Bill for special session on Superintendent of Public Instruction dies

A bill that would call a special session to address the duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction died this afternoon when it failed to meet a procedural deadline. Legislative leaders wanted to call a special session to respond to the State Supreme Court decision that struck down Senate File 104. That is the 2013 law that removed Superintendent Cindy Hill from management of the Wyoming Department of Education.

To that end, lawmakers drafted Senate File 106 – State education administration. It passed out of the Senate last week. The special session called for in the bill would have explored constitutionally valid methods of shifting duties from the Superintendent to an appointed director of the Department of Education.

The bill in question had been slated for consideration on General File in the House this afternoon. However the bill was moved to the end of the list for the day’s proceedings, and the House adjourned before bringing it up for hearing. Leaders may have kept the bill from being heard on recognizing that the bill didn’t have the votes to pass the House. Since today is the last day for bills to go through first reading in the second chamber, Senate File 106 is dead.

— Gregory Nickerson is the government and policy reporter for WyoFile. He writes the Capitol Beat blog. Contact him at greg@wyofile.com.