House overrides governor's veto on bill expanding legislative review of agency rules

The Wyoming House of Representatives voted 48-13 to override the governor's veto of Senate Enrolled Act 59, originally filed as Senate File 127, a bill that expands legislative review of administrative rulemaking.

Lawmakers spent roughly an hour debating the measure on the floor, with supporters saying it increases transparency and lawmakers' ability to ensure agency rules reflect legislative intent, and opponents saying it would expand state government and create recurring workload and costs for legislators.

Representative Yen said he opposed the bill and declined to support the override, arguing the measure would push Wyoming away from a "citizen legislature." "I voted against it for a simple reason, separation of powers," Yen said. "It was putting us on a further track towards no longer being a citizen legislature and putting us towards the track of being a full time legislature." Representative Yen was among the members who spoke against the override during floor debate.

Other opponents raised similar concerns that the bill would require more staff and funding. Representative Davis warned that "by voting to override this, we will, as a body, must be willing to put up the dollars and grow the government, adding the FTEs to accomplish this." He nevertheless said he supported the override because of possible positive oversight outcomes.

Supporters said the bill creates a needed feedback loop to ensure rules match legislative intent. "Legislative oversight is not overreach. It's legislative duty," Representative Rodriguez Williams said. Representative Geringer added that the bill would help correct misunderstandings about how statutes are implemented in rulemaking and could prevent costly regulatory missteps.

Other speakers noted existing processes for reviewing rules but disagreed about whether those mechanisms are sufficient. Representative Chastick said a feedback loop already exists under the Administrative Procedures Act and opposed the override on that basis. Representative Nicholas, who spoke against the override, described prior efforts to review agency rules and said the bill would alter longstanding administrative practice.

Majority Leader Hyner moved the motion to override under Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution. The chief clerk then called the roll; the recorded result was 48 ayes, 13 noes and one member excused, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for an override. The presiding officer announced, "By your vote, you have voted to override the governor's veto, Senate Enrolled Act number 59 being original Senate file number 127."

Shortly afterward the reading clerk relayed messages from the Senate indicating that the upper chamber likewise took votes to override the governor's vetoes on several measures, including Senate Enrolled Act 59. That message indicates both chambers have taken the steps to sustain the override.

The bill, proponents said, is intended to give legislators a clearer mechanism to review agency rules and to require greater transparency in how administrative rules are developed and implemented. Opponents said it imposes recurring costs and risks shifting more day-to-day regulatory work onto the Legislature.

The House returned the measure to the enrollment process after the override vote; messages from the Senate transmitted to the House show the Senate took parallel action on the veto.

Notes: The floor debate and roll call are recorded in the official House transcript; speakers quoted here are attributed to the floor remarks in that transcript.