Committee Meeting Information

November 27 and 28, 2006

Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building

Casper, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Bill Hawks, Co-Chairman (Monday only)

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

Senator Hank Coe

Senator Kit Jennings

Senator Charles Townsend

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Floyd Esquibel

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Elaine Harvey

Representative Erin Mercer

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Representative Doug Samuelson

 

Committee Members Absent

Representative Becket Hinckley

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

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

Call To Order

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Executive Summary

The Committee voted to sponsor:  state engagement in transmission lines and energy facilities, integrated gasification combined cycle electric generation, state engagement in pipeline works, industrial facilities, clean coal technology, Wyoming workforce housing infrastructure program, storage tank remediation program, Wyoming tourism board, public funds time deposit, open account and Wyoming conservation corps.

 

The Committee voted not to sponsor:  state water pollution control account

 

The Committee accepted reports from the Department of Revenue, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Main Street Program, the University of Wyoming and the Department of Transportation.

 

Senator Hawks was absent from the meeting on Tuesday and Representative Hinckley was absent from the entire meeting.

 

Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0167.W5– State engagement in transmission lines and energy facilities.

Steve Waddington, Executive Director Wyoming Infrastructure Authority (WIA) presented comments to the Committee [Appendices 3 through 8].

 

Senator Vasey moved the draft bill [Appendix 9] seconded by Representative Quarberg.  With no discussion and no amendments, the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representative Esquibel voted against the bill. 

 

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0282.W5 – Integrated gasification combined cycle electric generation.

Senator Jennings moved the draft bill [Appendix 10] seconded by Representative Mercer.  Following discussion with no amendments, the Committee voted 11 for, 2 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representatives Esquibel and Hammons voted against the bill. 

 

Wyoming Pipeline Authority

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0166.W5 – State engagement in pipeline works.

Mark Doelger, Chairman and of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA) discussed pending projects and background information [Appendices 11 through 13]. 

 

Senator Jennings moved the draft bill [Appendix 14] seconded by Representative Quarberg.  With no discussion and no amendments, the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representative Esquibel voted against the bill. 

 

Incentives for new projects/new technologies and continuity of existing industrial facilities

Bob Tarantola with PacifiCorp and Rick Kaysen with Black Hills Power and Cheyenne Light Fuel and Power, provided information on incentives for clean coal technology and existing industrial facilities and explained the draft bills [Appendices 15 and 16].  

 

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0168.W3– Industrial facilities.

Representative Hammons moved the draft bill [Appendix 17] seconded by Representative Quarberg.  Following discussion and amendments [Appendices 18 through 20], the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill, with Representative Esquibel voting against the bill [Appendix 21]. 

 

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0169.W3– Clean coal technology.

Senator Jennings moved the draft bill [Appendix 22] seconded by Representative Mercer.  Following discussion and one amendment, the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representative Esquibel voted against the bill [Appendix 23]. 

 

The Committee accepted Report #482 – The Effects of the Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Coal Gasification [Appendix 24] and Liquefaction Facilities and Report #354 – The Effects of Sales and Use Tax Exemption for manufacturing equipment [Appendix 25] from the Department of Revenue.

 

Workforce housing infrastructure

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0029.W7 – Wyoming workforce housing infrastructure program.

LSO staff presented back ground information and explained the draft bill  [Appendices 26 and 27].

 

Senator Vasey moved the draft bill seconded by Representative Harvey.  Following discussion and amendments  [Appendices 28 through 32], the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representative Brechtel voted against the bill.  [Appendix 33]. 

 

Workforce training and development

Senator Tex Boggs, President of Western Wyoming Community College, Kathy Emmons, Director of Workforce Services and Ron Pasco, President of First Interstate Bank presented information from a trip to South Dakota and updates on workforce training programs in Wyoming [Appendices 34 through 40].

 

public comment

Dan Neal with the Equality State Policy Center presented comments on the proposed constitutional amendments and the proposed tax and exemptions [Appendices 41 through 43].  Marion Loomis with the Wyoming Mining Association spoke in favor of the tax exemptions and workforce development.

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed until 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

 

Call To Order (November 28, 2006)

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting back to order at 8:00 a.m. 

 

Department of Environmental Quality leaking underground storage tanks

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0031.W6– Storage tank remediation program.

John Corra, Director of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and LeRoy Feusner, Solid and Hazardous Waste Administrator presented information regarding DEQ's storage tank program and explained the draft bill [Appendices 44 and 45].

 

Senator Jennings moved the draft bill seconded by Representative Hammons.  Following discussion and amendments, the Committee voted 12 for and 2 absent to sponsor the bill.  [Appendix 46]. 

 

Wyoming Tourism Board

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0170.W4 – Wyoming Tourism Board.

Tucker Fagan, Chief Executive Officer Wyoming Business Council and Gene Bryan, Chairman of the Wyoming Tourism Board provided background on the Tourism board, discussed its current status and explained the draft bill [Appendices 47 and 48].

 

Representative Hammons moved the draft bill seconded by Senator Jennings.  Following discussion and one amendment, the Committee voted 12 for and 2 absent to sponsor the bill.  [Appendix 49].

 

Banking Commission

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0284.W1 – Public funds time deposit, open account.

Senator Vasey moved the draft bill [Appendix 50] seconded by Representative Brechtel.  Dave Johnson with the Wyoming Bankers Association explained the draft bill.  With no discussion and no amendments, the Committee voted 11 for and 3 absent to sponsor the bill.  Besides Senator Hawks and Representative Hinckley, Representative Harvey was absent for the vote.

 

Community Assistance for Energy Impacts

Proposed Legislation – 07LSO-0283.W3 – State water pollution control program.

Brad Miskimmins, Director of Grants and Loans with the Office of State Lands and Investments and Brian Mark, Program Principal with DEQ, explained the funding provided to impacted communities [Appendices 51 through 56]. 

 

Senator Jennings moved the draft bill [Appendix 57] seconded by Senator Vasey.  Following discussion with no amendments, the Committee voted 12 against and 1 absent, failing to sponsor the bill. 

 

The Committee accepted the report on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund – 2007 Intended Use Plan from the DEQ bill [Appendix 58].

 

Wyoming Youth Conservation Corps

Proposed Legislation – 06LSO-0216.W2 – Wyoming Conservation Corps.

Rollin Abernathy, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Nicholas Agopian, and Jennifer Reece, University of Wyoming Students presented background information on the Wyoming Conservation Corps [Appendices 59 through 61].  Senator Jennings moved to sponsor a bill based on the draft presented by the University of Wyoming, seconded by Representative Mercer.  Following discussion and one amendment, the Committee voted 12 for, 1 against and 1 absent to sponsor the bill.  Representative Esquibel voted against the bill.  [Appendix 62]. 

 

Reports, updates and public comment.

The Committee accepted the following reports:

 

Report #413 –Wyoming Main Street Annual Report from Mary Randolph, Executive Director of Wyoming Main Street Program [Appendix 63].

 

Report #455 – UW Wyoming Technology Business Center (Technology Business Incubator) from Jon Benson, Director, University of Wyoming [Appendix 64].

 

Report #304 - Wyoming Aeronautics Commission from Shelly Reams, Aeronautics Administrator, Department of Transportation (DOT) [Appendix 65].

 

Report on Wyoming Aeronautics Commission Loan program from Ms. Reams [Appendix 66].

 

Report #431 – DOT – Use and expenditure of funds appropriated for multi-lane highways – a status update from Ms. Reams [Appendix 67].

 

The November 27, 2006 reports due list was provided to the Committee [Appendix 68]. 

 

A brochure was provided by the Wyoming Community Colleges [Appendix 69].

 

Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business, Co-Chairman Lockhart adjourned the meeting at noon.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman