Senator Laura Taliaferro Pearson (R-Kemmerer) from Senate District 14 called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Wednesday, February 18 to report on the 2026 Wyoming State Legislative Session. Sen. Pearson discussed some of her bills, along with the budget process during a budget session and the Senate’s School Recalibration bill.

(0:00) Thanks for starting your day with the weekday wake up on the SBI radio network (0:06) 745 this morning joining me live over the phone is (0:10) Senator Laura Pearson from Kemmerer with the legislative report. Good morning, Senator (0:14) How shy I am been for you for the first well a week and a half of the session (0:21) Good morning, Duke (0:24) It’s been pretty fast-paced (0:27) I think the Senate is getting through bills a lot faster than the house, but (0:32) Yeah, it’s been pretty fast-paced and (0:35) You know and of course lots of controversy out there, but we’re getting through it. Yeah.

Yeah to say the least right well (0:42) I do appreciate your time and updates (0:44) You had a couple of bills that that you put forward this year and and two that we’ve talked before in the past (0:51) And I want to give you a chance to just update listeners on on where those two bills are at (0:57) Yeah, so actually I put three bills forward one was (1:01) SF-93 it was a shared custody amendment (1:05) bill and that was basically (1:09) To say on temporary orders in the event of a separation (1:15) That both parents would (1:20) Basically be awarded shared custody on a temporary basis (1:25) Just because as we know in these separation events, I mean obviously this is in the case of (1:35) good willing (1:37) Parents, you know that both want to be a part of their children’s lives (1:42) This isn’t referencing any sort of abuse or anything like that. But actually just parents that can no longer (1:51) Live together and they get separated and (1:55) They both want to be a part of their children’s lives. So (1:58) That bill actually did not pass in production.

I lost (2:05) That one by two votes. So we were close close to the two-thirds that we needed (2:11) Another one was called or is called shared parenting day (2:18) I (2:19) Ran that one kind of in conjunction with the shared parenting (2:23) Amendments or shared custody amendments (2:27) and (2:28) That one’s just to recognize and this is kind of going going across the nation to recognize the April 26th as (2:37) shared parenting day in Wyoming (2:40) the reason for April 26th is because that (2:45) Is the day that Kentucky? (2:48) Which has a very good shared parenting law in their state that is actually working (2:56) That was the day that their bill passed and so that’s why we have April 26th and the and the premise behind (3:05) and I know it is the budget session and and (3:08) Probably some of these things should not be (3:12) Even considered in a budget session (3:14) But I was contacted by several people including two pastors that asked me to please please run (3:21) shared parenting again (3:23) Because it affects everybody across our state (3:27) It affects the children. It affects the parents.

It affects the grandparents and (3:34) so I (3:36) Decided to run this shared parenting day in conjunction with the with the shared parenting amendments (3:43) and (3:44) Just just saying that Wyoming values strong loving relationships between children and both parents and the cooperative parenting (3:54) Builds healthier kids stronger families and more resilient communities. And so (4:00) That was the reason behind that (4:02) I did run another I was asked to run a governmental immunity (4:09) Bill it was basically kind of an amendment (4:14) And it was the numbers SF 94 so that one did not pass (4:21) Introduction but I was asked to run it so I did and that was just basically saying or (4:28) kind of a (4:30) A clause in there saying that in (4:34) Municipalities, you know where there have been several complaints over roads (4:41) Bridges sidewalks things like that that there is an avenue and for (4:48) The public (4:51) To sue that entity now (4:54) That (4:56) You know, it was only a five hundred dollar claim you couldn’t you couldn’t sue for more than five hundred dollars (5:02) But it was just sending a message to the municipalities (5:06) that (5:07) They aren’t immune and they can’t just you know (5:12) sweep things under the rug and not do something when there are several complaints over an issue on a road or streets or (5:18) sidewalk things like that, you know that they need to take action within within a (5:24) Reasonable amount of time to get things fixed. So that was that one that one did not pass (5:30) So that’s kind of where we are on my bill (5:36) Senator Pearson joining me this morning senator Pearson from Kemmer with the legislative report (5:41) Senator, of course (5:43) It is a budget session as you mentioned and it sounds like yesterday that the Senate did have (5:47) quite a big discussion on on the budget and what came out of the JAC this year and and maybe (5:53) Summarize that for us and where you see things going (5:56) yeah, so (5:58) yesterday in the Senate we were supposed to discuss the budget and (6:04) There was amendment on the budget the First Amendment and that was basically I’m just going to summarize (6:12) so (6:13) basically that was to (6:19) To return the budget back to the governor’s recommendation.

So (6:26) That amendment passed. I think it was 20 to 11. I was a no vote on it (6:33) And I was very clear as to why I was a no vote on it (6:37) Yes, there are people that are upset about certain things that the Joint Appropriations Committee did (6:43) You know, but my feeling is is that? (6:47) we’ve spent a hundred and twenty thousand dollars for joint appropriations to meet in (6:54) December and January (6:57) $120,000 of taxpayer money.

They came out with a bill and (7:04) Our duty is to go through that bill and (7:09) Make amendments on that bill, you know, if you want things returned whatever and we take a vote on it (7:17) My you know, I I don’t understand why we have a joint appropriations committee doing this meeting (7:24) For two months basically, well one month total (7:28) Taxpayers are paying them a hundred and twenty thousand dollars (7:31) to do those meetings and to me with all of these different governmental agencies and to come up with some sort of a budget and (7:40) Then we don’t decide to work that (7:46) bill and (7:47) So that’s where I was on that (7:49) Because I don’t think it’s fair to the taxpayers these you know, I mean we have our committees (7:54) it doesn’t matter whether it’s a conservative committee or a (8:00) or a (8:01) Moderate committee (8:03) You know you you work the bill (8:05) That’s what we’re down here for. We’re down here to work to build it comes out of these committees. So that’s my stance on that (8:13) Senator and one final question for you here.

Of course recalibration has been a big discussion (8:19) item heading into the session as well and I wanted to give you a chance to share your thoughts on on the (8:23) Recalibration bill and and how it came out of the the Senate Education Committee (8:33) Are you talking about the joint recalibration bill or just kind of what we’re doing on the Senate side (8:39) Yeah, just just the Senate side with with in regards to school recalibration (8:44) Yeah, so we’re going to be talking about the the Senate (8:48) Recalibration bill that came out of committee today, I believe and so I think that (8:54) That committee is really looking at what people are saying and you know, as I said, I mean (9:02) when the recalibration bill came out of (9:07) Hang on a second when the recalibration bill came out of the joint (9:14) Recalibration committee, you know, I mean there was a lot of a lot of people that were upset and (9:20) Are that I mean, I don’t know that everyone was upset but definitely (9:26) school district (9:28) Administrator school board things like that, you know, and I kept reassuring everybody that when this (9:34) To us, you know that they’re gonna be amendments made (9:38) You know, and so I mean but a lot of threats and that’s why I put on my (9:46) My Facebook post that I’m not going to be threatened by the WEA or their affiliates (9:53) I mean, I’m making that clear and so (9:58) But I’m not gonna vote, you know (10:02) I’m I’m not gonna vote (10:07) Based on persuasion, I guess is what I’m saying or based on whether I’m threatened by somebody or some (10:14) organization, so (10:17) You know, I think that that has gone on too long in this state and (10:22) We have to start standing up, you know for the people and the taxpayers and all of these things, but I (10:30) Just feel like allowing (10:31) Organizations to basically take over our legislative legislative body is not right. And so (10:38) I’m obviously gonna vote for what what I think is right and (10:44) You know (10:45) And I might go right along with those organizations (10:49) but I just was tired of getting the threat in emails and things like that and and and I’m (10:57) What I’m a legislator that is, you know (11:01) Not going to buck to that. So (11:04) Well senator appreciate your time.

I know you’ve got committee meetings to head off to so thank you so much (11:08) We appreciate the updates and we’ll be in touch (11:11) All right. Well, thank you. You betcha.

That’s senator. Laura Pearson Senate district 14 out of Kemmerer (11:16) It’s all part of the weekday. Wake up on S VI radio