EDITORIAL: Legislature opens in Cheyenne today

Posted 1/10/17

On Wednesday, Gov. Matt Mead will give his State of the State address in a joint session of the Legislature, and then lawmakers will be very busy for the next eight weeks or so. The 2017 session is tentatively scheduled to end March 3. 

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EDITORIAL: Legislature opens in Cheyenne today

Posted

Session will affect all state residents

Today is the first day of the 64th Wyoming Legislature, with opening ceremonies scheduled for noon in both the Wyoming House of Representatives and the Wyoming Senate. 

On Wednesday, Gov. Matt Mead will give his State of the State address in a joint session of the Legislature, and then lawmakers will be very busy for the next eight weeks or so. The 2017 session is tentatively scheduled to end March 3. 

This year, as last year, the Legislature will convene in temporary chambers in the Jonah Business Center in Cheyenne, due to the Capitol Square Project underway to renovate the Capitol Building and expand and update the Herschler Building. 

Outside of the location change, however, much remains the same. As always, ours is a citizens’ Legislature. It comprises 30 senators and 60 representatives — among them, our neighbors — whom Wyoming residents elected to represent us in matters concerning state government. 

We sometimes undervalue that distinction, but it does matter. Having watched the Legislature at work on many occasions, we can tell you that most state lawmakers are continually aware — many keenly so — that they are acting on their constituents’ behalf. 

When faced with proposals for new laws or changes to existing ones, they want to know, among other things, how the people they represent feel about those proposals. That is why public input and feedback is actively sought during legislative committee hearings, and why it is often one of the preliminary factors considered during discussion and deliberation. 

Here in northwest Wyoming, we often feel disadvantaged when it comes to a legislative process that happens in the opposite corner of the state, more than 400 miles away. But in today’s world, technology helps level the playing field by allowing us to receive and provide effective, timely information during the Legislature. 

Information about each House bill and Senate file up for consideration is available on the Legislature’s website (http://legisweb.state.wy.us). The website is updated daily and includes, among other things:

• Bill status information.

• Live streaming audio of legislative proceedings. A link is displayed prominently on the website when a session begins.

• Current items of interest, including a white paper on the Wyoming K-12 education funding deficit. 

• Roll call votes, reported minutes after each vote is taken on the floor.   

• Amendments to legislation.

• Senate and House schedules.

• Directions to the Jonah Business Center, 3001 E. Pershing Blvd., in Cheyenne, and the locations of the House and Senate chambers.

Should you have an interest in attending a House or Senate committee meeting in person, the website provides information on what to expect and how to provide information to the committee. 

Other services available to residents during the Legislature include:    

• Correspondence with legislators

— The Senate receptionist is available at 307-777-7711.

— The House receptionist can be reached at 307-777-7852. 

— Legislators can be contacted by email at addresses in the following format: Firstname.Lastname@wyoleg.gov. (For example: David.Northrup@wyoleg.gov; Dan.Laursen@wyoleg.gov; Hank.Coe@wyoleg.gov; Ray.Peterson@wyoleg.gov, Jamie.Flitner@wyoleg.gov and Scott.Court@wyoleg.gov)

— Written correspondence can be mailed to legislators in care of the Wyoming House or Senate, State Capitol, Cheyenne, WY, 82002. 

• Online and telephone hotlines

— You can recommend support for or opposition to a bill by visiting http://legisweb.state.wy.us/postcomments/onlinehotline.aspx. Comments will be available to all legislators. 

— A telephone hotline is available toll free by calling 1-866-996-8683 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on days the Legislature is in session. The hotline provides access to the current status of any bill in the legislative process as well as a way for residents to provide feedback on proposed legislation. 

It is wise to remember that representatives and senators usually are looking for individual feedback on legislative proposals. A first-hand comment from a constituent with direct experience or a reasoned opinion in the matter at hand is much more likely to sway lawmakers’ viewpoints than would a flood of form letters or copied-and-pasted emails.  

This means that, to make your opinion heard best, it’s a good idea to spend some time making sure you understand the issue at hand and how to convey your viewpoint politely and effectively. However, you need not be an orator or a talented writer; you just need to be a concerned resident who wishes to state your opinion frankly on a matter that is important to you.

So, why should you, the average citizen, take an interest in the legislative process? 

Simple. This is all about Wyoming and the people who live here. 

The changes the Legislature makes — or doesn’t make — during this session likely will have direct impacts on your life, and the lives of your family and friends, as Wyoming residents. We think that’s a very good reason to stay informed and become involved.

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