By Joseph Beaudet
The Sheridan Press
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

SHERIDAN — Wyoming lawmakers indefinitely tabled a bill that would take aim at organizations lobbying on behalf of local governments.

The bill, 26LSO-018, “Public funds lobbying,” was based on 2021 Senate File 144, which died in committee. It would prevent tax dollars from paying for lobbying efforts, though it would not have restricted individual officials from testifying at meetings. 

The Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee reviewed the draft bill Tuesday, November 4.

In recent months, members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, its allies and those of similar political ideologies have taken aim at organizations like the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association. 

In Sheridan County, commissioners and a city councilor attempted to cancel the county and city of Sheridan’s membership in their respective associations during budget talks. Both proposals failed.

Local governments pay membership dues to the associations with public dollars. 

WAM Executive Director Ashley Harpstreith said membership dues are not used for lobbying, adding the association pays for lobbying costs with other revenue streams, such as conference attendance costs or donations from association members.

Taking a position on a bill is only a small portion of WAM’s activities. The association, Board President and Pinedale Mayor Matt Murdock said, helps mayors, town and city councilmembers, clerks and treasurers do their jobs better. Membership dues help pay for those trainings.

“The other 90% of what’s going on probably doesn’t even come before a table like yourselves, except if you were to come into our town council,” Murdock said.

Committee members raised several questions during Tuesday’s meeting about what would constitute lobbying and how someone or a government might violate the bill should it become law.

“I would say that it’s not clear, and I think your committee questions you had just showcase that this needs a lot more work,” Harpstreith said.

Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Torrington, cut off testimony by making a motion to table the draft bill.

“It really hurts my heart to see the path we’re going down, this friction between other elected officials and stepping on their jurisdiction,” Steinmetz said.

One person testified in favor of the bill; three testified in opposition to it and it’s likely many more were prepared to testify in opposition before the committee approved the motion to table the bill. Harpstreith said she asked representatives from all of Wyoming’s 99 incorporated cities and towns to testify on the bill via Zoom.

“For those who didn’t get a chance to testify on that, I think the outcome was probably going your way,” committee co-Chair Chris Knapp, R-Gillette, said.

While municipal officials were prepared to testify, WCCA Executive Director Jerimiah Rieman said many of the state’s 93 county commissioners wouldn’t be able to testify because they all held a regular meeting Tuesday, the first Tuesday of the month.

“This is a statutorily required day when they meet. So, you get me, and in part that sort of makes a point too, right? Because they can’t be here, I can, to represent those county commissioners,” Rieman said.

Rieman said WCCA has offered a cohesive voice for county governments for nearly 50 years, adding the association helps legislative intent align with the implementation of bills impacting counties.

Ross Schriftman was the only person in the committee’s meeting room or online to raise his hand when Knapp asked who supported the bill. 

Schriftman, a political activist in Casper, said the associations’ positions on bills don’t necessarily reflect the desires of Wyomingites. He also mentioned he hoped dinners inviting lawmakers hosted by WAM and WCCA weren’t paid for with taxpayer money.

“If WAM and the county commissioners association are not using taxpayer money, then this bill won’t affect them,” Schriftman said.

Harpstreith said WAM is currently considering whether to have its membership dues paid to a separate nonprofit so the funds are strictly for educational purposes, away from the other facets of the association.

The committee’s tabling of the bill does not preclude an individual lawmaker from sponsoring it in the legislature’s upcoming 2026 budget session. The session is set to begin Feb. 9.