Property Taxes and Elections Changes Could be Coming

Lander Senator Cale Case has proposed an amendment to the state budget of $3 million to be put towards property tax relief. That measure faces approvals in the State Legislature this week.

With just one week left in the 2022 Legislative session, and a number of issues of-interest to AARP Wyoming members are still in doubt. Let’s talk about three.

Property Tax - If you have been frustrated by how quickly your property taxes have risen, you aren’t alone and the State Legislature is trying to do something about it. Senate President Dan Dockstader’s Senate Joint File 2 is still alive going into the final week of the session and would lead to a vote for a constitutional amendment that put property tax relief for older adults into the state constitution. The specifics of the tax relief will be worked out by the Legislature in subsequent years, but at AARP Wyoming, we are very supportive. It still needs to get through the House of Representatives, but our conversations with lawmakers on this bill are positive.

Perhaps more immediate relief for property tax could come , Senator Cale Case added an amendment to the state budget, putting $3 million into the state budget, which would fund the state’s existing, but otherwise unfunded property tax refund program. That amendment still has a little ways to go in the Legislature before getting to the Governor’s desk.

Bankers Bill - A bill touting itself as protection of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults (aka:  Senate File 76) has gotten through the Senate and now awaits three votes on the floor of The House next week. 

This is a bill AARP has seen in several other states and allows a bank or financial institution to place a temporary hold for up to 10 days and report what it believes to be fraud to the Department of Family Services, as well as law enforcement. AARP is a fan of this bill because it provides a very specific direction for how banks work with suspected fraud. That said, it will see some resistance in the House, as there are concerns about keeping folks from their money. 

Elections - Let’s talk elections. There are a few bills that will change how our state’s election processes take place.  

• HB49 passed, it will require anyone who spends $1,000 or more “for the purpose of causing an independent expenditure or electioneering communication,” to explain who they are. This bill intends to simply help folks know who is trying to change their minds during a campaign. 
• HB52 passed Friday and will allow election workers to count absentee ballots before Election Night and get us results sooner. SF97 is sitting in the Appropriations Committee and would make a big impact on Wyoming’s election. In short, if the bill passes, no one would be allowed to change their party affiliation once the period for filing for a statewide election or a Legislative seat.
• Coming into the session, there was a lot of interest in runoff elections. The Legislature has decided runoffs will not happen, at least not in the 2022 election, but the subject is likely to return next year. 

One week left before the 2022 session wraps up and things are really heating up. This week will see negotiations between the two houses of the Legislature on the state budget, as well as a last handful of bills to be considered. We will be there for all of it. If you want to contact your lawmakers about any or all of it, feel free to use this link to do so.