A bill aimed at revising Wyoming’s zoning protest petition process has cleared the state House of Representatives after three readings, Wyoming News Now reports.
However, changes made by the House to Senate File 40 – Zoning Protest Petition Amendments will need to be reconciled with the Senate’s version before it can be sent to Governor Mark Gordon for approval.
SF 40 modifies the requirements for residents to protest local development projects. Under the current law, if 20% of affected residents sign a protest petition, a proposed zoning change requires a supermajority vote from a local governing body, such as a city council. The new bill raises the protest threshold to 33% of neighboring residents. If that percentage is met, the zoning change would only need a simple majority vote for approval.
The bill originated from the Legislature’s Regulatory Reduction Task Force, with supporters arguing that it balances the interests of developers and local communities by streamlining the approval process while still allowing public input on zoning changes.
During House discussions, Rep. John Bear (R-Gillette) introduced an amendment preventing local governments from imposing financial fees or non-monetary conditions on residential and commercial developments related to workforce housing. The amendment sparked debate over whether SF 40 was the appropriate place for such a provision. Despite concerns, the House approved the amendment.
Later, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson (R-Wheatland) proposed another change, relocating Bear’s amendment to a different section of state law. Haroldson explained that the amendment had originally been placed in Wyoming Statute 15-1-603, which deals with zoning protests, but should instead be included under Wyoming Statute 15-1-103, which outlines the general powers of governing bodies.
Rep. Mike Yin (D-Jackson) raised concerns about the need to relocate the amendment so late in the process. He pointed out that lawmakers had previously defended its placement, only to later acknowledge it belonged elsewhere.
“I just want to make sure we are being honest about what we are doing,” Yin said.
He emphasized the importance of placing amendments in the correct section of the law from the outset.
With SF 40 now passed by the House, lawmakers must reconcile its amendments with the Senate’s version before the bill can move forward. If an agreement is reached, the bill will be sent to the governor for final approval.
