Committee advances bill to prevent stacking of property tax exemptions if voters approve initiative

Representative Tony Locke introduced House Bill 147 to the Senate Revenue Committee, saying the measure would repeal a current 25% property tax homeowners exemption in the event a voter-approved "people's initiative" that provides a 50% exemption on owner-occupied structures is enacted. "This is a simple bill," Locke said, describing it as a way to prevent the two exemptions from being stacked.

The bill drew questions from committee members about who might lose protections under the change and how the exemptions would interact. Senator Hyde asked whether certain categories, such as veterans or long-term homeowner exemptions, could be left out; Locke said he intentionally kept the bill narrowly focused but was open to an amendment to prevent stacking with the long-term homeowner exemption.

Ken Gill, property tax division administrator for the Wyoming Department of Revenue, told the committee the fiscal note modeled repeal of the 25% exemption and replacement by the 50% people’s-initiative exemption for owner-occupied dwellings. He said the department estimated an approximate revenue difference of $43,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and about $43,900,000 for fiscal year 2029 under that scenario. "The people's initiative, as Chairman Locke said, is on the structure only, and it's 50% of the structure only for owner-occupied dwellings," Gill said, adding that owner-occupancy rates vary by county.

Local government representatives supported the bill as a way to avoid unintended stacking. Jeremiah Grama of the County Commissioners Association said stacking could leave counties "struggling to figure out how they're gonna fund their county." Online and in-room assessors also urged clarity to avoid confusing implementation for taxpayers and administrators.

After public comment, the committee moved and adopted a do-pass recommendation. The clerk recorded five ayes (including an absentee aye), and the committee passed the motion to advance the bill to the floor.

The next step for House Bill 147 is consideration by the full Senate; the committee record shows a fiscal note and multiple points for amendment if lawmakers wish to explicitly prevent stacking with the long-term homeowner exemption.