Council Meeting Information

February 26, 2007

Room 302 Wyoming State Capitol

Cheyenne, Wyoming

 

Council Members Present

Representative Roy Cohee, Chairman

Senator John Schiffer, Vice Chairman

Senator Jim Anderson

Senator Ken Decaria

Senator John Hines

Senator Mike Massie

Senator Jayne Mockler
Senator Tony Ross

Representative Tom Lockhart

Representative Tom Lubnau

Representative Marty Martin

Representative Colin Simpson
Representative Bill Thompson

 

Council Members Absent

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Dan J. Pauli, Director

Mark Quiner, Assistant Director

Dave Gruver, Assistant Director

Wendy Madsen, Legislative Information Officer

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Council Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.


Executive Summary

The Council began preliminary discussion and approval of 2007 interim committee topics. 

 

Call To Order

Chairman Cohee called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.  The following sections summarize the Council proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Council Meeting Agenda.

 

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the February 8, 2007 Council meeting were approved without changes.

 

Administrative Rule Reviews

Mr. Dave Nelson addressed the Council regarding rules the Department of Education is in the process of promulgating on private school licensing, which formalize emergency rules that the agency was operating under until recently.  Senator Hines moved approval of the rules.  The motion carried.   

 

Preliminary Review of Interim Study Proposals

The Council discussed the need to take a more strategic approach in approving interim committee work, both to establish a vision for what the body wants to accomplish during the interim, as well as to manage legislator and staff workload.  The Council agreed to look at scheduling work over the 2007-2008 biennium and to evaluate proposed committee meeting schedules to ensure that committee work was scheduled earlier in the interim and to conclude earlier when possible.  The Council also discussed the need to develop general guidelines for committees regarding this new approach to interim work.

 

The Council took preliminary action noted below on the proposed interim study topics provided by committees (See Appendix 3.)  Topics designated by Management Council as “2009 legislation” are authorized by the Council with the understanding that background work on the topic will commence in the 2007 interim, but with the further expectation that any major legislation on the issue will be developed by the Committee during the 2008 interim for introduction in the 2009 General Session.

 

Joint Judiciary Interim Committee

·         Council approved the proposed list of interim studies with no changes.

·         Council further approved the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

 Joint Appropriations Interim Committee

·         Council approved studies 1, 2, 4 and 5.

·         Council did not approve study 3.

·         Council modified Study priority 5 to read: “Monitor AML funds issues including establishing an AML budget account.”

·         Council took no action on the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

Joint Revenue Interim Committee

·         Council approved the proposed list of interim studies with no changes.

·         Council further approved the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

Joint Education Interim Committee

·         Council approved study priority 1 with the addition of a new subsection (j) to read:  “(j) Library report:  2006 Laws, Chapter 35, Section 321(c), requires a report on the use of funds appropriated to the Wyoming State Library, University of Wyoming and each community college for library materials and fund effectiveness in enhancing library services, and University efforts to reapply for Greater Western Library Alliance and Association of Research Libraries membership.”

·         Council approved but designated study priority 2 as “2009 legislation”.

·         Council did not approve study priority 3.

·         Council Approved study priority 4 as revised to read:  “Higher Education: Meet with representatives of the University of Wyoming and the community colleges to review their programs and long range plans, including the University’s academic plan.  Examine the overall quality of education at the institutions and how excellence can be achieved through the excellence in higher education endowment and other means.

·         The Council approved study priority 5.

·         Council approved the following meeting schedule: 1 day meeting in May; 2 day meeting in August; 1 day meeting in October; 2 day meeting in December.

 

Joint Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee

·         Council approved studies 1, 2 and 4.

·         Council approved but designated study priority 3 as “2009 legislation.”

·         Council approved the proposed meeting schedule except the final meeting will be held no later than September 15, 2007.

 

Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee

·         Council approved the proposed list of interim studies with no changes.

·         Council further approved the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee

·         Council approved but changed the priority of the first three studies as follows: Priority 1 is Subdivisions; Priority 2 is Business friendly vs. Fraud friendly business entity; Priority 3 is Election laws.

·         Council added to the Election laws study: “Special district election issues.”

·         Council approved but designated study priorities 4 and 5 as “2009 legislation.”

·         Council took no action on study priorities 6 and 7 pending further discussion by the Committee Chairs.

·         Council approved the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

 


Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee

·         Council approved studies 1 and 2.

·         Council did not include priorities 3 through 5 in the approved studies list.

·         Council took no action on the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee

·         Council approved studies 1(a) and (b) and 4.

·         Chairman Lockhart advised that the last sentence of study 1(a) will be deleted if HB 0301 is enacted into law.

·         Council approved but designated study priorities 1(c), 2 and 3 as “2009 legislation.”

·         Council further approved the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule.

 

Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee

·         Council was provided with two alternative study lists and delayed consideration of the proposed studies pending further discussion by the Committee’s Chairmen.

·         Regarding the Committee’s proposed meeting schedule, Council adopted the following motion:
“No new legislation will be drafted for the December meeting without Management Council approval except for legislation dealing with reports relating to DD funding, physician assistant training program and EMT retirement.”

 

Meeting Adjournment

Representative Cohee announced that the Council will reconvene to continue consideration of interim study requests, including select committees not yet considered, upon afternoon adjournment of the House and Senate on Wednesday, February 28, 2007.  The Council invited committee chairmen to attend the Wednesday Council meeting if they have questions concerning Management Council’s preliminary action on the Committee’s study proposals or if the chairmen wish to recommend the addition of new studies or the reconsideration of studies not approved by Council.  There being no further business, Chairman Cohee adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Senator Jayne Mockler, Secretary

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


Appendix

 

Appendix Topic

 

Appendix Description

 

Appendix Provider

1

 

Council Sign-In Sheet

 

Lists meeting attendees

 

Legislative Service Office

2

 

Council Meeting Agenda

 

Provides an outline of the topics the Council planned to address at meeting

 

Legislative Service Office

3

 

Interim Study Topics

 

Proposed Interim Study Topics

 

Legislative Service Office

 


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