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Senate passes road‑easement bill tied to State Shooting Complex after germaneness ruling; funding amendment ruled out of order
Summary
The Senate passed House Bill 219 on March 3, which clarifies how county and joint‑powers entities may obtain perpetual easements for roads on state lands leased to the State Shooting Complex; a related amendment seeking to attach a funding carve‑out was ruled out of order under Senate Rule 11‑6 and withdrawn.
The Wyoming Senate on March 3 passed House Bill 219, a bill clarifying easement procedures for roads on state school trust lands leased to the Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board. The House Land Board approved a lease of roughly 2,000 acres for the complex in December 2024; the parcel includes several miles of existing roads that the amendment sought to address.
Why it matters: The amendment under debate would have attached an appropriation or a funding carve‑out to the bill for the State Shooting Complex; opponents and the chair deemed that change not germane to the bill27s title and scope. The ruling removed the contested appropriation language from consideration and allowed the underlying easement and road-clarifying text to pass, affecting land-use, county and joint-powers operations and the complex27s implementation.
Floor debate: Sponsors argued the amendment and bill are germane to state lands because the land lease and design work are already in motion and the roads are on state lands approved for the project. One senator outlined the project history, a consultant27s 10% design completion and an anticipated start to onsite earthwork within 90 days. Several senators argued the amendment was a legitimate fit for the bill; others, including Senator Ralphs and critics on the floor, said the appropriation and funding language belonged in a separate bill and reminded colleagues of rule‑based processes for adding appropriations.
Ruling and outcome: The chair ruled the proposed funding amendment out of order under Senate Rule 11‑6 (scope of amendments). The sponsor withdrew the amendment. The Senate then voted to pass the remainder of House Bill 219 on third reading.
What happens next: With passage, the bill will proceed through enrollment and transmittal. The State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board and local governments will continue planning and design work, and the statutory clarification should help county and joint‑powers entities obtain easements for existing roads on leased state land.
