On Thursday, April 8, Gov. Mark Gordon spoke to reporters about his thoughts on the 2021 legislative session.
Gordon said Wyoming will certainly face economic hardship in the coming years. He said in terms of revenue, he thought the state should first look at existing sales tax exemptions and what revenues can be raised.
Gordon said part of his job will be to educate residents on what savings the state actually has left.
"We have so many coffee cans, and I don't think people realize all of those coffee cans are draining. They still think we have change in the cushions here and there and we're really running out of those," he said.
Gordon said while the state will be receiving some federal stimulus funds, he doesn't want the government to rely on them heavily to fund programs. He added he'd like the distribution of the federal funds to be the sole focus of the impending special session this summer.
Gordon said he's disappointed in lawmakers for not coming to an agreement on the state's education funding bill during the legislative session. He said he believes it's time for him to step into the discussion.
While the conversations tend to focus on cutting school funding or finding new revenue, Gordon said he thinks there's a third option that is a more custom fit.
"I'm not looking to hire new consultants," he said. "I'm actually looking to have people go out into communities, meet with parents, meet with industry, meet with the communities and really get to know what people are expecting and want from education."
Gordon added a proper solution is likely to take time and they'll have to start from the ground up.
Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Catherine Wheeler, at cwheel11@uwyo.edu .
