Rep. Andrew Byron (R-Jackson) from House District 22 called into the Weekday Wakeup on Monday, October 13 to provide a legislative report. House District 22 covers the northern portion of Star Valley and southern Teton County.

(0:01) 835 this morning on the weekday wake up heading into this hour’s guest interview (0:05) segment today and over the last couple of weeks I’ve been touching base with (0:08) some of our local legislators in Lincoln County and Western Wyoming and today (0:12) touching base with Representative Andrew Byron from House District 22 covers (0:17) Northern Star Valley and Southern Teton County. Representative Byron good (0:21) morning how are you today? Great Duke how are you? Hey doing great appreciate the (0:26) time and and the update on what’s happening legislative wise here in the (0:29) interim and Representative let’s start with the the committee work that you’ve (0:33) been part of you chair actually two committees so maybe we’ll start with the (0:36) the Travel Recreation Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee and some of (0:41) the topics being worked on currently over the course of the summer and fall. (0:46) Yeah thanks Duke we are for Travel Recreation Wildlife Cultural Resources (0:50) we’ve had two meetings we have another one coming up here in early November in (0:53) Casper and we’ve been busy we have a pretty new committee on the house side (0:57) so it’s been a lot of educational opportunities during our committee (1:00) meetings but we’ve had a lot of a lot of different topics come in front of us (1:04) and we’ve narrowed it down we have sponsored a couple bills related to (1:07) outdoor recreation and some of the state parks related trail feed bills and then (1:12) kind of the big heavy hitter for for us that narrowly passed on by one vote is (1:17) the corner crossing discussion and the clarification related to corner crossing (1:21) as some know they’re following that it’s gotten through the 10th Circuit Court (1:25) and it’s heading well it’s currently kind of in the in the hopper if you if (1:29) you that is the right way to say it ready for maybe a Supreme Court hearing (1:33) but maybe not so we have that that’s going to come in front of us for the (1:37) budget session if it gets out of the drawer and and some different stuff (1:41) related to state museums.

Now now the corner crossing has been a had a big (1:47) it’s been a big deal for a couple of years so for those who were listening (1:50) that aren’t quite familiar with what the corner crossing issue is give us some (1:53) background on that what came up and and what is actually being discussed in the (1:58) courts right now. Yeah thanks Duke it is it’s very complicated yet it’s pretty (2:03) easy to simplify kind of think about it as a checkerboard or a chessboard you (2:07) know it’s it’s being able to hop from one corner to another corner of public (2:10) land for access you know essentially in this case it’s related to hunting and in (2:14) the checkerboard region in southern Wyoming so you know northern Lincoln (2:18) County in my area doesn’t see a lot of it but certainly as we get down towards (2:22) the interstate and different parts of the southern part of the state it does (2:26) happen so basically a few hunters corner crossed and and tried to do it the best (2:31) of their ability and and the landowner that was adversely effective affected (2:35) sued them and and yeah that’s where it’s at so it got through the circuit court (2:40) and the court ruled in favor of the hunters that that it is legal and then (2:44) it got to the 10th Circuit Court and I mean this is took years to kind of get (2:49) through but in some summarizing it the 10th Circuit Court upheld the lower (2:53) courts decision and now that landowner in southern Wyoming is appealing to the (2:57) state Supreme Court or excuse me the Supreme Court in the United States to try (3:01) to figure out you know if they’re gonna if they’re going to hear that this has (3:04) wide-range implications for Western states the concept being can you step (3:09) over this corner imaginary corner as some of us know that followed and and (3:13) and not affect the the private property rights on either side of you so pretty (3:17) complicated and and really kind of a it’s been discussed for years I went (3:23) back and did some research and there was a corner crossing bill that was filed in (3:26) 2009 so it’s been discussed in the body for a long time and in the hunting (3:31) community but this is the first time it’s really made it as far as it is (3:34) right now representative Andrew Byron this morning on the weekday wake up (3:37) representative you also chair the air transportation liaison committee before (3:42) you talk about work happening in that committee just tell us what that is and (3:45) what its goals and focuses are yeah that’s a that’s kind of a it’s very much (3:50) a small committee we meet once a year essentially we’re trying to learn more (3:54) and promote and retain air service to Wyoming Wyoming’s blessed with nine (3:58) commercial airports that a lot of people don’t know that it’s we’re really lucky (4:02) to have that for a rural state like we have so you know you know Rock Springs (4:06) south of us down there I just got done with a 43 million dollar terminal (4:10) makeover and and they have a few flights a day so you know commercial air (4:14) service is vital to our economy and and it’s really important to the people of (4:19) Wyoming and being able to get around so that committee basically continues to (4:22) monitor how commercial air travel is being utilized in in the state and how (4:28) each of the airports are you know number seat numbers are there people flying in (4:32) and out of these airports and and luckily you know we’re blessed Gillette just (4:36) came off of our program we have a program that subsidizes air travel into a (4:40) number of our airports so Gillette’s going to be able to go independent and (4:43) be self-sufficient which is great for Gillette and and certainly hoping some (4:48) other airports can follow that as it relates to getting planes in and out of (4:51) in and out of these rural airports. Representative Andrew Byron, House (4:54) District 22 on the weekday wake-up call.

Representative as you prepare for the (4:58) upcoming 2026 legislative session here in just a few months what have been some (5:02) of the most common topics of discussion or concerns that your constituents within (5:07) House District 22 have reached out to you about over the course of the summer (5:11) and so far this fall? Well thanks Duke there have been a couple discussions (5:15) related to that TRW topic that was brought up a come home to hunt bill which (5:20) is a pretty unique program that Montana does where if a youth leaves Wyoming and (5:25) becomes a young adult they have an opportunity for discounted rate and (5:28) within certain parameters to come home and hunt with family members so that’s a (5:32) pretty interesting concept that did not get traction in the committee but I (5:35) think it’s good that we had that discussion and then there’s ongoing (5:38) discussion about technology related to to hunting and long-range shooting and (5:43) ethics the ethics around that and and if the legislative body would like to (5:46) discuss that more or bring any policies about that it ultimately is pretty easily (5:51) decided that’s not something we wanted to talk about but I think that’ll come (5:55) back up really what we’re going into the budget session as many of the (5:58) listeners know and that budget session requires a two-thirds introductory vote (6:02) so a lot of bills will just simply not make that introductory vote and and we (6:06) as folks hopefully know and pay attention to we did not pass the (6:09) supplemental budget this past session it’s the first time in a long time that (6:13) hasn’t happened so we’re going into a pretty intense data and number driven (6:18) session that’s going to be about our our biannual budget and and you know that (6:23) Appropriations Committee really ratchets up their meetings they have a couple end (6:26) of this month then they have a couple week blocks down in Cheyenne so folks (6:30) are still bringing up property taxes you know I think it’s important and I’m not (6:33) sure if anyone else in your interviews has mentioned but everyone qualified for (6:37) that 25% homeowner reduction on the first million dollar evaluation this (6:41) year this automatically is coming here you have to apply for it at your local (6:45) assessor’s office so really important for folks to know it came off their bill (6:49) automatically this year you know we’ve done a lot we also that 50% reduction (6:53) for those that are over 65 and have paid property tax away over 25 years I (6:58) hope that’s got a sunset I know the committee that deals with that kind of (7:01) legislation is drafted the bill to remove that sunset a bill I will (7:05) support and that’s what I’m hearing from from folks still is you know how (7:08) does this look and and how does funding look as it relates to the reduction (7:11) property taxes and in special districts you know as that discussion happens we (7:15) also have a Wyoming Department of Transportation that’s looking at a (7:19) significant budget shortfall and I think we really need to start to monitor our (7:23) local towns counties and districts and and figure out special districts and (7:27) figure out how the how the decisions we have made in Cheyenne affect our local (7:31) our local folks and our local economies because you know we have we have taken a (7:34) lot of funding out of there and especially as it relates to the (7:37) firefighter first responders law enforcement you know we need to make (7:40) sure there they remain whole and they remain supported representative Andrew (7:44) Byron this morning House District 22 on the weekday wake up I appreciate the (7:47) update representative anything else you’d like to mention while we have you (7:50) on the air today no Duke I appreciate it you know we don’t go back down there (7:54) till till February so I hope you get another chance to talk pre-session and I (7:58) think it’s important everyone can all listeners welcome to reach out all of (8:02) our information is on the YLEDG.gov website and look forward to the next one (8:06) thanks Duke House District 22 representative Andrew Byron this morning (8:09) it’s the weekday wake up on SVI radio