Thread by @IAmNickReynolds

Hans Hunt is pushing a budget amendment to defund Wyoming PBS to fight invasive species.

Some defended them, noting how they've produced good documentaries and livestreamed public meetings.

"We need to take care of this problem before it becomes a documentary," Hunt said.

Here's the amendment. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

But yeah, this really underscores how tight our budget situation is. When the group that broadcasts your public meetings is a "want," you're really up against it.

"I didn't come to do the people's work so people couldn't see what I was doing," says @Provenza4Wyomin against the amendment.

Watch here:

Just remember that these amendments are not final and will be fought over in a lengthy debate with the Wyoming Senate about two weeks from now, in which we will likely end up very close to the original budget with some changes.

The amendment was divided. First (to cut money from Wyoming PBS) fails, but the money to fight noxious weeds passes 33-27.

The House is taking a pause. Speaker Barlow said he did not order anyone food because he didn't want anyone "to get too comfortable."

"Walk quickly to Taco Whatever-you-want or grab a snack from the break room, but we'll be back at 6:30."

The House is gaveled back in.

On a personal note, I really enjoy when the privilege of the floor happens and legislators shout out cool things people from their district are doing.

Joe MacGuire now bringing back his regular amendment to tie Wyoming athletics funding to the amount of athletes on their teams who are actually from Wyoming.

Most aren't.

But just wondering... is that true for most schools? I grew up watching Syracuse basketball and it was amazing to see an in-state kid be good enough to make the team.

Tom Walters makes a point that the community colleges in Wyoming have very few kids on their teams from in-state, and were not in the amendment.

Sounds like that one failed.

"I remembered something that happened 9-10 years ago when I came to this podium and asked this body to have vision for the future," Burkhart said. "As a freshman, there were some in this room who scared the living daylights out of me."

"Some of 'em still do," he adds.

(This is on an amendment t give funding to the UW School Of Energy Resources to research hydrogen storage technology and rare minerals that Wyoming is poised to take advantage of.)

(This would be funded out of the LSRA)

That amendment failed.

Listening to the budget makes me think Wyoming needs tenured, state-level reporters for

1) Religion
2) Tribes
3) Crypto
4) The University of Wyoming, not just education.
5) Agriculture

Any others?

.@307Renee says community colleges, good suggestion. I would also add military. The Air Force base, national guard, news for veterans...

Sen. Anderson brought a successful hydrogen funding amendment on the other side of the building. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/SF…

Rep. Harshman has had several amendments tonight in an attempt to move some cash flows around and, I guess, get some money out of "unproductive" accounts to fix the budget. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

"Some of our crisis is real, some of it is paper," he said.

Amendment fails.

The House just killed an amendment to impose an I-80 traffic study after concerns of a veto due to "legislating within the budget." wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

Meanwhile, Senate passed an amendment that would create a whole new task force to study education. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/SF…

Sounds a lot like Harshman is mirroring some of Gordon's rhetoric to simplify the budget before raising taxes... we're talking this amendment here: wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

Obermueller (a CPA) supports this, so make of that what you will.

Hey, it passed!

Now onto that carbon capture amendment @camillereports tweeted about... wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

We shall see if we get us a $10 million rift between House and Senate!

Rep. John Bear, of Gillette (the most coal-reliant community in the state, arguably) testifies in favor.

So does Rep. Sweeney, who gives a shout-out to "a newspaper that still exists" detailing a federal initiative to invest in carbon capture.

"We don't really know if it'll work out or not," said Rep. Hallinan, R-Gillette. "But I think it's worth a chance."

Says he supports spending from savings to back it, adding that Wyoming's population may not have a future without coal.

That passed.

As we come near to a close, @ChuckForWyoming says he doesn't believe that the House has made a single reduction in the budget.

JAC says they have roughly $50m to play with, but I believe that's based on positive-looking projections for oil prices.

The amendment he's pitching (this one wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…) essentially holds some state agencies to the efficiencies from HR consolidation that were outlined under a recent efficiency study the state rolled out. Good for $1.2m in savings.

Amendment fails.

Gray withdraws his final amendment, says he'll hold it for third reading.

Connolly also withdrawing her amendment, the final one of the evening. wyoleg.gov/2021/Amends/HB…

This one would use the LSRA to cancel out more than $63m in budget reductions made by Gov. Gordon.