67th Wyoming Legislature
General Session Priorities | January 10 to March 3, 2023
HB 4 – Medicaid twelve month postpartum coverage.
SUPPORT
Pregnant women can currently access emergency Medicaid for 60 days after the birth of their baby. The American Rescue Plan Act enables states to expand that coverage to a full year after birth. We know that 1/3 of maternal deaths happen during childbirth, 1/3 happen in the first week, 1/3 in the first year. This extension will save lives.
HB 30 – Wyoming tomorrow scholarship program amendments.
SUPPORT
The scholarship would expand financial aid options to a demographic of Wyomingites seeking a Bachelor's degree that were not previously eligible for scholarships. With more education, women's wages increase and their chances of reaching self-sufficiency are greater. Check out Sen. Nethercott advocating for the bill in 2022.
HB 49 – Municipal nonpartisan rank choice elections.
SUPPORT
Wyoming is ranked 48th for the percentage of women municipal officeholders. According to our partner, RepresentWomen, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) promotes civil campaigns, eliminates vote splitting, and has saved taxpayers and candidates money. All of which help women succeed in electoral races!
HB 80 - Medical treatment opportunity act.
SUPPORT
Medicaid expansion disproportionately impacts working women in Wyoming under the age of 35. These women--along with all other working adults who fall in the coverage gap--stand to be healthier and more productive members of our community when Wyoming expands Medicaid.
Policy Positions
Women's Economic Well-Being
A Paycheck Fairness Act, modeled on federal efforts, would include:
Protect against retaliation for discussing salaries.
Prohibit employers from requiring salary history during the interview and hiring process.
Require employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons.
Create negotiation skills programs for women & girls.
Women's Economic Well-Being
According to recent economic reports:
Raising the minimum wage benefits the nation's lowest wage workers and yields benefits for employers and businesses.
Higher wages for lower earners decrease employee turnover.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 7 of 10 minimum wage workers in Wyoming are women.
In Wyoming, DWS recommends raising the minimum wage to help close the gender wage gap.
Access to Healthcare
Wyoming is one of 30 states that still taxes period products.
Wyoming has a high rate of maternal mortality and morbidity. Prenatal care is hard to access. Pregnancy is dangerous.
Wyoming is one of only 12 states that has yet to expand Medicaid. Medicaid is correlated with better health for moms and babies, better health outcomes for women, and is among the strongest poverty reduction tools available for women.
Women's Representation
Structural changes like multi-member districts and instant runoff voting help elect more women.
Voter "security" bills disproportionately disenfranchise female voters. More diverse voters elect more women & more diverse leaders.
Elected bodies with more women consistently advance more policy decisions that benefit women, families, and communities.
Women comprise less than 18% of the State Legislature (11/60 in the House, 5/30 in the Senate), 18% of all County Commissioners (18/93), and 18% of all Mayors (18/99).