Wyoming Legislative Report - January 29 - KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports

Wyoming Legislative Report - January 29

All right lottery lovers, the Wyoming lottery bill passes out of the House Corporations Committee 6-3 and moves to the full House. It would provide for a state lottery and allow Wyoming to join the Powerball. If approved by the lottery board the bill creates. House Bill 77 on its way to the House floor.

A bill to keep secret the names of the finalists for the job of University of Wyoming President passes a first House vote. House Bill 223 would make it legal to withhold information that would identify candidates for presidents at the university and the state's community colleges. Sponsor Kermit Brown introduced the bill last week after District Judge Jeff Donnell of Laramie ruled the university must disclose the names of finalists in its search.

We asked Brown if the public's right to know who are the finalists for such a high-profile position outweighed any possible harm to the candidates. Brown says that if they don't get the job they have problems with their Legislature, employees, alumni and big donors.

The Wyoming Press Association's Bruce Moates says they're aren't many instances of that. A bill in the House we reported on Monday would allows concealed weapons in all government meetings without permission. House Bill 200 co-sponsor Sam Krone says he doesn't see any problems down the road with the bill.

The cigarette tax bill goes down in smoke in the house 22-29 and 9 excused. House Bill 199 would've raised the tax on a pack of smokes a buck. With the extra dollar of tax going to Medicaid. The House took a roll call vote because the bill failed on a first reading.