Even though the Wyoming Legislature is only entering the fourth day of the 2020 session as of Thursday morning, a number of high-profile bills have already failed introductory votes.

Because this session is a budget session, non-budget items require a 2/3 majority vote for introduction. That means that even some bills that receive a majority vote don't make the cut for further consideration. That doesn't always mean the idea behind the legislation is dead though because in some cases identical or very similar bills have been filed in both houses of the legislature.

A bill can fail introduction in either the House or Senate and the same or very similar legislation can be successfully introduced in the opposite house. It's not at all uncommon for such mirror bills to eventually win approval in both houses and be signed into law by the governor at some point.

Among the high-profile bills that have so far failed introductory votes in the 2020 session of the Wyoming Legislature:

-HB 63. The fuel tax increase bill failed a House introductory vote 30-30 on Feb. 12

-HB 67. The child marriage restriction bill failed a house introductory vote 31-28 on Feb. 12

-HB 54. The salary increase for the five statewide elected officials could not get a simple majority. It failed an introductory vote by a margin of 24-35 on Feb. 10.

-HB 107 The child abuse and neglect bill failed to win introduction into the House by a 35-24 margin on Feb. 12

HB 75. Medicaid expansion. The latest in a long line of Medicaid Expansion bills failed to win introduction into the Wyoming House by a 39-20 vote in Feb. 11.

SF 6. Tolling authority for Interstate 80. Failed to win Senate introduction 11-18 on Feb. 11.

SF88. Repeal of most gun-free zones in Wyoming failed to win introduction 16-13 on Feb 12. But at last report a House gun-free zone repeal bill, House Bill 180, was still alive.

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