Take Your Seat at the Table of Business
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A business advocate.
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A marketing consultant.
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A professional trainer.
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A civic leader.
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A community partner.
These are just a few of the many hats worn by the Campbell County Chamber. A competitive advantage for your business. That is what you gain as a member of the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce—Northeast Wyoming’s largest business association. Our programs and services are designed to help you connect with a network of more than 600 businesses. Membership is open to any business or organization interested in increasing their presence in the region. Visit www.gillettechamber.com.
Advocacy is a major component in the Chamber’s role as a business organization. We serve as a forum where business leaders from various backgrounds and industries can come together and work on real solutions for the challenges that face businesses and the broader community they serve. To help support the Chamber’s role in advocacy, we participate in the Wyoming Prosperity Project—a non-partisan effort dedicated to research and dissemination of information on the positions of Wyoming’s legislators, candidates and state elected officials on matters affecting businesses and their employees. It promotes good government by helping employers and their employees learn about the people and policies that impact their jobs by providing tools to shape political and policy outcomes. Access to the site provides comprehensive information about issues and challenges facing Wyoming, serving as a reference to increase awareness and facilitate informed participation in the legislative and election processe.
Public Policy Committee
The Public Policy Committee (PPC) helps to determine the direction to be taken by the Chamber in local, county and state government, on behalf of more than 600 members. The committee compiles the annual Advocacy and Legislative Principles that outlines the Chamber’s position on the issues affecting the businesses in the community that is provided to the County’s state legislators prior to the upcoming legislative session. The PPC also hosts the Eggs & Issues legislative breakfast held the first of the year, which provides an opportunity for the community to meet with state representatives and learn the issues on the plate for upcoming legislative sessions.
The Public Policy Committee meets the second Wednesday of each month at noon in the Chamber Board Room. For more information about the PPC, contact Felicia Messimer, business information specialist, at (307) 682-3673 or feliciam@gillettechamber.com.
Legislative Watch
March 5, 2012
For the duration of the 2012 legislative session, the Campbell County Chamber will update its members once a week on the bills that impact its membership. The Chamber uses its 2012 Advocacy and Legislative Principles to identify whether it will oppose, support or watch select bills.
The Wyoming Legislature will wrap up its work this week, putting the finishing touches on a $3.2-billion state budget for the coming two years and approving dozens of other pending bills before its scheduled adjournment Friday.
What follows are the bills of interest to the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce. Complete bill information can be found at: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LSOWeb/Session/BillsInfo.aspx.
Budget
Watch: SF 1 – General government appropriations and HB 1 – General government appropriations-2. The $3.2 billion budget proposal will run state government for the coming two years, beginning July 1. It contains money for local governments and highways but no money for pay raises and was reduced by both the governor and the Appropriations Committee after revenue estimators projected less revenue than first expected. State agencies are preparing contingency budgets with 5 percent and 8 percent cuts.
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Support: The 2012 Wyoming Office of Tourism Budget as approved by the Joint Appropriations Committee.
House Bills
Support: HB 8 – Department of workforce services consolidation. Consolidates the Department of Employment into the Department of Workforce Services and eliminates any duplicative committee. Gov. Matt Mead expected to sign on March 5 at 5 p.m.
Support: HB 26 – Contractor residency provisions. The bill, as required by 2011 Senate File 144, modifies provisions relating to residency status for purposes of preference laws for contractors.
Watch: HB 32 – Redistricting the Legislature. Bill provides a plan for state legislative districts based upon the 2010 census. The engrossed bill is available online. Also refer to: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/lsoweb/Redistricting/LegilativeRedistricting.aspx. Signed by the Senate President and House Speaker.
Support: HB 38 – Coal severance tax industry factor. Bill would establish an industry factor for coal sold away from the mouth of the mine in an arms-length sale to determine fair market value. The factor would be set at 79 percent for coal produced in Campbell, Converse, Johnson and Sheridan counties and 81 percent for coal produced in other counties within the state. The issue will be evaluated every three years. Fiscal impacts to the budget reserve account, general fund, PMTF, school foundation program and ad valorem collections. The Department of Revenue estimates reduced revenue in 2013 of 1.4 million, in 2014 of $3.2 million and in 2015 of $6.4 million.
Watch: HB 40 – Optional sales/use tax-uses. Bill allows the optional sales and use tax (commonly referred to as the sixth penny) to be used for routine maintenance of public roadways. As the statutes read now, specific purpose tax monies may not include ordinary operations of local government. Assigned to HEA 19.
Watch: HB 76 – Resort liquor licenses. Bill changes qualifications for applicants for resort liquor licenses, making it easier to have multiple sites at a resort to dispense liquor. To qualify to apply for a resort license, the applicant must be hotel with a minimum of 100 sleeping rooms or a rec facility open to the general public that has at least $10-20 million invested in it.
Senate Bills
Watch: SF 27 – Public meetings. Bill clarifies public meetings, special meetings, emergency meetings and executive sessions and outlines penalties for violations. It prohibits any meeting done in a way that does not allow the public to hear.
Watch: SF 32 – Workers’ compensation amendments. Bill authorizes the medical commission to report substandard or inappropriate medical or hospital care to licensing authorities. Assigned to SEA 19.
Support: SF 45 – Alcoholic beverages-manufacturers. Bill provides for dispensing of samples of manufactured distilled spirits and for satellite facility permits for licensed manufacturers of distilled spirits. Signed by the Senate President and House Speaker.
Support: SF 58 – Health insurance exchange study. Bill would extend the life of the exchange steering committee and require a report on October 1, 2012. The state is required by the federal government to have a plan ready by January 2013. So far, the committee has collected data and conducted town hall meetings around the state. The committee is led by four legislators.
Support: SF 75 – Business ready community program-planning. Bill allows a limited amount of Business Ready Community funds, no more than 2 percent, to be used for planning of economic development projects.
For More Information
All bill information can be found at: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LSOWeb/Session/BillsInfo.aspx. Legislative contact information is available on the legislative website: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LSOWeb/LegInfo.aspx. The Chamber recommends that you e-mail legislators your comments. Download the Chamber’s 2012 Advocacy and Legislative Principles and Elected Official Directory at http://www.wyoprosperity.org/campbell.
Should you have questions regarding the Chamber’s position on the bills listed, or if we have missed a bill you think we should be following, feel free to contact Felicia at (307) 682-3673 or feliciam@gillettechamber.com.
Download February 20 Legislative Watch.
Download February 27 Legislative Watch.
Download March 5 Legislative Watch.
