Sexual predators

* What's at stake: Tougher penalties for sex crimes.

* Who's affected: Sexual predators and their victims.

A legislative panel is recommending a "two-strikes" rule for sexual predators who abuse children.

Current state law allows life without parole for a third sex crime against a minor. Gov. Dave Freudenthal favors a "one-strike" rule.

Some lawmakers don't like the rule because it forces the state to provide costly medical service to elderly inmates who are never eligible for parole, an argument that helped kill a similar bill last session.

The Joint Judiciary Interim Committee also will sponsor legislation to tighten sex offender registration laws. If it's approved, convicted sex offenders would have to register within three working days, as opposed to the current 10 days, whenever they move to into the state or to a new address in the state. Penalties for failing to register would increase and would become a felony.

Higher education

* What's at stake: About $46 million for construction projects at four community colleges.

* Who's affected: Students, faculties and communities where the projects are being proposed.

Community colleges could see the first significant state funding for capital construction in years this session.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal wants to spend about $46 million on capital construction at four of the state's seven community colleges.

He also proposed about $8.1 million for projects at the University of Wyoming and $22.7 million for pay raises for state, University of Wyoming and community college employees.

The Joint Appropriations Committee last month stripped the funding from the budget, but the battle is far from over.

Projects include $18.4 million for a technical education center at Gillette College, $7.4 million for a health sciences building at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, $1.5 million for a diesel mechanics addition at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs and about $448,000 for a veterinary technology building at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington.

The three remaining colleges also asked for money but received support neither from governor nor the JAC. Those include $14.6 million for a campus commons work force development center at Casper College, $11.6 million for an allied health and life and physical science building at Central Wyoming College in Riverton and $9.9 million for a work force development classroom building at Northwest College in Powell.

Dollars for local governments

* What's at stake: $150 million to help local governments pay for the impacts of the energy boom.

* Who's affected: Communities across the state.

Communities in energy-rich areas could see more state assistance soon.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal wants to send $85 million on communities directly affected by the energy industry and $65 million on towns that play a secondary role in the boom, such as Casper.

The State Loan and Investment Board recently granted $105 million in similar spending and would control these dollars, as well.

Communities touched by the energy boom have identified about 670 capital projects with an estimated cost of $1 billion, said George Parks, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

Legislative leaders have expresses some reservation about the spending. Rep. Roy Cohee, R-Casper, said he's concerned such large spending would spread Wyoming construction companies too thin.

"There already is a substantial amount of money going to those governments," he added during a December interview.

Highways

* What's at stake: The future of the state highway system.

* Who's affected: The state economy and anyone who drives the roads.

The Legislature will consider a handful of bills to increase funding for highway maintenance and reconstruction.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal has proposed one-time funding of $162 million to help the Wyoming Department of Transportation maintain highways.

Freudenthal wants to use funds the Legislature last year earmarked for the Permanent Mineral Trust Fund, setting up a showdown in January. The JAC already trimmed the funding to $98 million and shifted the source to the state general fund.

Freudenthal also favors increasing WYDOT's share of state mineral revenue. The Legislature capped the amount in 2002 to help with a budget shortfall.

The House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee wants to create a study commission to develop a plan to sustain Interstate 80 though projected increases in truck traffic and a lack of maintenance funding. The bill carries a $100,000 price tag and could initiate wider discussions among lawmakers about highway funding.

The Joint Revenue Committee is sponsoring a bill to increase the fuel tax by 5 cents a gallon. The bill would generate about $33.5 million a year, a fraction of the $250 million a year in additional funds WYDOT officials say they need to keep up with road maintenance.

Lottery

* What's at stake: The ability of Wyomingites to participate in a state-sponsored lottery.

* Who's affected: State government, Wyoming citizens and potential victims of problem gambling.

Another attempt will be made this session to have Wyoming join a multistate lottery.

The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee will sponsor a bill to legalize the lottery and give the first $5 million in profit to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

A statewide poll earlier this year found that 62 percent of state voters support joining a multistate lottery. Lottery supporters point out that Wyoming's neighbor states host lotteries, and many residents cross the borders to participate.

The bill will no doubt spark a secondary battle over lottery revenue, which is estimated to reach $2.5 million to $3 million during the first years of operation.

State agencies and departments are likely to fight over who gets the money. The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee selected the Game and Fish Department as beneficiary largely because the committee oversees the department and understands its deep funding problems, lawmakers have said.

The Legislature has rejected six lottery bills since 1999, including a bill in the 2005 general session that died on a 29-29 vote in the House. The Mormon church and some other religious groups in Wyoming oppose the bill.

Sales tax on food

* What's at stake: The price of food.

* Who's affected: Wyoming citizens.

An effort is under way to extend or make permanent the sales tax exemption on food, which is only good until summer 2008.

An effort to petition for a ballot initiative to put the issue before voters failed, in part because of Wyoming's stringent petition process.

The food tax break also was an issue of the gubernatorial campaign, and it appears Gov. Dave Freudenthal supports making the break permanent.

In addition, he has proposed a $250 million property tax break, but key lawmakers say they won't support it. The governor has indicated he might introduce a different kind of tax break.

Game and Fish funding

* What's at stake: About $5.66 million from the general fund and higher prices for hunting and fishing licenses.

* Who's affected: Those who hunt and fish and everyone who benefits from wildlife in Wyoming.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department is pushing for its first sustained infusion of state general fund dollars.

The department now gets nearly all funding from hunting and fishing licenses, and is losing financial ground as drought, fewer hunters and increasing responsibilities take a toll on revenue.

Director Terry Cleveland has proposed separate bills that would entitled the department to a $5.66 million block grant each year. Cleveland brushed aside concerns that the funds would hurt the department's ability to operate independently.

Under the current bill, the Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee would review the funding each year, but would have no say over how it is spent.

The Legislature also could consider 20 percent hikes for most hunting and fishing licenses. The increases would go into effect in 2008 and generate about $5.6 million a year - enough to cover current operating costs.

Game and Fish operating costs have increased about 5 percent a year since license fees were last increased in 2004.

Filmmaker incentives

* What's at stake: Wyoming's role as a place for movies to be shot.

* Who's affected: The state economy and local filmmakers.

Wyoming could begin offering incentives to filmmakers who work in the state.

Lawmakers will consider a bill that would allow filmmakers to earn up to a 15 percent reimbursement on the costs of films, TV shows and music videos that "would have widespread public appeal and would likely encourage members of the public to visit the state," according to the bill.

Filmmakers would be required to spend at least $500,000 in Wyoming before they receive reimbursements. The program would cost $1 million a year and would be administered by the Wyoming Business Council.

Members of Wyoming's film industry lined up in support of the legislation during a meeting earlier this year of the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee, which endorsed the bill.

Drug testing

* What's at stake: Workplace safety.

* Who's affected: Employers and employees.

A bill is headed to the Legislature that would make it a crime to defraud an alcohol or drug test.

House Bill 65 would make it illegal to use, possess or sell any product to cheat a drug test. Businesses would be prohibited from selling products used to flush traces of illegal drugs from the system.

It would also be illegal to store "clean" or synthetic urine for use in a drug test.

The Coalition Promoting a Drug-Free Community, which is supporting the bill, also is pushing for a bill that would criminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brand inspections

* What's at stake: The state brand inspection program.

* Who's affected: Livestock owners.

Lawmakers may consider legislation to bail out the ailing state brand inspection program with state funding.

Brand inspection has historically been a self-sustaining program through fees assessed to livestock producers. But falling livestock numbers are putting the system in a pinch.

A shortfall in 2005 reached $500,000 before the Legislature authorized emergency funding.

Lawmakers also may consider bills to increase brand inspection rates, delegate authority to set inspection fees to the Wyoming Livestock Board and eliminate of mandatory brand inspection for horses.

The Legislature has rejected similar requests for major brand inspection overhauls in the past.

Child care

* What's at stake: $12 million to improve child care.

* Who's affected: Working families, children and employers.

Wyoming communities could see more child day care options for working families if the Legislature approves a $12 million bill to support the industry.

The new "quality child care" bill would provide grants through the Business Council's Business Ready Communities program to build new day care centers.

It also would provide 600 grants at $1,000 each for educational development of child care staff workers; grants of up to $3,000 each to any one facility for quality care for infants or other children whose care may be difficult to obtain; and $3 million for early childhood scholarships for families with children served in facilities that voluntarily participate in a quality rating system.

Supporters are pitching the bill as a way to ease the state worker shortage by giving stay-at-home parents better options for child care. The state already helped build day care facilities in Riverton and Jackson.

The Joint Interim Committee on Labor, Health and Social Services endorsed the bill on a 10-2 vote. Opponents were wary of state government subsidizing the child care industry.

Tax breaks for industry

* What's at stake: Millions in tax revenue.

* Who's affected: The electrical generation industry and possibly some consumers.

Lawmakers are considering tax breaks for electrical generation industry companies that build new plants in Wyoming and upgrade existing plants.

A pair of bills endorsed by the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee would exempt sales tax payments on equipment used to limit the amount of pollution spewed into Wyoming skies.

The bills are aimed at making it easier for coal-based power plants to do business in Wyoming, but could ultimately extend to all industrial facilities that do not already enjoy a similar tax break aimed at manufacturing.

The push for the pollution control tax breaks first came from state officials focused on bringing coal gasification and other advanced technologies to the state, arguing that any incentive package might give Wyoming an edge in fierce competition among states for such projects. Members of the Minerals Committee said the bill might attract more jobs and encourage job diversity.

Critics of the legislation argue that tax breaks as an incentive for coal gasification plants are unnecessary, and tax breaks to existing plants are simply a handout and erode the state tax base.

Hathaway requirements

* What's at stake: College scholarship for Wyoming students.

* Who's affected: Students, parents and educators.

Lawmakers will set eligibility requirements for students seeking Hathaway Scholarships.

The Legislature created the program last session to offer college tuition assistance to Wyoming high school graduates who attend Wyoming colleges or the university.

Since then, the Joint Education Interim Committee endorsed a bill that requires students seeking the scholarship to pass an 11th grade proficiency exam and complete four years of math, four years of language arts, four years of science and three years of social studies.

The committee stripped a provision that would require two years of foreign language, but key lawmakers, including Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, who will again be chairman of the Senate Education Committee, have said that standard will be back on the table when the entire Legislature meets.

Opponents of the language requirement contend it would reduce the number of elective courses in the technical skills area that students can take to prepare for their work life after graduation. They also argue the requirement would limit Hathaway Scholarships to students who already are eligible for scholarships from Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming.

Supporters of the requirement say it is essential to prepare students to communicate and compete in the new global economy.

Eminent domain

* What's at stake: Private property rights and industry expansion.

* Who's affected: Landowners, energy companies, utilities, railroads and others.

Lawmakers will attempt to address the tricky subject of eminent domain this session.

A legislative panel endorsed a bill in October drafted by a group of energy industry and agriculture group leaders. It does not contain many provisions requested by private landowners to protect their property.

Eminent domain is a hot topic in areas where the booming coal-bed methane industry is using the law to force access to private ranchland.

In Wyoming, eminent domain powers have long been extended to private companies that require easements for water facilities, oil and natural gas pipelines and electrical power lines and substations.

Private property advocates say important changes are needed to make the state's eminent domain laws fairer without throwing up roadblocks to industrial development. They include early notification to landowners of intent to develop and second, a checklist of compensation triggers.

The current bill, drawn up by leaders of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the Wyoming Wool Growers Association and the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, does not include such provisions.

Open containers

* What's at stake: The ability of people to drink alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles.

* Who's affected: Anyone who drinks while riding in vehicles, and, advocates say, people who share the highways with them.

Current state law prohibits a driver from carrying an open container of an alcoholic beverage, such as beer, while driving. But it allows passengers to quaff a brew while riding down a road.

The 2001 Legislature adopted the law as a compromise after years of effort by supporters. Law enforcement authorities say the law is too lax and is too hard to enforce. Drivers can simply hand off an open can of beer to a passenger, for example, to avoid prosecution. It also costs the state federal dollars.

Sen. Tony Ross, R-Cheyenne, with several co-sponsors, is again sponsoring a bill to prohibit open containers in vehicles, with the exception of chartered buses with 10 or more passengers, chartered limousines, and the living quarters of recreational vehicles.

Dental education

* What's at stake: Wyoming's shortage of dentists, and the ability of dental students from Wyoming to have their education expenses paid.

* Who's affected: Dental consumers and potential dental students.

The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee is sponsoring a bill to address the shortage of dentists in Wyoming.

Up to 10 Wyoming residents per year could have their costs for attending dental school paid by the state, in exchange for an agreement to practice in the state for three years. Students would attend the University of Nebraska Medical Center or Creighton University in Omaha.

The bill calls for $500,000 to establish an account for that purpose.