House Floor Session-Day 11, February 21, 2026-PM [Source] Translate

The meeting began with the consideration of amendment number 61 to House Bill 1, presented by Representative Klaus, which aimed to restore funding for a matching program supporting endowments at the University of Wyoming. The governor's recommendation was reduced from $12.5 million to $2.5 million, limiting the programs that could benefit. Klaus emphasized the program's importance for educational initiatives. Concerns were raised by Representative Rodriguez-Williams about potential misuse of endowment earnings for athletics. The amendment was ultimately voted down with 29 in favor, 31 against, and 2 excused. Next, amendment number 62, introduced by Representative Wiley, sought funding for a position critical for enhancing oil recovery efforts. Supporters argued for its necessity, but it was rejected with 26 in favor and 34 against. Representative Yen then moved for amendment number 65, which aimed to provide spending authority for cloud services essential for state agencies. Despite support, it was also voted down, with 27 in favor and 33 against. Amendment number 64, introduced by Representative Larson, proposed adding $3,374,403 from the general fund for the state's enterprise IT service management platform. It was rejected with 26 votes in favor and 34 against. Larson then introduced amendment number 2, seeking an additional million dollars for the internal service fund for statewide phone system maintenance, which was also rejected with 27 in favor and 33 against. Representative Gerringer moved amendment number 66 concerning the Wyoming Business Council, proposing $9.8 million in funding to meet statutory obligations. The discussion reflected a strong desire to maintain support for the Business Council while addressing budgetary constraints. The amendment was adopted with 31 votes in favor and 29 against. Several amendments were subsequently withdrawn, including amendments 67, 71, 73, and 74. Representative Yen introduced amendment number 72, proposing a loan to the Stable Token Commission for marketing, which failed to pass. Representative Larson-Lloyd introduced amendment number 75 for funding the Environmental Quality Council to hire hearing officers, which was voted down with 26 in favor and 34 against. Amendment number 76, requesting $9,228 for a fixed camera system for environmental quality meetings, also failed with 24 in favor and 36 against. Amendment number 78, presented by Representative Harshman, sought $4,000 for barbers' board members to travel and inspect barber shops, which was adopted with 51 in favor, 8 against, 1 conflict, and 2 excused. Amendment number 79, addressing the SIPA and redirecting funds to the LSRA, faced significant opposition, but the outcome was not recorded. The meeting included discussions on various amendments related to financial management and funding allocations for state projects, particularly in education and outdoor recreation. A speaker emphasized managing one-time expenses through the SIPA to avoid future budget shortfalls. Concerns were raised about maintaining funding levels for essential projects. The meeting also focused on employee compensation and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees. Amendment number 84 proposed employee raises and a 1% COLA for retirees, which was divided into four divisions for consideration. The first division failed with 37 against and 21 for, and the second division proposing an $8 million one-time COLA for retirees was rejected with 28 in favor and 31 against. Amendment number 88, presented by Speaker Nyman, proposed repurposing $54.9 million from business-ready community funds into consensus grants for local infrastructure, which received strong support and was endorsed by multiple representatives. The meeting concluded with discussions on various amendments, including those addressing the shortage of large animal veterinarians in Wyoming and funding for the state veterans museum. Several amendments were proposed and voted on, with some being adopted and others rejected. The session included a moment of appreciation for staff efforts and concluded with a motion to adjourn until February 23rd at 10 a.m.