1. HB 66 Lodging Tax. This bill would have imposed a new statewide tax on sales of lodging services. It passed in the House 44-16 but failed in the Senate with a vote of 7-19-1-3. We have assigned a plus to the nays because Wyomingites would have been subject to a 5% lodging tax and violates Wyoming Republican Party Platform #7 as it interferes in the free market system and causes an increase in state government growth and fiscal irresponsibility. It also violates WRP Resolution: Government which was passed 1/12/19, against tax increases. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0066.pdf)
2. HB 106 Party Affiliation Change. This bill would have revised the state law relating to political party affiliations and would have required that a switch from one major political party to another major political party must occur at least 14 days prior to the primary election. It passed in the House by 41-18-1 but failed in the Senate by 11-14-5. We have assigned a plus to the ayes because this bill directly supports WRP Resolution: Government #10 and brings original intent and integrity back to the political party primary process. The primary is a party nomination process, and HB 106 was an attempt to thwart last-minute crossover voting. This bill was a high priority for the Wyoming Republican Party. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0106.pdf)
3. HB 140 48 Hour Waiting Period Before Abortion. This bill would have required physicians to wait 48 hours before performing nonemergency abortion procedures. It passed the House with a vote of 36-22-2 but was not considered in the Senate Labor, Health & Social Services committee. We have assigned a plus to the ayes because this bill directly supports WRP Platform #1 and WRP Resolution: Health and Society #3 as it offers an opportunity for serious consideration to a serious medical procedure. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0140.pdf)
4. HB 192 Voter Fraud Prevention. This bill would have required voter photo identification to be presented at the polls in a primary, general or special election. It failed in the House with a vote of 29-30-1. We have assigned a plus to the ayes because this vote directly supports WRP Resolution: Government #12 and encourages an honest election process. HB 192 was another high priority for the Wyoming Republican Party. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0192.pdf)
5. HB 220 Corporate Income Tax. This bill, known as the National Retail Fairness Act, would have imposed, for the first time in Wyoming’s history, an income tax on businesses in Wyoming. It passed in the House with a vote of 44-14-2 but died in Senate committee. We have assigned a plus to the nays because this bill is in direct opposition to WRP Resolution: Government #11, no Wyoming income taxes and WRP Resolution: Government passed 5/4/19, against state income tax. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0220.pdf)
6. HB 244 Medicaid Expansion. This bill would have expanded Medicaid in Wyoming to able-bodied, working adults – far beyond the original intent of the program designed for the disabled and poor women and their children. It failed in the House with a vote of 23-36-1. We have assigned a plus to the nays because this bill directly violates WRP Platform #13 as the Medicaid program goes beyond the U.S. Constitution’s few and defined powers. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0244.pdf)
7. HB 299 Investment of Public Funds. This bill would have created a new state agency, the Wyoming Investment Council, and would have taken away the investment authority of our constitutionally elected State Treasurer. It failed in the House with a vote of 23-36-1. We have assigned a plus to the nays because this bill violates WRP Platform #9 and flies in opposition to our constitutional representative form of government by removing authority from an elected official and transfers that authority to another unelected state agency unaccountable to Wyoming voters. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0299.pdf)
8. HB 310 Wyoming’s Tomorrow. This bill would have provided for a study to create a taxpayer funded grant program to make two years of education at Wyoming community college and the University of Wyoming as free as possible. It passed in the House by a vote of 35-23-2 but failed in the Senate by a vote of 8-21-1. We have assigned a plus to the nays because this bill is in violation of WRP Platform #7. There is no such thing as “free” education but rather robs Peter (hard working Wyoming taxpayers) to pay Paul. Not only is this bill fiscally irresponsible by state government, it is socialist in its nature. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/HB0310.pdf)
9. SF 144 Medicaid Work Requirement. This bill, known as the Medicaid and SNAP Eligibility Requirements, would have required able-bodied Medicaid recipients to comply with specified work or volunteer requirements as a condition of receiving those benefits. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 23-5-2 but failed in the House by a vote of 20-39-1. We have assigned a plus to the ayes because this bill supports WRP Resolution: Health and Society, #4. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/SF0144.pdf)
10. SF 146 Medicaid Expansion Study. This bill would have required a study of the costs and benefits of expanding the Medicaid program as HB 244 (#6) envisioned. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 22-6-2 but failed in the House by a vote of 28-31-1. We have assigned a plus to the nay votes because this bill is in direction opposition to WRP Platform #13 and WRP Resolution: Crime & Law, #8 as the Medicaid program violates the U.S. Constitution’s few and defined powers. (https://www.wyoleg.gov/2019/Digest/SF0146.pdf)
