Number Of Wyoming House Bills Defeated Already In 2023 Session

The 2023 session of the Wyoming Legislature is less than half over, but a number of bills filed in the Wyoming House are already dead, either because they have been voted down or because they missed Tuesday's deadline for introduction.

That doesn't always mean that the basic idea behind the legislation may not be approved by Wyoming lawmakers., In some cases identical or very similar bills have been filed in the state Senate, and may still end up being approved by both houses.

Bills that miss the deadline for an introductory vote are usually not supported by legislative leadership.

But the following  high-profile House bills have died for this session. This is not a listing of every failed House bill, but a summary of some of the higher-profile measures:

-House Bill 66, Prohibiting Mask, Vaccine and testing discrimination. Defeated on third reading by a 32-29 vote on Monday. The subject of intense floor debate.

House Bill 43, Winter Road Closures. Would have doubles the fines for violating a road closure order due to winter weather from $750 to $1,500. Defeated in Committee of the Whole Introductory vote, 38-23.

.House Bill 71,  Sales Tax Holiday, Back to School. Failed Committee of the Whole vote by a 38-23 margin,

House Bill 149, Protection of Health Care Workers. Would have specified guidelines for criminal charges for assaulting health care workers. Defeated on Third Reading by a 34-28 vote.

House Bill 162, County Optional tax, affordable housing. Would have allowed counties to impose on excise tax on real estate transactions. The money raised would have been used to promote affordable housing. Failed to meet the deadline for introduction.

House Bill 189, Would have restricted the ability of Homeowners Associations to prohibit political campaign signs. Failed to win approval in the Corporations Committee on a 4-4 tie with one absent.

House Bill 107, Bill to make  the Office of Attorney General an elected rather than appointed position. Failed to meet the deadline for introduction.

House Bill 115, election administration. Would have removed many of the duties of administering elections from the Wyoming Secretary of State's Office. Considered to be aimed at Chuck Gray, who was elected Secretary of State in 2022. Not considered for introduction.

 House Bill 259, Runoff Election Bill. Would have called for runoff elections in primaries for state and federal offices if no candidate gets a majority. Missed the deadline for introduction.