Legislation looks at crosswalks and suicide prevention Thursday

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Since the school crosswalk death of a 13-year-old in Cheyenne last year, a new bill is looking at getting funding, so it never happens again.

The State Department of Transportation and the joint judiciary interim committee are working on getting 10 million dollars to pay for new crosswalks across the state.

”Frankly, we dont have the physical structure in place that makes them safer, so what this bill will do is provide an appropriation so that the department of transportation can work with local authorities and take care of some of these crosswalks and make things safer for our kids,” said Bill Landers, S. D. 27

The bill passed the second reading Thursday.

Next, the house looked at the annexation of county pockets into cities and getting written approval from affected property owners.

This would streamline emergency response and upgrade sewer systems and roads to city code.

”This bill is important for the community because it changes the way the cities in the state can grow,” said Charles Bloom, Director of Planning and Development City of Cheyenne.

The bill passed in the second reading

From a bill that covers annexation, we move to a bill that deals with the 988 suicide prevention hotline.

Wyoming has the highest suicide rate nationally... The 988 suicide prevention hotline is a much-needed resource established with ARPA funds.

But many leaders worry that once the federal funding hits its sunset date next year, so will the hotline lawmakers are hoping a new bill helps this program... Live.

” We want to make sure this vital service when the inevitable down times come, and then people need the most help, we’re there to provide that support for our veterans, for our first responders, for our kids, for our people all across the state.” said Steve Harshman, H.D. 37.

Lawmakers are looking to create savings from state surplus and use the interest to indefinitely pay for the program.

It passed its first reading in the Committee of the Whole.

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