How UW students fared this legislative session

ASUW took a stand on several bills, many of which died on the lengthy road to becoming law. UW, and its students, saw several wins this session when it came to what passed and especially what didn’t.

The 2023 General Session of the Wyoming Legislature came to a close Friday, capping off yet another year of intense debates about hot-button issues.

The 40-day congressional session saw a number of bills that would have impacted education and student life on the University of Wyoming campus.

ASUW, the student government, passed several resolutions voicing disapproval or support for many of these bills, including: 

• House Bill 105:  This bill would have lifted the gun-free zone at the university and made it a criminal offense for the university to bar anyone legally carrying a weapon from campus. ASUW objected to certain provisions of the bill in Resolution 2852. HB105 died in the House Appropriations Committee.

• House Bill 216: This bill would have outlawed Laramie’s rental regulations by prohibiting towns and cities from passing their own. The bill reserved the right to pass rental regulations to the state. In response, ASUW passed its third resolution in support of the local rental regulations with ASUW Senate Resolution 2848. HB216 was assigned to the House Revenue Committee but that committee never took up the issue and missed its deadline to do so, ending the bill’s path through the Legislature.

• Senate File 114: This bill would have required all UW students to pass the United States citizenship test to complete their degree. SF114 did not make it out of the Wyoming Senate — despite an attempt to recall the legislation back to the floor. 

• Senate File 117: Wyoming's version of Florida’s “Don't Say Gay” bill faced backlash from the ASUW student government as well and resulted in the passage of Resolution 2851 — which voices ASUW’s opposition to the bill. The resolution states the student government “unequivocally opposes the passage and implication of SF117” and that SF 117 “fundamentally [goes] against the values of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance that ASUW strives to uphold.” The “Don’t Say Gay” bill died in the House when it missed the deadline to be introduced. As with Senate File 114, an attempt to force the issue failed to muster the necessary votes. 

• Senate File 175: This bill would have defined the act of “hazing” in Wyoming and required UW and other educational institutions “to adopt a policy on hazing in addition to policies on harassment, intimidation or bullying.” SF175 represented the culmination of several years’ work by UW Greek Life groups and the ASUW student government. Sponsored by Albany County legislators, SF175 survived the Senate Education Committee but died when it was not considered on the Senate floor. 

ASUW also passed Resolution #2849: “ASUW support for the Gender and Women's Studies Program.” A budget amendment last year sought to eliminate the entire UW program but the amendment was removed after much outcry and lobbying. Another attempt was made this year, but didn’t get as far.

“ASUW does not support any efforts from the Wyoming Legislature to interfere or obstruct academic freedom at the University of Wyoming,” the resolution states.

Each ASUW resolution listed above passed unanimously in the student body's legislative branch and the resolutions were distributed to state officials or read in the relevant House or Senate committees when possible. 

Looking on the positive side

UW was granted its $54.65 million supplemental budget request which includes funding for education and research initiatives.

Campus facility construction projects received additional reserve funding for materials affected by inflationary price spikes through House Bill 146. The funding will support projects like the $210 million new student housing construction project on the main UW campus. If funds remain in this reserve account, the legislature could approve additional specific alternative construction projects at the university.

As the legislative session ends, the ASUW student government is preparing for its own election cycle, as all legislative and executive student positions serve for a one-year term. Once elected, the new student senate body and executive branch will be sworn in near the end of UWs academic year and will determine student lobbying efforts — such as the ones seen this year — in the next state legislative session.