Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the legislature to sue the federal government.
He vetoed a second bill that he said would "create confusion for consumers, meat processors and producers."
All the bills were passed during the recently concluded session of the Wyoming Legislature. The governor took the action on Friday, March 15.
Gordon vetoed SF0013 - Federal land use plans - legal actions authorized. The measure would have authorized the Wyoming legislature to sue the federal government and would have authorized the body to borrow up to $75 million from the legislative stabilization reserve account to take legal action. The account is often called the LSRA or ''rainy day fund.'' The bill had passed the Wyoming Senate by a margin of 20-9 with two absent. It sailed through the Wyoming House by a 47-15 vote.
In his veto message, the governor said the bill was a "clear attempt to cross, blur and trample the line of separation between our equal, but separate, branches of government." He also said the bill was not fiscally conservative.
Gordon likewise vetoed SF0103 - Wyoming PRIME Act. This bill was a trigger bill that would take effect only if the federal Prime Act was passed by Congress. The federal bill would exempt meat that will only be distributed in a state from federal inspection requirements. The state bill would allow a producer to sell ''meat products from cattle, sheep, swine or goats raised by the producer that were slaughtered on the premises of the producer or at a custom slaughter facility" under certain conditions.
Gordon said the bill would confuse the public and meat producers. The governor said the bill would confuse meat producers and the public.
The Governor on Friday signed the following bills passed by the legislature into law: