Feb. 16, 2026

Marguerite Herman, LWVWY Lobbyist

marguerite.herman@gmail.com, 307-630-8095

The second week of the 2026 Wyoming Legislature’s budget session opens with the stage set for the next three weeks and adjournment by March 11. The calendar includes mandatory bills to pass a state budget for 2027-28 and recalibrate public school spending for 5 years. It also includes an investigation (and some soul-searching) into allegations that some lawmakers are receiving campaign donations in return for their votes.

Bill introductions are complete, with the demise of most of the election restrictions that LWVWY fought to defend our elections through an online petition campaign and at the Capitol. Two ballot-hand-counting bills were introduced and are working their way to floor debate: HB52, Elections hand counting for recounts, and SF113, 2026 general election hand-count comparison. We support SF30 Elections-voter registration revisions as a necessary clarification for the dubious 30-day residential requirement to register, enacted in 2025.

Monday, Presidents’ Day, is a full legislative day, despite original plans to have the day off. The Senate Education Committee will take up the large public school recalibration bill.

If you are keeping count, House committees and individuals prepared 200 bills and resolutions (filing them right up to the deadline). Of those, 91 received the 2/3 vote required to be introduced in a budget session. In the Senate, the count was 135 proposals written and 100 introduced. (Appropriation bills skip the 2/3 test.)

On the first day of the session, Jackson activist Rebecca Bextel was photographed handing checks to some Republican representatives on the House floor at the end of the day. A comment on Wednesday by Rep. Mike Yin about the “optics” of the event triggered a paroxysm of denials, accusations, and calls for an investigation. Some initial reactions cast the issue as a matter of security in the chamber—or as a matter of the manner, timing, and place of check delivery —or as the problem of people taking photos on the floor. (Candidate filings for 2026 have not begun.)

Ultimately, the House voted 59-0 (3 excused) to authorize a select investigative committee proposed by Rep. Karlee Provenza. House Speaker Chip Neiman named six Republicans: Connolly, Tarver, Fornstrum, Heiner, Lawly, and Washut. and one Democrat (Posey), chaired by Rep. Art Washut of Casper. Washut confirms the meetings will be public. Meanwhile, the Senate Rules committee passed Rule 15.0 Maintaining Public Order in the Senate to limit soliciting, offering, or delivering a campaign contribution in the Senate chamber during a session.

WyoFile reported that the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office launched a criminal investigation to determine if the check delivery merits allegations of bribery. WyoFile reporting provides more information about the source, recipients, and disputed intent of the checks.

The plan written by the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration for K-12 public schools was submitted to both chambers (HB110 in the House and SF81 in the Senate). The House version failed introduction, while SF81 is in the Senate Education Committee.

Mirror budget bills HB1 and S1 received exhaustive explanations from House and Senate members on Thursday and Friday, which included lengthy debate and questions about the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council, likely to appear as 2nd-reading amendments (Tuesday) and 3rd-reading amendments (Thursday). Find the amendments (in order of appearance in the budget bill) on the LSO website bill page. During week #3, the House and Senate will write a compromise version to send to the governor for his signature and potential line-item vetoes.

If anyone doubts the budget writers’ intent to control state spending, Section 325 of the budget warns that they will return next year and cut funds from agencies that spend beyond their authority.

Thursday is also the last day for bills to be reported out of committee in the house of origin. Find the full session schedule here.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR YOUR USE

Here are ways to let your opinion be known!

  1. Call your Representative and Senator and leave a short, concise message
  2. Email your Representative and Senator
  3. For public testimony, whether online or in person, pre-registration is required. Go to www.wyoleg.gov. Choose a meeting schedule. Select the committee meeting at which you want to provide testimony. Choose details. Select “testify” and complete the required form.

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