State Senator Dan Dockstader gave insight to special sessions the governor will call to pass bills that aim to help provide relief from effects felt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says the state legislature has been working hard behind the scenes and there have been a lot of Zoom conference meetings.

“I went out and saw the eye doctor just to get a special set of glasses to see the computer screen through Zoom,” Dockstader said. “Because it’s just been one meeting after another.”

With the session ending and issues still needing to be addressed, Dockstader says Governor Mark Gordon will probably call special sessions with the first one likely to happen in mid-May. If a second one is needed, it will happen in June.

Dockstader is a member of the Management Council committee and he says they are putting together three bills that will eventually be heard by the legislative body. He also says the legislation addresses the needs of “first things first”.

“Another words what do we have to do right away to address the problems of COVID in the Cowboy State?,” Dockstader said.

He says Bill 700 provides budget flexibility. This will allow the governor to “direct funds to agencies with immediate needs” according to Dockstader. This excludes the University of Wyoming though.

“It also allows the schools to carry over part of their reserves into the next year,” Dockstader said. “To address what’s happening with COVID-related expenses in our schools across the state.”

Bill 701 will allow the governor to take care of employment compensation benefits. This is so individual businesses do not take the hit to their unemployment compensation account. That means the state will work with the federal Department of Employment to create a short term compensation plan.

“It could be looked at as providing protection for both the employees and the employers,” Dockstader said. “But this has to happen immediately.”

He also says this bill includes a fund administered through the Wyoming Community Development Authority to help landlords who have tenants that cannot make rent payments.

“Another words if you don’t provide for them, they’re out on the streets,” Dockstader said. “People would suddenly become homeless who are not homeless, who have not had a problem with employment or anything before.”

Bill 702 appropriates the federal COVID funds. This includes the $1.25 billion from the CARES Act for both the immediate and long term problems.

“You can’t just say ‘Well here (are) the funds,'” Dockstader said. “It actually has to be allocated through legislation.”

He says this will allow the governor to establish temporary emergency programs “as it relates to the terms of the federal act”. He says this applies to expenses from local governments. He also says there is a fourth bill the committee is working on that helps small businesses who have been closed due to health orders from the state.

Dockstader recalls even before the pandemic reached Wyoming, Lincoln County was dealing with its coal problem. With less coal was being produced that means less sales tax revenue coming into these small towns and cities totaling about $1.2 million according to Dockstader.

“That was all happening prior to COVID-19,” Dockstader said. “That’s what I was putting a lot of my time and energy into for Lincoln County.”

He says the new pandemic has left a feeling of “kind of piling on” with what the county is dealing with. He also adds if this special session is called that it will be a combination of Zoom meetings and leadership teams will meet in the Capitol with masks.