![[Top]](/images/nav-top.gif)
![[Back]](/images/nav-back.gif)
![[Home]](/images/nav-home.gif)
July 17, 2004
Capitol Building – Room 302
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Representative Fred Parady, Chairman
Senator April Brimmer Kunz, Vice Chairman
Representative Randall Luthi, Secretary
Senator Keith Goodenough
Senator Rae Lynn Job
Senator Grant Larson
Senator Jayne Mockler
Senator John Schiffer
Representative Rodney “Pete” Anderson
Representative Tom Lockhart
Representative Wayne Reese
Representative Ann Robinson
Senator Irene Devin
Dan J. Pauli, Director
Mark Quiner, Assistant Director
Dave Gruver, Assistant Director
Don Richards, Senior Research Analyst
Matt Sackett, Research Analyst
Chairman Parady called the meeting to order at 10 a.m.. The following sections summarize the Council proceedings by topic. Please refer to Appendices 1 and 2 to review the Council Meeting Agenda.
Chairman Parady and Senator Kunz led a discussion concerning legislators attending the Energy Council meeting September 18 – 21, 2004 in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Council of State Governments West meeting September 25 – 29, 2004 also in Anchorage. Both felt it was important that Wyoming legislators attend these meetings for the exchange of ideas and would like to encourage attendance.
Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved that the Council approve 15 House members and 10 Senate members to attend both meetings and leave it to the Speaker and President to decide for their respective bodies which members attend which meeting. The motion was amended by Representative Luthi to authorize up to 25 members total to attend both meetings and let the Speaker and President decide which members attend which meeting. The motion passed with Senator Goodenough voting no.
Mr. Pauli explained that Management Council had adopted a policy at the last meeting relating to reimbursement of clerical expenses for specified legislative officers and ranking minority committee members, however, a question remains regarding the determination of who is entitled to claim the reimbursement. The question involves the situation where the ranking minority member on a committee is already entitled to receive reimbursement due to his position in leadership or as the ranking member on another committee. The issue is whether the right to claim the reimbursement should "drop down" to the next ranking minority member on the committee which in some cases would entitle a freshman legislator to claim the clerical expense reimbursement.
At the suggestion of Chairman Parady the Council decided that, for now, determination of this issue will be left to the joint discretion of the Majority and Minority leaders of each house. The possibility of adopting a formal policy may be considered in the future.
Senator Mockler suggested that since committee work was set back by the special legislative session, that the Council should send a letter to the interim committee chairmen letting them know that the research staff can be of assistance on their interim topics.
Representative Reese indicated he would like the staff to look at the 10 or 15 states which have the lowest medical malpractice insurance premium rates in the country and compare those states to Wyoming to consider what, if anything, those states are doing differently than Wyoming.
Following discussion, Senator Mockler moved that the Speaker and President send a letter to the interim committee chairmen advising that their research requests related to their interim topics will have priority for staff research at this time. The motion passed.
Senator Mockler stated that the research projects which have been completed for the special session on medical malpractice and tort reform have been most helpful and she hopes the momentum of the debate begun in committees on this topic will not be lost and that any good ideas for legislation will continue to be developed for consideration in the 2005 general session. It was agreed that this should be communicated to the Joint Interim Committees.
Following discussion, Chairman Parady asked that the following information be prepared for the next Council meeting:
Senator Mockler suggested the legislature have a fire drill during the 2005 general session for safety purposes. Senator Mockler was authorized by the Council to proceed with planning for a fire drill.
Chairman Parady stated the Travel Committee has requested an additional $8500 for interim committee work since the committee was assigned the topic of bingo at the previous Council meeting. Following discussion, Senator Kunz moved the budget request be approved. The motion passed.
Representative Luthi indicated that there has been a lot of research done by LSO research staff for the special session and it would be helpful if this information was shared with others.
Following discussion, Representative Reese moved that the research information prepared by LSO staff for the special legislative session be released to the public on the website. Senator Mockler amended the motion to only release information done for the Management Council and leave it up to the individual members whether they wished to release the information researched for them. The amended motion passed.
Representative Reese then moved that LSO contact the individual legislators for whom research had been done to see if they would like to release the information to the public as well as other legislators. The motion passed.
Staff was also directed to ask legislators, in the future, whether individual research could be released both to the Web site and to other legislators.
Chairman Parady announced the Council will meet jointly with the Education Committee in Cody on September 7, 2004 (beginning at 1 pm) and continue on through September 8, 2004. The meeting may extend into September 9 if needed.
There being no further business, Chairman Parady adjourned the meeting at 11 a.m..
Respectfully submitted,
Representative Randall Luthi, Secretary