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March 9, 2006
State Capitol Room 302
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Senator Grant Larson, Chairman
Representative Randall Luthi, Vice Chairman
Senator Jim Anderson
Senator John Hines
Senator Rae Lynn Job
Senator Mike Massie
Senator John Schiffer
Representative Roy Cohee
Representative Ross Diercks
Representative Tom Lockhart
Representative Wayne Reese
Representative Ann Robinson
Representative Colin Simpson
Dan J. Pauli, Director
Mark Quiner, Assistant Director
Dave Gruver, Assistant Director
Wendy K. Madsen, Legislative Information Officer
Please refer to
Appendix 1 to review the Council Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.
Chairman Larson called the meeting to order at 4:20pm. The following sections summarize the Council proceedings by topic. Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Council Meeting Agenda.
Minutes from the February 10, 2006 Council meeting were approved without any changes.
Senator Larson explained that the Legislature has received a request to host the 2007 CSG-West Annual Meeting in 2007 in Jackson. He explained that he was initially hesitant about hosting, because he was concerned about imposing on the LSO with such a small staff and the distance for LSO staff to travel to Jackson. He noted that CSG-West understands Wyoming’s limited legislative staff size and have agreed that the meeting planning will not involve a large staff contribution. Instead the fundraising and meeting coordination will be provided through a contract by Liz Brimmer and Danielle Enzi. He also noted that Diane Shober, director of the Wyoming Tourism Division, has offered the assistance of her staff in meeting planning.
Representative Luthi expressed his excitement at hosting the 2007 meeting and appreciated CSG-West’s willingness to take on a larger role in planning given LSO’s limited staff. He noted that he would be happy to assist CSG-West in planning and fundraising. Representative Luthi moved that the Wyoming Legislature host the 2007 meeting in Jackson and for Ms. Brimmer and Ms. Enzi to provide for meeting planning and fundraising. The motion carried.
Senator Larson invited CSG-West staff Cheryl Lee Duvauchelle and Lolita Urrutia to explain the preliminary plans for the meeting. Ms. Duvauchelle provided a packet of information to the Council about hosting an annual meeting (see Appendix 3). She explained that Wyoming will be hosting the 60th Annual Meeting from September 16-19, 2007 at Jackson Lake Lodge. She noted that Wyoming last hosted the meeting in 1991 in Cheyenne. She stressed that planning for the meeting is a partnership between the host state and the CSG-West staff. Ms. Duvauchelle expects approximately 500 attendees in September.
The Council reviewed proposed joint interim committee study requests submitted by each interim committee (See Appendix 4). The changes to submitted topics are noted below and a final list of approved topics is located in Appendix 6. Senator Larson noted that if committees would like to study additional topics during the interim, other than those approved by the Council, the committee chairmen need to request approval from Management Council prior to proceeding. He noted that the Council will look closely at what the committees are studying and whether the committees are on topic if they come back to the Council for additional funds. He requested that the committee chairmen contact him, as the chair, if they have an emergency request that is off-topic prior to a committee meeting. Senator Hines noted that more and more time is devoted to interim committee work and the Legislature is asking more of committees and agencies and that the Legislature will need to examine the workload it is putting on itself and future legislatures.
Senator Hanes and Representative Landon explained the committee’s proposed interim topics.
Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Representative Landon explained that the Committee would like to assign members to act as liaisons to several executive and judicial branch committees working on judicial issues. Mr. Pauli explained that typically per diem and mileage are paid to a legislator to attend non-legislative meetings and salary is usually only paid to legislators to attend formal legislative meetings, but that the Council could move to provide salary in addition to per diem and mileage to attend these meetings. Senator Schiffer moved to approve per diem, mileage, and salary for committee members to attend meetings and serve as liaisons to executive and judicial branch committees working on judicial issues. The motion carried.
Representative Philp explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried. Senator Hines also requested that the JAC review ways to make the budget process flow more smoothly.
Senator Peck and Representative Anderson explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Coe and Representative Wasserburger explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Geis and Representative Hageman explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Burns and Representative Childers explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Meier and Representative Illoway explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Barrasso and Representative Edwards explained the committee’s proposed interim topics.
Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Hawks and Representative Lockhart explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Scott and Representative Osborn explained the committee’s proposed interim topics.
Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Geis and Representative Hageman explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Representative Luthi moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Senator Peck and Representative McComie explained the committee’s proposed interim topics. Following discussion, Senator Massie moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
The Committee also requested funding for committee members to travel with the tribes to meet with Wyoming’s congressional delegation in Washington, DC. Mr. Pauli recommended that the Council use the out-of-state travel budget, rather than the committee budget, to fund this expense, if the Council elects to approve the request. Representative Robinson moved to approve two Committee members to travel with the tribes to DC for a meeting with Wyoming’s congressional delegation, with expenses paid form the legislative out-of-state travel budget. The motion carried. Senator Larson noted that the request for the two members to travel to this meeting should be approved through the presiding officers in the same manner as other out of state travel.
Following discussion, Senator Massie moved to approve the Committee’s interim topic proposals (as modified in Appendix 6). The motion carried.
Mr. Pauli explained how the draft interim committee budget was developed, noting that $450,000 had been budgeted for each year of the upcoming biennium. He noted that the Legislature spent only $334,000 on interim committee meetings in 2005, so the amount currently allotted should be sufficient. He also explained that is difficult to estimate the costs to held a meeting, because it depends on the location of the meeting and where the committee members are traveling from, but in general, a two-day meeting costs approximately $8,000 and a one-day meeting costs approximately $6,500 for 14 members.
He explained that the budget for each committee reflects historical expenditures over thelast few years. Mr. Pauli noted that Council may need to add additional funds to the budgets of busier committees. He recommended that Council adopt the proposed budget and allow the committees to approach Council for additional funds, if needed. Senator Larson noted that the Council will have more oversight of the work of committees, if they need to request additional funding from the Council. Representative Simpson moved the adoption of the proposed interim committee budget. (See Appendix 5.) The motion carried.
Representative Reese reminded the Council that the Legislature passed legislation last year that will take effect in 2009 regarding legislative pay. He noted that reimbursement for many boards and commissions is tied to the legislative rate and that Council may want to look at these impacts in the future.
Senator Larson noted that the Council will meet only on an as-needed basis during the interim. He anticipates that the Council will likely not meet again until the end of May. There being no further business, Chairman Larson adjourned the meeting at 8:50pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Senator Rae Lynn Job, Secretary