[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6063683,"mediaKeyId","3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941","parentId",3264753,"title","Wyoming officials warn 9‑1‑1 surcharge is insufficient; propose interim study and funding options","audioSeconds",3180,"startMs",7353000,"endMs",10533000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941&start=7353&end=10533","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941/thumbnail_7353000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063683/Wyoming/Wyoming-officials-warn-911-surcharge-is-insufficient-propose-interim-study-and-funding-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063683-a54f9b16b15868e756998021e4d86982/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136733&Signature=YXHCbL~eZVUbrxccHih7KgCcsWqRYp~ngW3xVHDrqlg3WEClkp-od7XenTEaZJi-SrTgRlwA0~vKm5SfdOO-g2-EDKfrq9SlH54clsPuN-Gb244bc19o5Li4nnvPQWn5EmLI5gJOj2YpaOsp2iqkr4AlhbIlw4FFJKmO-RnG5jx6jbZ5mHtjqIcd37Xj9r0IxTzwBTCEyHD8TZxL5M3d~xSsxeAP-7C1QOYxrzfMDXoNojzPAmdtSVRjyi-lIfhIpEg3p8ezVv3w5Lopdku8QK~kHs30Xp4UqgnykqJviDBieOj~JF~3X4iPYgVOVjK1pi5Hg2UnoDezJjcMnD3pPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-05-09T00:46:55Z","article","Officials from the Wyoming Public Safety Communications Commission, Wyoming Department of Transportation, county dispatch centers and telecom providers told the interim committee the state’s 9‑1‑1 funding ceiling (currently $0.75 per phone line) is inadequate to maintain existing public-safety answering points (PSAPs) and to finance a statewide migration to NextGen 9‑1‑1.

Monty McClain, chairman of the Wyoming Public Safety Communications Commission and Park County PSAP manager, described technical and operational gaps between legacy 9‑1‑1 and the capabilities required by NextGen 9‑1‑1. He said many PSAPs already have equipment upgrades under way but cannot complete statewide integration without a network backbone and additional recurring funding.

Why it matters: Wyoming has 31 PSAPs serving a sparsely populated, geographically large state. Coordinators estimated a multi‑million‑dollar gap between current surcharge revenue and the funding needed to sustain operations and create a resilient, redundant statewide NextGen network. Committee members asked staff to convene a working group of providers, PSAP operators and state agencies and to return with funding options.

Key details

- Funding shortfall: The committee was shown 2015–2024 revenue and expenditure trends; presenters said that, with the existing $0.75 ceiling, PSAPs remain underfunded. One example: a small county PSAP with four dispatchers reported $665,868 annual operating cost in 2024 and roughly $122,000 in 9‑1‑1 surcharge revenue.

- Ceiling and potential changes: Presenters suggested the surcharge ceiling needs flexibility and noted $0.75 was set in 1986. Staff modeling showed raising only the surcharge ceiling would not automatically make every PSAP whole; nets and caps and local governing-body choices matter. Presenters proposed a collaborative review of combined funding options (prepaid, postpaid, state appropriations, consolidation opportunities) rather than a single blunt increase.

- NextGen requirements and timeline: Officials said a statewide migration (ESInet backbone, call‑handling and logging systems, GIS upgrades) would likely take 9–18 months to implement after funding and procurement decisions; some PSAPs already have partial upgrades but lack the statewide network backbone and redundancy.

- Administrative and technical points: The packet included an inventory of 9‑1‑1 equipment categories (call handling, CAD, recording, GIS), and it explained the value of leveraging existing state wireline/fiber assets (wire link) and state-owned shelters for microwave redundancy.

Stakeholder positions

- Wyoming Public Safety Communications Commission (Monty McClain): Asked the committee to sponsor and support a structured interim process to identify a durable funding model and to preserve local control where appropriate.

- Wyoming Department of Transportation (Amy Benning and Nate Smolinski): Recommended a coordinated plan to build an ESInet backbone and stressed federal-grant eligibility requires consistent reporting.

- PSAP operators (Matt Johnson, Torrington Police; other county chiefs): Described dispatch staffing, capital and maintenance costs and urged a funding solution that avoids ad hoc local shortfalls.

- Telecom providers (Range, Charter, Verizon) and other carriers: Agreed to participate in a working group and stressed the need to consider pricing and customer impacts; industry representatives noted IP‑based services are already in scope under telecom statutes and that funding through an assessment on phone bills should be re-evaluated for transparency and fairness.

Committee direction and next steps

- Committee members asked staff to convene an industry‑agency working group to flesh out funding options and to provide an updated implementation and cost estimate at the committee’s next meeting.

- Presenters recommended exploring a mix of targeted surcharge adjustments, state seed appropriations to build backbone infrastructure, and incentives for regional consolidation where local conditions and public‑safety needs make it sensible.

Ending

Officials said NextGen 9‑1‑1 is achievable but requires a near‑term coordinated funding decision to prevent further operational shortfalls and ensure statewide redundancy. The committee agreed to take the topic forward in the interim and requested concrete funding options and timelines at the next meeting.

Speakers quoted in this article were: Monty McClain (Wyoming Public Safety Communications Commission), Amy Benning (Wyoming Department of Transportation), Nate Smolinski (State 9‑1‑1 Coordinator), Matt Johnson (Chief, Torrington Police), Jody Levin (Charter/Verizon/industry representative).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee, May 8, 2025-PM","oneSentenceSummary","State 9‑1‑1 coordinators, county dispatch chiefs and telecom providers told the committee that the current $0.75 per-line surcharge does not cover operating costs or migration to NextGen 9‑1‑1. Officials asked the committee to authorize stakeholder work and to return draft funding options at the next meeting.","taxTitle","Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",21022,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063688,"Wyoming Energy Authority and utilities begin interim work on large electric loads and transmission policy",2076,6378000,8454000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941&start=6378&end=8454","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941/thumbnail_6378000.jpg","/articles/6063688/Wyoming/Wyoming-Energy-Authority-and-utilities-begin-interim-work-on-large-electric-loads-and-transmission-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063688-93d1b6038d05e10f5efb7cfd745c0f0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136733&Signature=PIXSah1vND8xtp8KAJfBL~ny3C~vErqQDBvDuM88J7hUSdA7w75UkC1JT~P7lVnDw3a7A99pdx60KNlR47fWuWaAGD90XSAHMcOU5YcGC~Bom3GzciWZ8au4yS2NBXxUQ9N0FGZ6NCsyRWOKkwY7bQX9kXAEEMOb~zAHuIA4K~OyAJDKX7TaaHqTE9krETkXae1KyfxIqqoa6BGIEU-HYVasOKSvjElyNgHYzlzfSM0E6jiqNcu5snlPvfBrLCuwYqA96Ky~NMtn4BIEdCmOjCejDGAO7Yz3xXBfz8YcAwEOBs0yioZAjY1kihAfLLHxqB4JCjpyP8YXfmB2273TQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Krieger, executive director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, told the committee the authority’s statutory mission includes “diversify and expand the Wyoming economy through improvements to the state's electric and energy transmission infrastructure” and that WEA will convene utilities, co-ops and consumers to identify policy options.

John Jenks, WEA’s director of energy market development, said the authority has begun stakeholder meetings with Rocky Mountain Power, Tri-State, Basin Electric, Black Hills, the Public Service Commission, the Office of Consumer Advocate and large customers. He presented a proposed interim schedule of outreach, straw proposals and a third interim report to the committee.

Why it matters: utilities reported an industry surge of interest from data centers and AI operations — “over 10 gigawatts” of requests in Pacificorp’s service territory — while Wyoming’s current peak load is about 1 gigawatt. Utilities and co-ops say cost and credit risk for rapid large-load additions should not be imposed on existing ratepayers.

Key points

- Large loads: Rocky Mountain Power said the cost should “follow the cost causer” and urged contracts and credit protections so current customers do not absorb speculative project risk. Rocky Mountain Power also noted the multistate allocation protocol for Pacificorp will expire December 31 and the company will file proposed state-by-state allocations by the commission’s September deadline.

- Co-op perspective: The Wyoming Rural Electric Association said co-ops and generation-and-transmission providers have historically served rural economic development and want to work with state leaders to preserve reliability and rural access while exploring new loads.

- Public interest and oversight: The Public Service Commission and the Office of Consumer Advocate stressed rate impacts, insurance cost pressures and the importance of preserving ‘‘used and useful’’ principles: Wyoming customers should only pay for assets that provide them benefit.

- Data centers and local benefits: Cheyenne’s mayor said large data centers have supported local property and sales tax bases and some high-paying technical jobs; utilities noted several data centers were using innovative tariffs to pay for system upgrades without shifting costs to other customers.

Numbers and clarifications

- Over 10 gigawatts of speculative service requests in Pacificorp’s (Rocky Mountain Power) six-state footprint; Wyoming’s peak load is “just under 1 gigawatt” by WEA’s account.

- WEA staff: 8 people (small centralized office intended to convene stakeholders and preserve confidentiality where appropriate for commercial proposals).

- Energy matching funds and carbon-capture projects: WEA has processed rounds of grants (EMF/energy matching funds); several carbon-capture studies and pilot planning efforts are underway, with one advanced project drilling wells in Sweetwater County; taxpayers’ exposure will be discussed at the Minerals Committee review requested by WEA.

Stakeholder snapshots

- Tom Carter, Rocky Mountain Power vice president of government affairs: Company will file allocation proposals by September 1 and wants commercial terms that protect existing customers from speculative new-load costs.

- Sean Taylor, Wyoming Rural Electric Association: Co-ops represent a different ownership model and will seek consensus approaches that protect rural cooperative members.

- David Bush, Black Hills Energy (Cheyenne Light): Company implemented an LPCS (large power contract service) tariff in Cheyenne to let large data-center customers take market energy and pay for required upgrades; the company said it had zeroed out a CCUS surcharge on Cheyenne customers as of Jan. 1, 2025.

- Anthony Ornelas, Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate: Urged scrutiny so new growth “pays for itself” and warned about passing risks to residential and small-commercial customers.

Committee direction and next steps

- The energy authority will keep convening stakeholders, provide the committee with a summer schedule of meetings and return to report interim recommendations and draft options for statutory or regulatory change.

- The Public Service Commission continues rulemaking on certificate-of-service territories, nonutility generators and outage reporting; WEA said it will coordinate input from utilities, co-ops and consumers to present consensus where possible.

Ending

The committee asked WEA and the utilities to return with more detailed cost-allocation options, possible tariff models for hyper-scale loads, and proposals to protect Wyoming ratepayers. Members emphasized the need to balance economic development with protecting residential and longtime industrial consumers.

Speakers quoted in this article were: Rob Krieger (Wyoming Energy Authority), John Jenks (Wyoming Energy Authority), Tom Carter (Rocky Mountain Power), Sean Taylor (Wyoming Rural Electric Association), David Bush (Black Hills Energy), Mike Robinson (Public Service Commission), Anthony Ornelas (Office of Consumer Advocate), Thor Nelson (Wyoming Industrial Energy Consumers), Patrick Collins (Mayor of Cheyenne).","The Wyoming Energy Authority and major utilities told the Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions interim committee they will convene utilities, co-ops, consumer advocates and industry to seek consensus on handling large new electric loads, third-party generation and transmission costs tied to data center growth.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063691,"Wyoming secretary outlines failed 2025 election bills, urges interim study",3210,123000,3333000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941&start=123&end=3333","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264753-cfca0b8b15deb8f6c3374b0e8f2ef941/thumbnail_123000.jpg","/articles/6063691/Wyoming/Wyoming-secretary-outlines-failed-2025-election-bills-urges-interim-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063691-5d3ce6f5a4215967a45f849b0540393c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136733&Signature=ZCDJu-JHshMyQE3nWx--RyJ9mVshsRw~3mddJVt2bw4~xVv5rmjc-FDiWfcdNI7W381RTFaFGvBpqsQMe~vo8wfrd3QIeuYhgEmxfLF54sLx7vqT8u5RNBTHPMyPLBfCS-Z4aoSc8A~dsZtN33jwKs5xohJoUlw2dMwz1UH5cHTKVS3vitQ3uhdXRx5GHiMzDc8z00I42CDSy0rHfkPIxqcUtMRdrp1hu57ZF1rjoGgCkmQ6mpjq78Lr9LynQfcfSr6sgzPGox2O7M5Fahl4OrGVbVzH~tQS~zgBiNxXERy2ixi~6ppIaoUPIxRploNDMmcxpGCtMIxuT27xNuVjQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Secretary Gray, Wyoming Secretary of State, reviewed a slate of election bills that fell short in the 2025 session and urged the Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions interim committee to prioritize and refine them.

Gray said many measures were grouped into five categories and called out specific bills by number, including “chain of custody. In house bill 1 31, ballot drop boxes prohibition,” and a set on hand counts and audits such as “House bill 2 17, random hand count audits of election results” and “House bill 2 32, elections hand counting for recounts.” He described other priorities as “House bill 2 15 is the prohibition on electronic voting equipment,” and “House bill 2 45, pen and paper ballots.”

The secretary framed the bills as technical and procedural moves to restore or strengthen chain of custody and public confidence. He recommended combining closely related measures and asked the committee to use the interim to prepare engrossed drafts. Representative Weber proposed that the Legislative Service Office draft a group of bills for the next meeting; Representative Webb’s motion to ask LSO to prepare a package that included several bills (and HB 1 56 cleanup language) passed on a voice vote, with Representative Lucas indicating support.

Why it matters: the package covers steps that would change how ballots are cast, handled and recounted statewide — from banning drop boxes and ballot harvesting to requiring more hand counts, restricting electronic voting equipment and tightening voter-ID rules. Supporters said the bills would raise confidence in election integrity; opponents and some public commenters warned of creating new barriers to voting for seniors and people with access problems.

Key details

- Chain of custody / drop boxes / ballot harvesting: Secretary Gray described HB 131 (ballot drop box prohibition) and HB 238 (ballot-harvesting prohibition) as top priorities that, if enacted, would remove drop boxes and ban third-party ballot collection in state law.

- Hand counts and audits: HB 217 would require a full hand count of one precinct in every county as a random audit; HB 232 would expand hand recount procedures for close races; and HB 278 was described as a detailed bill to strengthen voting-machine testing after statutory gaps were revealed during the primary and general elections.

- Voting machines and ballot format: Gray said HB 215 would prohibit electronic voting equipment and that HB 245 would move toward “pen and paper ballots” and away from barcode-driven tabulation. He said those measures were aligned with an executive order referenced in testimony.

- Voter ID and absentee ballots: Bills discussed included HB 145 (requiring unique identifiers on absentee inner envelopes), HB 160 and HB 206 (tightening acceptable ID and removing non-photo IDs), and proposals to avoid broad hardship attestations that would otherwise bypass photo-ID requirements.

- Poll watchers and election judges: HB 307 (polling station observation) and HB 321 (election judge selection) were described as efforts to clarify who may observe absentee tabulation, who may remain after polls close, and how parties submit judge lists.

Public comments and stakeholder positions

- Tom Laycock, AARP Wyoming associate state director, told the committee AARP supported HB 206 as amended in Senate committee and urged the committee to find alternatives for voters who lack photo ID, including mobile or special voting deputies for residential care facilities and other verification options. Laycock said clerks reported roughly “303 hundred 50” (reported by clerks as about 303–350) people used Medicare cards in the last election and urged outreach to those voters.

- Patty Junik of Wyoming Election Integrity said she and her group supported all the secretary’s bills as corrective measures put off in prior years.

- Veil Simmons (civics 307 / Why Vote?) urged a structured risk assessment rather than broad new restrictions, cited national studies that show noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare, and warned that tightening rules could create barriers for eligible voters.

- Andy Mangione, AMAC Action, said the bills “are not partisan. They're practical,” and urged strict ID requirements and bans on drop boxes and third-party ballot collection.

Actions and next steps

- The committee voted by voice to ask LSO to draft a package of bills (mover: Representative Webb; second: Representative Lucas). The package included multiple bills the secretary highlighted and the HB 156 cleanup language addressing durational residency.

- Senator Landen moved, seconded and won a voice vote to add Senate File 190 (the senate’s compromise bill referenced by the secretary) to the list the committee will consider at its next meeting.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: Extensive technical discussion and public comment on chain-of-custody, hand counts, machine testing, pen-and-paper ballots, voter ID alternatives and poll-watcher rules.

- Direction: Committee directed LSO to draft an initial bill package to vet at the next meeting; committee chairs asked staff to prioritize a subset (roughly 8–10) for interim work.

- Decision: Committee adopted a procedural motion (voice vote) to request LSO drafts; no final legislative changes were adopted at the meeting.

Ending

Committee members and stakeholders left the meeting with clear interim work: staff will draft combined bills and options for voter-ID alternatives and testing protocols; the committee will use the interim to reconcile technical language and consider trade-offs between security measures and voter access.

Speakers quoted in this article were: Secretary Gray (Wyoming Secretary of State), Karen Wetzel Lander (commenter), Tom Laycock (AARP Wyoming), Patty Junik (Wyoming Election Integrity), Veil Simmons (civics 307 / Why Vote?), Andy Mangione (AMAC Action), Representative Webb, Representative Lucas, Representative Weber, Senator Landen.","Wyoming Secretary of State presented a post-session review of failed 2025 bills on ballot handling, hand counts, voting machines, voter ID and poll-watcher rules and asked the interim committee to vet, combine and prioritize measures for the next session.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wyoming officials warn 9‑1‑1 surcharge is insufficient; propose interim study and funding options

Wyoming Energy Authority and utilities begin interim work on large electric loads and transmission policy

Wyoming secretary outlines failed 2025 election bills, urges interim study