Smoking ban bill fails in House

CHEYENNE - The House Thursday failed to endorse a statewide ban on smoking in public buildings.

House Bill 87, sponsored by Rep. Lori Millin, D-Cheyenne, would have prohibited smoking in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants.

Proponents of the bill waged an aggressive campaign to build support for the bill, including a rally in the capitol rotunda earlier this week.

Rep. Floyd Esquibel, D-Cheyenne, said he received more constituent correspondence on the bill than almost any other this year.

In the end, the bill did not receive the two-thirds vote needed to introduce legislation during a budget session. The final vote was 31-28 in favor of the bill, with one excused.

Online campaign reporting bill moves forward

CHEYENNE - A bill to create a computer system that would allow the public to check politicians' campaign finance records online cleared a House committee on Thursday.

The House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a bill that would put up $2.5 million to create the electronic campaign reporting system.

State elections officials say Wyoming is the only state without such a system. The state has been ranked last in public accessibility to campaign finance information in recent years.

In addition to allowing the public to view campaign finance reports, the system would allow candidates to register to run for office online.

Andrea Byrne, technology officer for the Wyoming Secretary of State's office, said the $2.5 million would pay for hardware, software, and maintenance costs and pay for one technology consultant position. She said it's still unclear how much it will cost to maintain the system.

Proponents said creating the electronic system would make Wyoming government more transparent. They said it would bring the state up in national rankings for campaign information accessibility.

The bill next will go to the House for consideration.

Committee approves crime victims bill

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill relating to the state's crime victim's compensation account Thursday.

Committee members approved a bill that would develop a statewide crime victim information database and raise court surcharges for criminal defendants.

The committee is considering another bill that would make graffiti a felony punishable by at least a one year jail sentence.

The committee will also take up a bill dealing with court hearings for juveniles.