budget

Lawmakers axed $30 million from the governor’s proposed supplemental budget earmarked for wildfire recovery, and changed a relief program for landowners from grants to loans.

The Wyoming Department of Health is asking for over $18 million in its supplemental budget request. A majority of the funds would go toward increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates in an attempt to retain physicians.

On Saturday, March 23, Gov. Mark Gordon signed the budget presented to him by the Wyoming Legislative 67th budget session.But, his final signature came with many line-item vetoes. Almost immediately, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus called for a special session to respond to those vetoes.

On the last scheduled day of the session, the House and Senate were able to come to an agreement over a $1.1 billion difference between their original budgets.The evening before, Gov. Mark Gordon sent out a strongly worded letter to the President of the Senate Ogden Driskill (R-Devil’s Tower) denouncing that he has yet to see the budget.

Every other year, the Wyoming Legislature goes into a budget session. That means lawmakers spend four weeks working to pass a state balanced budget. The budget session is unique because bills require a two thirds majority to make it to the next step. But this year, an unprecedented number of committee bills were killed through that two thirds majority.

Gov. Mark Gordon has released a "conservative" budget proposal that he’ll present to state lawmakers early next year. He said it funds some of Wyoming’s most pressing issues, including property tax relief, mental health and economic development.

In Laramie, the city government approves its own budget every two years. That budget details all the money it takes in, like taxes or utility fees, and all the money it spends, like building roads or having a fire department. City and town budgets look different from community to community, but there are some elements common to all of them. Wyoming Public Radio’s Jeff Victor spoke with City Manager Janine Jordan and Administrative Services Director Jenn Wade about why citizens should pay attention to their city’s budget process, and how those same citizens can get involved and make their voices heard.

There are many causes for CCH's financial difficulties, but recent trends have given optimism that they're on track to establishing a more stable financial position. Charity care, bad debt, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have all played a role CCH's troubles.

Wyoming projected over a $1 billion in revenue losses due to COVID-19, but it turns out the state could be looking at close to $1.5 billion in new state and federal money.

The University of Wyoming will move forward with its plan to cut 10 percent from its budget.The UW Board of Trustees approved the administration's $42.3…