Carbon measures clear Legislature

CHEYENNE -- Two bills that would regulate how carbon is stored below ground and give Wyoming landowners rights to pore space below their property are closer to becoming law.

The Senate passed House Bill 90 Friday. The bill would require energy companies to get permits to store carbon below ground and impose regulations on the storing of carbon.

Supporters say storing carbon underground would limit carbon emissions released by coal-producing power plants.

The Senate also passed a companion bill, House Bill 89, Thursday. That bill would give Wyoming landowners property rights over below-ground pore space used for energy storage, including carbon.

The House quickly concurred with changes the Senate made to the bills, and both measures next head to the governor's desk.

Health program legislation dies

CHEYENNE -- A House committee Friday afternoon refused to reconsider a bill to set up a health care reform pilot program.

The House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee voted 5-4 against revisiting its previous rejection of Senate File 85 with no debate.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, would have created an insurance pool for people who have entry-level jobs but make too much to be on Medicaid and don't get insurance through work. It had the support of Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

But members of the Wyoming Healthcare Commission complained they did not get a look at the bill before the Legislature received it. The commission raised a number of questions.

The bill passed the Senate 30-0 but died in the House committee.

Bill would offer doctors protection

CHEYENNE -- A bill under review by the state Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee would strengthen protection for doctors in medical malpractice cases.

House Bill 18 would tighten an existing law called the "loss of chance doctrine." Under current law, patients' families can sue physicians in cases where the doctor could have chosen a different treatment that would have resulted in a lower than 50 percent chance of the patient's survival.

The bill would limit the loss of chance doctrine to only be applicable to cases where there was lower than 50 percent chance of living, but more than 25 percent.

Rep. Tim P. Hallinan, R-Gillette, sponsored the bill and is also a doctor. He said current statute allows patients' families to sue even if there was a 1 percent chance of living.

The committee is expected to vote on the bill next week.

Honor Farm gets new warden

The Wyoming Honor Farm has a new warden, and the Wyoming Department of Corrections has a new deputy administrator.

Department Director Bob Lampert made the announcements this week in a press release.

Wyoming Honor Farm Warden Dawn Sides has been promoted to the position of deputy division administrator for the Division of Prisons.

Warden Ken Keller at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp and Boot Camp in Newcastle is moving to the Honor Farm in the same capacity.