The legislature’s joint revenue committee wrapped up two days of discussions on possible tax increases to deal with Wyoming’s declining revenue picture.
The committee looked at everything from increasing property taxes to pay for an education shortfall to letting communities add a sales tax on food. But at the end of the two days, the committee only agreed to draft two bills, both dealing with increasing the wind tax.
Cheyenne Representative Sue Wilson said there is little appetite to do more than look at some current sales tax exemptions and possibly loosen some current restrictions on how tax money can be used. But don’t expect anything major.
“So I mean we won’t do nothing, I don’t see the votes in this committee to increase property or sales taxes.”
A number of lawmakers say they’d prefer that the state reduces spending first. The governor is in the process of telling state agencies that they need to reduce several million dollars from their budgets over the next biennium due to a massive revenue shortfall.
The committee will continue discussing the issue throughout the summer and could take a closer look at lifting some current sales tax exemptions and determine if there are ways to better invest in the state.
