Wolves, quality child care, and a look at the budget
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Feb 26, 2007 Posted by Bill Luckett
As we head into the Legislature's final week, those pesky wolves have once again taken center stage. This story takes a look at House Bill 213, which is scheduled for its initial debate and vote on the floor of the Senate today. The bill has already cleared the House and the Senate Travel, Rec, Wildlife Committee.
Meanwhile, the quality child care bills, House Bills 95 and 96, are up for third reading in the Senate today.
On Friday, both chambers OK'd the compromise version of the budget bill (story here), so now it awaits action by the governor. The budget conference committee simply split the difference in the spending proposals of the House and Senate, for the most part. That is not usually how the budget conference committee works, but it helps explain why the committee got its work done in just a couple of days, and why both chambers voted to approve the compromise version of the budget bill. Gov. Freudenthal has until Tuesday to sign the bill into law or veto parts of it. This will give legislators a chance to override any vetoes, since they are scheduled to remain in session until Thursday. Highlights of the bill, according to the Associated Press:
- $102 million for highways projects.
- $51 million in distributions to local governments.
- $33.2 million for the state's Business Ready Communities program.
- $22.5 million for the state's long-term water project account.
- $21 million for the NCAR Super Computer project in Cheyenne.
- $19.7 million for the state's wildlife trust fund.
- $5.5 million for community college employee salary increases.
- $4 million for a 2 percent cost of living increase for government employees.
- $750,000 to hire five new state troopers.
Lawmakers are also dumping $40 million into the Permanent Wyoming Minerals Trust Fund, which will be added to the $291 million that will already automatically flow into the account this year. And, the Legislature will have $325 million in its "rainy day fund," the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account, by June 30, 2008 (the end of the fiscal year).