Senate committee rejects constitutional amendment to exempt 100% disabled veterans from property tax

The Wyoming Senate’s Committee of the Whole voted against advancing House Joint Resolution 4, a proposed constitutional amendment that would add an exemption in Article 15, Section 12 for property owned and occupied by veterans the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has rated 100% disabled.

Senator McEwen, speaking for the measure, described the proposal as narrowly targeted. The amendment would exempt a primary residence and up to 10 acres associated with that residence for veterans with a 100% VA disability rating; a surviving spouse could retain the exemption if the spouse remains unmarried and does not move. “This is a very small part of the population,” McEwen said, noting the limited scope.

Several senators questioned whether a constitutional amendment was the appropriate vehicle. Senator Rothfuss and Senator Pappas both said the policy could be implemented by statute and funded through the budget if desired; they said placing the provision in the state constitution seemed unnecessarily prescriptive. Senator Cooper also said he favored statutory action rather than a constitutional change.

Senator Bauer, a proponent in committee debate, said adopting the exemption by constitutional amendment would provide additional legal certainty and guard against future constitutional challenges to exemptions.

After an initial standing division that produced inconclusive results, the Committee of the Whole proceeded to a roll-call vote pursuant to Senate Rule 6-5. The clerk recorded the committee roll call: 6 aye, 21 no, 3 excused, 1 conflict. Senate rules require that failure of the standing division leads to a roll-call; following the roll-call, House Joint Resolution 4 was deemed indefinitely postponed.

The transcript records the motion failing by roll-call and the chair announcing the measure as indefinitely postponed. Supporters may pursue statutory options in lieu of a constitutional amendment.