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December 19, 2002
Capitol Building, Room 302
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Representative Randall Luthi, Chairman
Senator Hank Coe, Vice Chairman
Senator April Brimmer Kunz
Senator Grant Larson
Senator Mike Massie
Senator Bill Vasey
Representative Ross Diercks
Representative Alan Jones
Representative Tom Lockhart
Representative Jane Warren
Barbara J. Rogers, Program Evaluation Manager; Kelley Pelissier, Senior Program Evaluator; Paula Gordinier, Program Evaluator; Noah Miller, Associate Program Evaluator; Kate Collins, Associate Program Evaluator
Please refer to Appendix 1 for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.
Senator Carroll Miller
All meeting materials and handouts provided to the Committee by the Legislative Service Office (LSO), public officials, lobbyists, and the public are referenced in the Meeting Materials Index, attached to the minutes. These materials are on file at the LSO and are part of the official record of the meeting.
Chairman Luthi called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic. Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.
Chairman Luthi resolved the meeting into Executive Session for consideration of the draft report on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department: Private Lands Public Wildlife Access Program. After staff presentations, the Committee discussed the report with members of the Game and Fish Department staff and a member of the Game and Fish Commission. Following their departure, the Committee discussed the report.
Chairman Luthi declared the meeting open. Senator Coe moved to release the report and Senator Larson seconded the motion. The motion carried. Senator Kunz requested that in addition to the regular distribution, a copy of the report be sent to the co-chairmen of the Joint Travel, Recreation, and Wildlife Committee and to the Governor-elect.
Follow-up on Employees’ Group Health Insurance Program
The Chairman resolved the Committee into Executive Session for consideration of a staff follow- up on the 2000 report, Employees’ Group Health Insurance (EGI). After Ms. Pelissier’s introductory comments giving background on the EGI study, Frank Galeotos, Department of Administration & Information Director, Darald Dykeman, Human Resources Division Administrator, and Ralph Hayes, EGI Program Manager, discussed agency actions since the report was released. Following their departure, the Committee continued to discuss the follow-up.
After the committee’s discussion, Chairman Luthi declared the meeting open. Senator Coe moved to release the follow-up, seconded by Representative Lockhart. The motion carried. Senator Kunz requested that the follow-up be sent to the Governor-elect.
At the Chairman’s request, Ms. Rogers introduced Karen Byrnes, LSO staff attorney, who reviewed two bill drafts the Committee had requested on organization of the Aeronautics Commission. The first bill, 03LSO-0348.C3, would abolish the Aeronautics Commission and transfer its authority to the Transportation Commission. The second bill, 03LSO-0347.C1, would increase the authority of the Aeronautics Commission. Senator Coe suggested that the Committee proceed with both bills. Senator Kunz moved that the Committee sponsor both bills, seconded by Senator Vasey. The motion carried. Senator Larson requested the bills be introduced in the Senate; Chairman Luthi agreed and suggested that Senator Coe be the lead.
Senator Coe requested that Jerry Olson, manager of the Cheyenne Airport, make sure airport operators are aware of these two bills. Mr. Olson said the airport operators would likely support either one, as they would like to modernize the Commission’s organizational structure.
Ms. Rogers explained that the request for a study of Emergency Fire Suppression Account (EFS Account) had come from the Joint Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources Committee. Also, Management Council had directed the Joint Appropriations Committee to examine this account as an interim topic. Ms. Rogers asked Senator Larson, co-chairman of that Committee, if the issues had been resolved. Senator Larson and Representative Jones summarized testimony heard and actions taken by the Appropriations Committee.
Chairman Luthi asked Senator Larson if he thought there was still room for a Management Audit report or whether enough changes had been proposed to take care of the problem. Committee discussion followed with Ms. Rogers noting that traditionally, the outgoing committee assigns just enough work for program evaluation staff to complete until new members of the Management Audit Committee are appointed and can select topics.
Senator Kunz moved to defer the scoping paper to the incoming Committee; the motion was seconded and it carried. Senator Larson requested that copies of the scoping paper on the EFS Account be sent to the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. Rogers proceeded to the topic of Collection Management Policies for Loans from the State Museum’s Permanent Collection. John Keck, Director of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, originally requested this topic.
Senator Massie commented that two publicized issues dealing with historical artifacts have made the State Museum’s deaccessioning policies a highly visible topic with the public. He said he believed the Management Audit Committee should study the State Museum’s deaccessioning policies as a means to putting long-held questions to rest. Ms. Rogers stated that she anticipates the previously-assigned Worker’s Compensation report will be a relatively long and complex study, requiring that the entire program evaluation staff be dedicated to it.
Senator Larson moved that the Committee assign the State Museum topic along with the Worker’s Compensation topic, but that it not have priority over the Worker’s Compensation study. The motion was seconded. Senator Massie noted that of the possible evaluation issues identified in the scoping paper, the third issue could be replaced with the following: Do State Museum deaccessioning policies and procedures comply with professional accreditation standards? Do artifacts donated to state historic sites remain at the site? This change was accepted and the amended motion carried.
Ms. Rogers informed the Committee that the staff will soon hold an entrance conference with the Department of Employment, thus beginning the study of the Division of Workers’ Safety and Compensation: Claims Settlement Process. She also noted that program evaluation staff vacancies will be advertised in winter and spring and filled as appropriate. She went on to summarize the outgoing committee’s accomplishments which included releasing six reports and seven follow-ups, and sponsoring several bills on Deferred Compensation and Employees’ Group Insurance that were enacted.
Chairman Luthi thanked members for their service on the Committee.
There being no further business, Chairman Luthi adjourned the meeting at 3:20 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Randall Luthi, Chairman