With the federal government shut down over budgetary disputes, the Wyoming governor’s chief of staff sent a letter to state cabinet members sharing short-term protocols for the state.
They include:
- During previous federal government shutdowns, Wyoming continued to fund state employee positions that were fully or partially federally funded. The State intends to do the same for this potential shutdown.
- Wyoming will cover any gaps in funding of the federal government's commitments to state employees (those in the state budget) in the short-term, so that citizens are not unnecessarily impacted.
- In the event of a protracted shutdown, Wyoming will be forced to make decisions on how best to proceed, which may include suspending federally funded contracts and programs and/or furloughing federally funded state employees.
“Any state funds expended under federal obligation during the shutdown are expected, though not guaranteed, to be reimbursed by the federal government,” Drew Perkins, Gov. Mark Gordon’s chief of staff, wrote in the memorandum. “Wyoming is not unfamiliar with the impacts of gridlock in Washington DC, and as we live within our means, the State is well-prepared in the event of a federal government shutdown.”
Wyoming Public Radio is seeking more information.
Wyoming faced its own budgetary woes earlier this year, when the Senate declined to pass a supplemental budget. The move sent lawmakers scrambling to rehome funding for projects of interest in individual bills.
