committee killed 17. One did get to his desk and was vetoed. The other seven either did not pass a floor vote or the House Tax Committee. Many are wondering why the governor vetoed the housing tax credit. I asked this question and apparently it was not in the budget, which is interesting as it passed House Tax Committee, then House floor (84–16), Senate Finance and Claims Committee, and the Senate floor (26–24). I am not a big abatement or credit fan, as that system picks winner and losers. I have always said the only fair tax is the one my neighbors pay and I don’t (tongue in cheek).

With Memorial Day coming up, please slow down and enjoy life! Congratulations, graduates!

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Sen Russ Tempel, R-Chester, can be emailed at [email protected].