Kinner Optimistic Balance Will Be Found Between Bills and Budget

Local Legislator Mark Kinner expressed a confident attitude when asked about the challenge of working on the budget bill that will serve as state’s financial blueprint for the next two years while also trying to work on the hundreds of bills that were listed for the 2020 Budget Session of the 65th Wyoming Legislature. Representative Kinner even shared an example of how the House is trying to keep things on track. 

Per Wyoming’s Constitution, the Legislature will meet 40 days on general session years and 20 on budget years. Kinner said that for the first time in decades, that will be slightly changed.

Another mechanism that is in place to make sure budget years are efficient is the ⅔ majority that it takes to introduce any given piece of legislation rather than the general session mark of a simple majority. Speaker of the House Steve Harshman is running a House Joint Resolution that would amend the Constitution by repealing that introductory vote requirement. HJ4 passed introduction with 46 yays to 14 nays. Local Representatives Kinner and Cyrus Western voted in favor while Mark Jennings and Richard Tass voted against the measure.