Gov. Mark Gordon released budget recommendations to address critical needs and emergencies that have emerged since this year’s legislative budget session.
The proposed supplemental budget totals $220 million in one-time requests.
His suggestions would set aside $130 million for wildfire restoration. 2024 was one of the worst years on record in terms of Wyoming wildfires.
Over 1,900 wildfires burned across nearly 850,000 acres of land, according to Gordon’s proposal. Many of the most serious fires impacted the state’s northeast corner.
Gordon said that level of destruction depleted the state’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account, which was meant to last until 2026.
“I am not sure any of us imagined all of that capacity would be used up that quickly,” Gordon wrote in his recommendations.
Part of the wildfire restoration work will be around preventing invasive and noxious weeds from taking root in scorched areas and repairing water infrastructure.
The funds wouldn’t just be used for fires. They’d also be available to help with snowstorms and flooding over the next two years.
Much of the money would go also to the state’s litigation fund for lawsuits against the federal government, as well as help fund the construction of state buildings and new schools, like one in Campbell County.
Gordon is also requesting more money for the state’s Department of Corrections to house prisoners in out-of-state facilities. He mentioned Wyoming’s prisons have been plagued with staffing issues.
He’s also asking the state Legislature to increase Medicaid rates paid to mental health providers.
But Gordon’s recommendations are just that, since the Legislature holds the purse strings in Wyoming. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus has won a majority of seats in the House following the general election, and many of its members have opposed Gordon’s budget priorities in the past.
The supplemental budget will need to be approved by lawmakers in Cheyenne in the upcoming general session, which starts Jan. 14.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
