Wyoming Legislative Report - February 22 - KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports

Wyoming Legislative Report - February 22

House Bill 77 squeaks by the Senate 18-10- 2 excused. Those two excused were no votes so let's call it 18-12 in favor. Supporters aren't celebrating yet because this lottery is not a done deal. It's not over yet because the Senate has added a major amendment to this bill which makes it different than the House version. The money from lottery sales has been diverted from cities and counties to education.

So unless the House agrees to the Senate change, it would probably end up in a conference committee where it could run into trouble being that the House only passed the lottery bill by one vote. House Bill 77 provides for a state lottery and allows Wyoming to join the Powerball if approved by the lottery corporation the bill sets up. The Legislature is figuring the Wyoming Powerball lottery will be similar to North Dakota's Powerball. 22 to 25 million in gross sales. Out of that comes winning payouts,vendor commissions and administrative costs, leaving 6 to 8 million in net revenues.

A bill which would deny unemployment compensation to employees fired for egregious misconduct passes the Senate on a second vote. Senator Charlie Scott says House Bill 237 would get the courts more balanced when it comes to allowing unemployment insurance for gross misconduct. Final Senate vote on 237 Monday.

The hitchhiking bill makes it all the way through the House. Senate File 29 would make soliciting a ride legal.

Right now if a neighbor's child who missed the school bus flagged you down for a ride, that would be illegal. That bill on to the governor.

The two House gun bills 103 and 104, which stirred up a lot of emotion here this session, have died. They did not make today's deadline for a first vote of the full Senate.