Representative Andrew Byron (R-Jackson) called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Monday, February 2 to provide a preview of the upcoming 2026 Wyoming Legislative Session, which begins on Monday, February 9. Byron’s House District 22 covers northern Star Valley.

(0:00) Joining me live over the phone right now this morning, Representative Andrew Byron from (0:05) the Wyoming State Legislature, House District 22 with the legislative preview of the session (0:09) coming up very soon. (0:11) Representative, good morning. (0:11) How are you doing today? (0:13) Great, Duke.

(0:14) How are you? (0:15) Hey, doing fantastic. (0:16) Appreciate your time as always. (0:18) What are we, a week away from the session beginning, correct, in Cheyenne? (0:21) Yeah, we are exactly a week away.

(0:23) A week from today we’ll be down in Cheyenne getting wrapped up with a little bit of morning (0:27) training and in the afternoon, next Monday, we’ll be starting to take introductory votes (0:31) on bills getting read into the body. (0:34) All right, well, of course, as we head into the session, most of the talk, there’s been (0:38) a lot of talk, but most of it’s been centered around recalibration and the recommendations (0:43) coming out of the Joint Appropriations Committee. (0:45) Give us the latest that you’re seeing from that and maybe your thoughts on what things (0:50) are looking like.

(0:52) Yeah, thanks. (0:52) That’s been a big hitter just recently. (0:55) The recalibration committee just came out with their, I believe it’s a 95-page bill (1:00) a few days ago, so I’m still trying to digest that.

(1:04) Both the two school districts that my house district fall in, I think, are still grappling (1:08) with it and it’s been a long process. (1:12) We’re really, certainly, Teton County 1 and Lincoln County 2 were really concerned about (1:17) the direction it was going. (1:18) It seems to have gotten a little bit better.

(1:20) It passed out a committee with a 9-0 vote, obviously has opportunities to get amended (1:25) on the floor, but it’s a big deal and it certainly, as we thought was coming out and (1:31) the product we were hearing was coming, was really, really going to hurt our western (1:35) Wyoming school district. (1:37) I hope that they’ve made it better and I hope that we can make it even better when we get (1:40) it to the floor. (1:41) What would you like to see? (1:43) I guess if you were in the Joint Appropriations Committee representative, how would you like (1:48) to see this go? (1:51) Well, JAC is not here in this bill specifically, but JAC has done a lot of other different (1:57) things as the governor’s budget came onto their lap.

(2:00) The big things they did, well, they did a lot of things and I did not vote for the supplemented (2:04) budget, actually, because of a lot of the changes that JAC made in this last session (2:08) and obviously, as I think we discussed on the last time I was on that, that supplemented (2:12) budget did not pass. (2:14) I just don’t want them to muddle in it too bad and get more confusing to the people. (2:18) We’re talking about massive budget cuts to certain organizations, certainly the University (2:23) of Wyoming that we’re all so proud of supporting and some of us are alumni.

(2:28) They’re facing a real big budget cut that the JAC has implemented on them. (2:32) It seems to be that some of the JAC members have walked some of the stuff back. (2:36) Certainly, I think the issue with them going into that meeting with some scripts and some (2:42) maybe lack of understanding how their motions were affecting certain departments is clear (2:49) now, but we got a lot of work to do.

(2:51) It is a very quick session. (2:52) It’s only 20 days. (2:54) There’s a lot of thresholds for votes, getting other bills in to be heard.

(2:58) And it’s a wild ride for this short session. (3:02) Representative Andrew Bynum with the Legislative Preview this morning on the weekday wake up. (3:05) So heading into the budget session, as you mentioned, any other priorities or anything (3:10) else that you’re focusing on yourself heading into it? (3:14) Yeah, you know, as TRW, Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, Culture, Resources Committee Chairman (3:18) on the House side, we have four bills we’re going to see that we got through the interim (3:22) and the Senate side has a few more.

(3:25) One of the big ones that continues to be discussed is corner crossing and certainly doesn’t (3:29) affect our local counties or certainly House District 22 directly. (3:34) But it’s got huge, wide sweeping potential effects on the southern part of the state. (3:41) So, you know, that was held up and supported.

(3:44) The ruling came from the 10th Circuit Court and the Supreme Court decided not to hear (3:48) an appeal. So that is now how it is. (3:51) And corner crossing is legal and we have a bill coming and we still have some tweaks we (3:56) got to do to that.

And generally just supporting trails, trails in western Wyoming, (4:00) certainly, you know, summertime recreation use of side-by-sides and dirt bikes and (4:04) different stuff going in southwest Wyoming where it’s so important. (4:07) But, you know, I think a budget session should really be concentrated on just that due to (4:11) the budget. And I do have a couple of bills kind of in my back pocket, nothing that’s (4:15) going to catch a headline, but some interesting bills, you know, related to some (4:20) school safety.

And I have a bill related to that that’s going to potentially going to (4:25) run about AEDs, automated external defibrillators, just some policies around that (4:32) because those are, you know, confirmed and proven to save lives. (4:35) So that’s something I’m working on. (4:37) But, you know, this budget session is just for that, the budget.

(4:39) And if history tells us anything, you know, there’s an introductory vote threshold of (4:45) two thirds. So we won’t even hear a bill or even get a bill signed out of committee if (4:48) we don’t have that two thirds vote. (4:50) So, yeah, we got it.

(4:51) We got to take care of our people in our districts. (4:53) And that’s really what I’m concentrating on. (4:55) I think the property tax relief that’s been passed has been really, really good.

(4:58) And kind of with that, Duke, if I can give a quick plug, you know, and I imagine you’ve (5:02) talked about this, but make sure the folks in Lincoln County and as they commute up and (5:07) as they’re driving around Western Wyoming, anyone that’s hearing this needs to make sure (5:10) they get in onto their Treasurer’s website and get applied for that 25 percent off (5:15) because it was automatic or automatic last year and you have to sign an affidavit this (5:20) year. I think the deadline is March 1st. (5:21) So a reminder to those folks and those constituents to get in and get that get that (5:26) property tax relief that they asked for.

(5:28) And, yeah, I’m certainly looking forward to Cheyenne. (5:30) It’s going to be grueling, but it goes by fast and and excited for it. (5:34) Now, you and I were talking before you went on the air.

(5:36) This is your fourth session. (5:37) Is that correct? Yeah, it’s gone by quick. (5:40) We’re just reflecting on the fourth year, getting to do these interviews.

(5:43) I’m really lucky to get to join with my fellow colleagues in Lincoln County and (5:50) Southwestern Wyoming to hop on. (5:51) And we really appreciate the opportunity to get out and and get some information back (5:54) to our constituents. So thank you for that.

(5:56) Yeah, yeah, and absolutely. (5:57) And you’ve touched on some some really important topics here. (6:00) But I think the one thing we all want to know is heading into your fourth session, (6:04) what’s what’s the facial hair situation? (6:06) Because you your mustache last year was pretty on point.

(6:09) It was that was kind of the one of the big headline grabbers was the mustache. (6:12) Is that back? Well, it seemed to me that the headliner was my mustache and my my (6:17) otter bill. I ran.

(6:19) I have figurines all over my desk with otters. (6:21) You know, it’s a great bill that passed and had a supportive game. (6:24) I do have facial hair right now.

(6:26) You know, as a first responder firefighter, we have some policies against that. (6:28) But as I go to Cheyenne, I’m kind of letting it loose. (6:31) And yeah, as soon as I leave the house and the wife’s not looking, I can get (6:35) creative.

So I might I might put something on on the old mug and see how it lasts. (6:39) But, you know, I’m excited. (6:40) We have to have a little bit of humor and we get down there and we have to get some (6:44) laughs in because, man, it is a serious, serious time in our state.

(6:47) We’re really at a crossroads. (6:48) And and yeah, it’s an honor to get to represent the folks in House District (6:52) 22 and help Western Wyoming. (6:54) And with that comes long, grueling days, but a couple of giggles here and there.

(6:58) Awesome. Love it. That’s Representative Andrew Byron this morning.

(7:00) Appreciate your time. And we’ll touch base during the session.