Gov. Mark Gordon previewed his biennial budget request at the Governor’s Business Forum in Laramie and a press conference at the state Capitol this week.
While state lawmakers will get input over what ends up in the forthcoming budget bill, Gordon said he’s pressing to fund programs that will help young Wyomingites stay in-state, deliver property tax relief and combat wildfires.
A spokesperson for Gordon said the text of his budget proposal would be released on Monday, Nov. 17.
Press conference at the Capitol
In Cheyenne, Gordon started his remarks by referencing his desire for increased funding to the state attorney general’s office for Colorado River litigation, the state match for Wyoming’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the state Department of Health’s developmental disability waiver program.
“ Among the issues that we have, I think, are making sure that we meet the essential needs of government, the essential needs of Wyoming people,” Gordon said in the Ceremonial Conference Room. “We're going to reflect on things that are important to the people of Wyoming.”
But although Gordon cited specific numbers for some areas of the state budget, funding levels for some other programs were either vague or not mentioned, including his ask for the health department’s budget, the largest in state government.
Gordon told reporters he’ll be proposing to lawmakers roughly:
- $5 million to buttress the attorney general's Colorado River water litigation request
- $5 million to meet the state’s SNAP obligations after the Trump administration changed the match percentage
- $4,573,454 for two fire suppression modules to meet the state’s wildfire needs
- $112 million for Wyoming state employees to “ bring them up to current pay tables and stay competitive in the market”
- $18.4 million for the state’s capacity purchase agreement “ to maintain our rural air service”
- $584,000 for the Wyoming Works Program's student grant funding
- $10 million in state matching funds for research at the University of Wyoming (UW)
- $9.3 million in the budget to cover out-of-state housing of prisoners “ due to the inability to attract workforce here”
- $153 million for school capital construction, “supporting the select committee’s recommendations on school facilities”
- $27.2 million for property tax relief
Gordon also mentioned sending $105 million from the state general fund directly to counties and local governments, unless lawmakers pass a bill diverting more sales tax revenue to localities to offset the pain felt by property tax reductions passed in recent sessions. Property tax revenue goes to fund the operations of local governments, not the state.
At a recent Wyoming Freedom Caucus press conference in Cheyenne, Rep. John Bear (R-Gillette) also referenced the idea of such a sales tax redistribution.
“ We had a meeting today amongst our members and talked about the fact that some communities are struggling more than others based on the different types of revenues that they have coming in,” said Bear. “We're going to look at each one of those things or certain levers that we can pull, as far as the formulas that we use to make sure that some communities get a little bit more than others based on their revenue streams.”
In fiscal year 2025, 31% of the sales and use taxes collected by the state went to support counties and towns for a total of $289.9 million.
If legislators passed a sales tax redistribution as a bill, Gordon said he’d drop his $105 million ask from his proposal.
“ We've seen counties like Big Horn that's had to reduce library service, Casper and Natrona that have reduced some of their landscaping duties,” he said. “Counties are making the cuts where they can to continue to be able to deliver the important services that are necessary. There is a thought about diverting some of the sales tax revenue to local governments. I fully support that notion. I've wanted to make that [$105 million] contingent on the passage of that bill.”
During the last legislative general session, electeds didn’t pass backfill funding to counties, towns, cities or special districts, leaving some local entities, like those in the northeast, struggling to purchase new firefighting vehicles and equipment.
Last year, Gordon put out a supplemental budget request totaling $220 million for wildfire restoration, more funding to the state's litigation fund for lawsuits against the federal government, and increased Medicaid rates paid to mental health and OB-GYN providers.
At that time, he asked for $2.39 million in funds for hospitals and OB-GYNs in Wyoming, which is suffering from growing maternity health care deserts.
When Wyoming Public Radio asked about funding levels for maternity care in the forthcoming biennium budget, Gordon referenced a federal rural health grant.
“ Our Rural Health Transformation Initiative and waiver actually does talk about having better care for obstetrics, et cetera,” he said. “It is something that we've talked about with the Department of Health, and we want to make sure that we address those issues. This has been top of mind ever since we lost delivery services in Evanston.”
He said maternity healthcare funding numbers will be specific when they’re released Monday.
Before closing out the presser, WPR also asked Gordon about a lack of applications to the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program, set up to help business owners recover from the 2024 fire season. Gordon said that there has been a “very small bit of interest,” however, his administration ultimately has to think about how to make the program more valuable.
“I thought this would not be a good program. I still think it has major flaws with it. There aren't that many banks that are willing to participate," Gordon said. “Right now, it's not getting any attention it should, because it just isn't workable for most ranches.”
The 42nd Annual Governor's Business Forum
Gordon also spoke twice during the Governor’s Business Forum in Laramie at the University of Wyoming, an event hosted by the Wyoming Business Alliance. On the second day of the event, Gordon was joined by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. In a room crowded with business leaders, state legislators and heads of nonprofits, Gordon talked about relations between Western states.
“There isn't a better time for opportunity, for innovation or technological advancement. So the question is: How do we bring that here?” said Gordon. “And then you start talking about your neighbors and the work that they're doing. [Governor] Michelle Lujan Grisham [D-New Mexico] talking about housing. Governor [Jared] Polis [D-Colorado] is talking about geo-thermal. [Former] Governor [Matt] Mead [R-Wyoming] talking about the Endangered Species Act … these are the issues that matter to people in the West.”
On the second day of the forum, Gordon pivoted back to in-state budgetary concerns. During opening remarks, he laid out what he considered “budget essentials,” the fundamental goals that his administration will be aiming for through the budget.
“We’re going to focus on workforce development programs. We're going to focus on providing competitive pay for state employees, business ready communities, low taxes, streamline permitting, trained workforce, economic development [targeting] good paying jobs,” said Gordon.
Gordon said he believes that jobs lead to careers, and careers here in the state mean more people staying and spending money on “Main Street.”
He ended the event by talking about the turnout rate for in-state elections.
“None of this stuff happens if we have a 27% group that shows up to vote. You have got to make sure that people understand what these issues are, not to tell them exactly how to vote, but what the issues are,” said Gordon.
Gordon said he’ll release his full budget request on Monday, Nov. 17.
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.
