Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

0 star Legislature Thursday, February 18, 1993 1 Star-Tribuno, Ciispor Wyo A i ouse cominittee OKs deaf school as state institution potato." and that it would remain open and luiuled. I he question til management of the school appeared to remain an issue lor some advocates of the school prior to and follow mg passage ot the bill school. Amdendments placed on the bill earlier in the Senate Education Committee provide that the slate Superintendent of Public Instruction may contract with the Natrona County School District for the hiring of administrative and teaching staff of the school. Carol Jo Vlastos, a former state representative from Natrona County, and a former school board member there, said district ad school districts ut 100 percent of the cost of educating deuf children within local districts. State school finance law currently provides that only K5 percent of special education costs be reimbursed.

Hut Rep. Jim llugcman. 111)5. R-Eort Laramie, and committee chairman, ruled that the amendment was appropriate. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diana Milium attended the committee meeting and assured the lawmakers that she would implement "your statutes to the best of my ability." Olinian announced in the fall of 1991 her intention to close the Wyoming School for the Deaf as a state operation, and to fund improved outreach services for deaf students around the state.

Educating deaf students should be the responsibility of local districts. By KATHARINE COLLINS Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE The House Education Committee late Wednesday unanimously passed a bill establishing the Wyoming School Tor the Deaf as a state institution. A successful amendment proposed by Sen. Barbara Cunin. R-Casper.

the bill sponsor, tightened the education require-tflents for stall and teachers at the tjhool. Another adopted amendment, proposed by Rep. Rick Badgett, IID29, R-Sncridan. created concern among two members that it might undermine the intent of the bill. Badge-It's amendment requries tUat the state's School I oundation Program reimburse the local County School Dish id Pi lor to passage ol the hill, coniiiutee members took testimony from deaf children, their patents and advocates.

I hut group applauded at one point during committee woik on the bill, when Cubm's amendment was reworded to spceiticalK ic-quire that the administrate the school be certified and evpeii eneed in educating the deal I he current administrator docs not have those qualifications The contorvetsy over cdeuation of deal children p.ntu ularlv severely and profoundly deal dnl dren has centered in p.nt ovci whether ileal children aie hettct served when integrated into class-es with hearing chtldien. oi whether (hey are better set veil when educated along with mhei deaf children. Ohman said at the time. I he I W2 Legislature, however, found money lor one more year of operation, and the Joint Appropriations Committee early in the current session allocated $545.47 1 for operation of the school for the IW-94 school year. Oilman's appearance Wednesday was her first this session on the issue ol the future direction of education of deal children.

Cuhin has on several occasions questioned Oilman's "lack of involvement" in legislative efforts to tackle the issue of educating deaf children. During the committee meeting Ohman asked Cuhin what changes she envisioned in the operation of the Wyoming School for the Deaf as a state institution. Cuhin replied that the school would cease to be a "political hot ministrators have asked they not have responsibility for running the yoming School for the Deaf." Cuhin told Vlastos she does not believe her bill will imnose that BIN responsibility on the Natrona ml Senate kills conflict of interest measure it a c8 fj i 1 ml 1 Hep. Jim Wv- att, 111)12. l'- I (iillette.

said T) "very poor sttua- lion could devel- 4 i mc uuthor-f T-mj ity (fr running "i W3 the school resides Y.VI I nli the state Superintendent of Education but the responsibility resides with the school district in Casper." Hie state currently contracts with the Natrona County School District for various services, including an administrator to run the Rick. Sorenson Mar-lrihune CHEYENNE (AP) A measure that would have put into law rules regarding conflicts of interest among legislators died in the Senate on Wednesday as senators agreed it was unnecessary. Senators killed House' Bill 154 on its first reading, agreeing ith arguments that because the House and Senate already have rules for dealing with conflicts of interest, a bill that would put those rules into law is not needed. "We've had a lot of years of working with these rules and the Senate has done a tremendous job of designing a mechanism that docs not place us in jeopardy of lawsuit." said Sen. John Vinich.

SD25, D-Hudson. "To put this in statute will pose a liability threat. Our rules have been interpreted as hav ing the same validity and even more validity than law," The bill would have placed in law the definition inserted in House rules and traditionally used in the Senate to define conflict of interest. The language defines a conflict of interest as a measure that could cause a legislator financial gain or loss. The bill would also follow established rules for legislators to declare a conflict and abstain from voting on measures.

Defenders of the bill said it AG: Initiative spending limits unconstitutioiial Rules impact bill wins conference panel OK By KATHARINE COLLINS Star- Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE A House-Senate conference Wednesday quickly ironed out differences in House and Senate versions of a bill requiring that agencies assess the "economic impacts" of rules and regulations upon businesses and local governments. But a Democratic representative, told afterwards what concessions were achieved from Senate conferees on House Bill I0S, said that the conference committee had obv iously completely skipped the objections House members had to the bill. 1 A Senate floor amendment sponsored by Sen. Charles Scott, SD30, R-Caspcr, provides that when members of the Legislative Management Council do not believe that the agency's statement adequately addresses the economic impacts, the council may delay the implementation of the rule until an "adequate" impact statement is prepared. The delay may not exceed six months.

The Scott amendment also allows the Management Council to substitute "an alternate or amended rule." The governor then has the choice of adopting the amended version, adopting the agency rule, or asking the agency to start over on its rule-making procedures. The Hovse voted 39-21 earlier this week not to concur in passage of the Senate version of the bill, and the conference committee met to resolve differences. Sen. Bob LaLonde, SDI7, R-Jackson. conference committee chairman, asked the House conferees to state House objections to the Senate version.

Tt just appears there are some obviously major changes," said Rep. Larry Shippy, HD8, R-Chcycnne. chairman of the House conferees. But he did not elaborate. Rep.

John Marlon. HD40. R-Kuffalo, successfully suggested removing the portion of Scott's amendment that allows the Management Council to delay implementation of rules "rr up to six months, and to require a new eco nomic impact as- MRTON sessmcnt. House conferees agreed the provision is "ambiguous" and that the six months' delay could be a problem when agencies issue rules needed to comply with federal mandates. But conferees left intact the remaining portion of Scott's amendment.

Rep. Matilda Hansen. HD13. R-Laramic. contacted after the meeting, said the House conferees did not appear to have communicated to Senate conferees the problems with the bill expressed by House members who voted not to concur.

Hansen and Rep. Les BowTon, HD57, R-Caspcr. led the debate to not concur on the Senate version of the bill. "The Scon amendment puts the Management Council in the position of performing executive and judicial functions." Hansen said. "Our role is to write and review policy." The "remedy" for the Management Council, if it does not like a rule "is to bring a bill or legislative order to the I cgislature and the legislature makes a decision." Hansen said.

Sens. Jim Twiford. foreground, and Jerry Dixon, listen thoughtfully to recent debate on the Senate floor. JOHN VINICH Senate rules as valid as law would help with the public's perception of the Legislature. "For the sake of people on the outside, it is good to have hi law." said Sen.

Susan Anderson. SD2S. R-Caspcr. "They don't know about our rules. Thev don't know about our traditions." But opponents agreed it would be impossible to outline in a law all the circumstances that could result in a conflict of interest.

how many people were hired and how much they were paid to collect signatures to land an issue on the ballot. Meyer wrote that the bill's reporting requirements appeared constitutional, but the spending limits did not. The attorney general cited previous rulings that said limits could be imposed on spending in race for public office but not on ballot issues. "The underly ing rationale to; these holdings is stated to be that the risk of corruption in cases involving candidate elections is not present in a popular vote on a public issue." he wrote. "Based on the case law reviewed no limitations on expenditures for oi against ballot propositions .1 PAC (political action commiitec 1.

corporation or individual appeal to be constitutional." The bill itself was proposed in response to large amounts of money spent to place a term limit initiative on Wyoming's Novemhei election ballot. The measure wa approv ed by voters. by links9 demis1 way. It was just a trend of times." Smith was a primary mover he-hind the creation of the program, in which state money was deposited at a low interest rate 1-1 banks and banks loaned a like amount at low interest rates 1,1 businesses and agriculture. "There were terribly high rate when the program first went into effect, so it provided some (interesi I reductions to new htiv' ncsses." he said "The shair lower (interest 1 rates now the program is not ol the great uc that it once as The program is scheduled io end in July The House tried to tend the prugtam.

throueh hut the Senate this week reiecie the bin. iih Tliinkiiig senators i til Homed toad liops closer to fame CHEYENNE" The Wyoming Senate Wednesday passed a bill to make the horned toad the state reptile on a 20-10 roll call vote. The bill. House Bill 2 1 3. previously passed the CHEYENNE (AP) Legislation designed to limit spending on ballot measures is unconstitutional, the attorney general's office said Wednesday.

Attorney General Joe Meyer, in a letter to Secretary of State Kathy Karpan. said his review of House Bill 99 showed that the bill's SI, 000 limit on spending in support or opposition to an initiative would violate constitutional rights to freedom of expression. "Based on our review and unanimous case authority, limitations on contributions for the support of or opposition to initiativ es. refcrendums and other ballot propositions, including petition drives prior to placement on the ballot, are unconstitutional in violation the United States Constitution." he rote. Questions ov er the bill surfaced Tuesday during a hearing on it in the Senate Corporations Committee.

Along with the spending limit, the measure called for groups pursuing ballot initiatives to report Smith unworried CHEYENNE falling interest rates in recent months have greatly diminished the value of the state's link deposits low-interest loan program, according to Treasurer Stan Smith. As a result, the Senate's decision to let the program shut down this July is not terribly upsetting to Smith, once a champion of the program. In (act. Smith said Wednesday that the program's demise ill allow him to make money for the state by seeking competitive bids from banks seeking deposits of state money. "We have very low interest rates, so while the alue of the program has been very great in the past, it isot much less value now." tie said "So I'm not upset in any House.

Senate Majority Leader Boyd Eddins. SD16. R-Smoot. opposed the bill on grounds some senators, including himself, had never seen a horned toad The toad also is known as the eastern short-horned Ii7ard. Eddins said his personal sur-vcv revealed that 16 senators re EDDINS desicnate the horned toad the stale reptile.

Rep. Ross Diercks. HD2. D-Lusk. and Dixon sponsored the bill hich now goes to the governor for his signature.

Veto light possible on HB 35 CHEYENNE The first veto fight of the legislative session could start this morning when the three-day time limit expires for (Jov. Mike Sullivan to act on a bill limiting a goxernor's choices to fill vacancies in the slate's top elected positions. House Bill 35 passed both houses ot the Legislature by at least two-thirds majorities. An oxer-ride attempt is expected in the event Sullivan vetoes the measure. Sullivan vetoed similar measures in I9KS and ISs).

L'nder current law. the governor can appoint anyone regardless of party affiliation to fill vacancies in the state's two CS, Senate seats or among the state's top four elected officials, including state auditor, treasurer. Secretary of Stale and Superintendent of Public Instruction. House Bill 35 would limit the gox ernor's choices to a list of three nominees provided by the former incumbent's own political party. While the constitution bars the governor from threatening a veto.

Sullivan last week said be would "likely pro 'eel the powers of the executive branch." when be acts on the bill ported they had seen a homed toad hile 1 2 said thev had not. Two senators, who also arc attorneys, could not be pinned down on whether or not they ex cr saw a borned toad, he said. "You shouldn't vote for something you know nothing about." Eddins said. But Senate President Jerry Dixon. SDK -Newcastle, assured the senators that all would proba DIVON bly have horned toads as pets by the time the bill becomes law July 1 Newcastle schtol children initialed the move to.