2023 Session Retrospective: Sen. Chris Rothfuss of Senate District 9
Rothfuss focused on digital asset policy and supporting students and teachers, all while pushing back on what he labels “bad bills” — policy crafted around national issues and harmful to Wyoming.
Throughout the 2023 General Session of the Wyoming Legislature, Albany County Sen. Chris Rothfuss (SD-09) paved the way for new blockchain and educational policies in Wyoming while serving as the Senate Minority Leader and casting votes on a number of important committees.
As the co-chair of the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology, and Digital Innovation Technology, Rothfuss and his fellow legislators sponsored five pieces of legislation this session — four of which have become law:
House Bill 86: This bill makes it so that no individual “shall be compelled to produce a private key” that is tied to encryption or decryption of a digital asset, except in limited circumstances.
Senate File 75: This bill provides further filing regulations for groups deemed as “decentralized autonomous organizations.”
Senate File 76: This bill deals with the registration process for digital assets, and allows owners of digital assets to register said property with the Wyoming Secretary of State.
Senate File 127: This bill creates a Wyoming token tied to — and equivalent to — the U.S. dollar. The bill also creates a commission and assigns duties to state officials to oversee and regulate the token.
Gov. Mark Gordon allowed SF127 to pass into law without his signature, but signed the other three bills backed by the blockchain committee and passed by the legislature.
Rothfuss said Wyoming has been leading the nation in digital asset governance.
“It's clearly already made a difference,” he said. “We are identified as one of the leaders in this space, and we've attracted businesses to Wyoming specifically because of our governance model. There's no question that it has led to substantial economic development in the state.”
Paving the way is no easy feat, Rothfuss said. Unlike most other areas of policy, lawmakers can't adapt laws from surrounding states. Wyoming lawmakers are unable to copy and paste or adjust pre-existing policies and instead have to write their own — which is all the more difficult with complex matters such as blockchain technology.
“We have to build it from scratch and so we have to bring in stakeholders and really be thoughtful about balancing interests and appropriately reflecting the state of digital assets (while also considering) industry and governance needs and protecting consumers,” Rothfuss said. “We kind of think of it as puzzle pieces that all need to go into place to really build an appropriate ecosystem, and we're focused on continuing to lead in that space.”
Rothfuss said the committee’s work is a result of its make up. It’s the only committee of the Wyoming Legislature that currently has a Democrat as co-chair (Rothfuss), and the Albany County senator said this bi-partisan co-chair model has helped the committee to pass over 35 pieces of legislation in the past five years.
Priorities and civil discourse
Rothfuss also serves as Minority Floor Leader for the two Democrats in the Wyoming Senate.
When it comes to prioritizing bills, Rothfuss said he follows a three-pronged approach to evaluating the nearly 500 pieces of legislation submitted this year.
“As a minority leader, I look at what good bills and good opportunities are there to help people in the state of Wyoming,” he said. “The second priority — which is, unfortunately, all too common recently — is: what are the really bad bills? What are the things that are coming up that are going to hurt the people of Wyoming, (where) I have to find ways to work with my colleagues? And then the third (priority) is focusing on representing the voices of the minority in the state of Wyoming — both by representing my constituents and their voices and their interests, but also representing more broadly and recognizing that there are only two Democrats in the Senate.”
Rothfuss sponsored or co-sponsored nearly 30 pieces of legislation this year. But only five made it out of the legislature and landed on the governor’s desk.
It was a busy year in Cheyenne and the Legislature saw a lot of first-time lawmakers (such as Albany County’s own Rep. Ken Chestek (HD-13)).
Among many pieces of advice, Rothfuss often tells incoming representatives and senators to remember they are part of an institution that is almost 150 years old.
“If you are a part of that institution, your actions should appropriately reflect upon that institution,” he said. “Your main focus should be trying to create programs, policies and statutes that help the people of Wyoming and always focus on the mission of the legislature. If you're just showing up to complain, you're probably not going to do anything that ends up building that institution and helping the people.”
Gov. Mark Gordon addressed party leaders at the outset of the session, calling on them to foster respectful and effective discourse throughout the coming weeks.
“I think for the most part on the Senate side, our discourse and our collegiality was better than it was last year, perhaps the year before as well,” Rothfuss said. “I felt like there was a more appropriate decorum overall — but that's not to say it was perfect. “
Education and student participation
Rothfuss said he was happy to see some of his favorite constituents —university students from Albany County —participating in committee discussion.
The University of Wyoming student government passed several resolutions voicing input and opposition to several of this year’s proposed bills, including a resolution condemning state lawmakers for attacking the university's academic freedom in the past — and warning them from doing it again.
Rothfuss said the legislature is a mixed bag when it comes to supporting — or not supporting — the education of critical thinkers.
“Both groups have always been there since I've been in the legislature,” Rothfuss said. “What's unique recently is that the voice of those that oppose academic freedom has strengthened, while those in support of academic freedom have diminished — to the point where we see budget amendments like we did last year.”
One budget amendment last year sought to eliminate the Gender and Women’s Studies program at the university, but the amendment was axed after significant outcry and university lobbying. A similar attempt was made this year but didn’t get as far.
That wasn’t the only legislation impacting UW brought this session. A bill backed by ASUW and UW fraternity and sorority leadership, and sponsored by Rothfuss, attempted to establish a definition of hazing and dictate related policies for schools. Rothfuss voted for the bill when it came before the Senate Education Committee, and would have voted for it again on the Senate floor — but it missed the deadline to be read there and died uneventfully despite its committee backing.
‘Bad bills’ and the future of the state
There were a number of anti-LGBTQ bills brought this year amid an even greater number of bills that addressed national conservative and right-wing talking points. Rothfuss said these were “bad bills” and opposed them when they came before committees he served on.
But despite the number of “bad bills” this session, Rothfuss said he was proud of what the legislature accomplished when it came to budgetary matters. Some of those wins included increasing wages for teachers.
Rothfuss added he looks forward to discussing mental health resources for students and teachers in the K-12 systems during the interim.
“One of the priorities of the Joint Education Committee during the interim is going to be mental health of both students and teachers — and this is something that I've pushed for and others have as well,” Rothfuss said. “While our schools and our teachers have been truly exceptional — we have the best education system in the country — one of the things that our policy changes over the last decade have led to is a diminishment of the joy of learning, and the joy of teaching, in classrooms, K-12 specifically. So I want to find ways to fix that and make school fun again — if we can do that without reducing how much is being taught, that would be great.”
But the presence of “bad bills,” the prevalence of national talking points in local debates, and the political shifts that have taken place in Wyoming and its state government in the past several years have all left Rothfuss worried about the future of the state.
“I just want (my constituents) to understand that they should all be worried about the future of the legislature, and engage in whatever way they can,” he said. “Because the direction the state is pointed in is not the direction I believe my constituents want it to be.”
Committees:
Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology
Management Council
Senate Education
Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development
Senate Rules & Procedure
Select Committee on Legislative Facilities, Technology and Process
Select Committee on School Facilities
CSG West - Executive Committee
Bills Sponsored:
[Passed] SF83: K-12 school facility leasing
[Failed] SF175: Hazing
Bills Co-Sponsored:
[Passed] HB147: Unlawful trespass signage-taking of wildlife
[Passed] SF120: Restoration of civil rights
[Passed] SF122: Nonresident workers-vehicle registration extension
[Failed] HB77: School Fiance daily membership
[Failed] HB110: Juneteenth-state holiday
[Failed] HB115: Elections administration
[Failed] HB117: Abortion amendments
[Failed] HB138: Suicide prevention
[Failed] HB190: Wyoming value-added energy and industrial plan
[Failed] HB197: Defend the guard act
[Failed] HB203: PMTF and CSPLF reserve accounts-repeal and simplification
[Failed] HB204: Allowable train lengths
[Failed] HB273: Game and fish trespass-intent
[Failed] HB277: Vehicle registration e-certificate and grace period
[Failed] SF119: Defend the guard act-2
Joint Resolutions Sponsored:
Joint Resolutions Co-Sponsored:
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