CASPER, Wyo. — A proposal that would have required a statewide vote before high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel could be stored in Wyoming failed to advance in the Wyoming House during the opening session of the 2026 budget season.

House Joint Resolution HJ0003 (HJ3), ‘Storage of spent nuclear fuel and waste-vote required,’ which was introduced and sponsored by Rep. Bill Allemand, R-Casper, failed to advance to a committee Tuesday as it did not receive the required two-thirds majority support needed during a budget session to proceed. The House voted 32–30 in favor of the measure, short of the 41 votes needed to move it forward.

Shortly after the vote, Allemand posted on Facebook that his bill “has failed, receiving a simple majority, but not the necessary two-third’s.”

What the resolution proposed

HJ3 sought to amend the Wyoming Constitution to require voter approval before high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel could be stored in the state.

If the Legislature had approved the resolution, it would have appeared on a future general election ballot for Wyoming voters. A majority vote at the ballot box would have been required for adoption.

Floor debate highlights

Allemand introduced the resolution and spoke in support during floor debate on Tuesday morning.

“This simple little bill is what our constituents have been yelling for all summer and fall,” Allemand explained at the podium prior to the vote. “It gives them a voice in the future.”

He said the proposal aimed to give voters a direct role in decisions involving nuclear waste storage. He pointed to recent local opposition to large industrial projects across the state — such as the Radiant Industries project proposed just north of Bar Nunn, which was rerouted to Tennessee after plans stalled on the storage of spent nuclear fuel — and said constituents wanted more say in decisions that affect their communities.

“I have heard angry people from all across this state, from Bar Nunn and Casper to Gillette, Rock Springs, Cody and many more, telling me that their town councils and county commissions don’t care about them or their future,” Allemand said during his introduction statement for his bill to the House floor.

When referencing what constituents have told him about local elected officials’ actions, Allemand added, “They are only chasing dollars that may or may not be there.”

Allemand also briefly mentioned that community turnout at various meetings relating to proposed industrial projects, including the Radiant project and the contested Pronghorn project, were the basis of the bill. He added constituents told him they want the ability to vote on such projects in the future.

“All this bill does is what 75%–80% of the people want: a chance to determine their future and the future of their children, their grandchildren,” the representative said.

Several lawmakers spoke against the resolution. Opponents argued existing state and federal regulations already govern nuclear-related activities. They said a statewide vote requirement could complicate future nuclear energy development and conflict with current statutes that allow spent fuel storage at generation sites under regulatory oversight.

Vote outcome

After debate, the House conducted a roll call vote.

The resolution received a simple majority but did not meet the two-thirds threshold required during a budget session. The House then closed the vote and declared the resolution a failed introduction.

Because HJ3 was a joint resolution, it did not propose a regulatory program. It included estimated publication costs that would have applied only if the amendment had advanced to the ballot.

Oil City News reached out to Rep. Allemand for comment following the vote and will update this story if a response is received.

Natrona County Votes

Lawmakers representing Natrona County were split on House Joint Resolution 3. Reps. Bill Allemand, R-Casper; Jayme Lien, R-Casper; Tony Locke, R-Casper; J.R. Riggins, R-Casper; and Art Washut, R-Casper, voted in favor of the resolution. Reps. Elissa Campbell, R-Casper; Steve Harshman, R-Casper; and Julie Jarvis, R-Casper, voted against it. In the Senate, Sens. Jim Anderson, R-Casper; Bob Ide, R-Casper; Bill Landen, R-Casper; and Charles Scott, R-Casper, were listed as co-sponsors but did not vote on the measure because it failed introduction in the House.

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