“This budget makes responsible reductions where necessary and respects the integrity and important work of Wyoming’s agencies and educational system.”
Cheyenne, Wyo. - Wyoming House and Senate leaders released the following statement on Friday after the Legislature’s bicameral, 10-member budget conference committee reached a compromise on Wyoming’s budget package.
“The process of arriving at a responsible and reasonable budget is never easy or free from disagreement. However, we all came to the table in good faith and worked through the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget,” said Wyoming House Appropriations Chairman Bob Nicholas. “This is a good bill that makes responsible reductions where necessary and respects the integrity and important work of Wyoming’s agencies and educational system.”
“If the House and Senate fail to pass an education funding reform bill this session, this budget compromise will phase in $45 million in reductions to education funding over two school years, providing an opportunity for school districts to adjust to and plan for reduced funding levels,” said Wyoming Senate Appropriations Chairman Bruce Burns. “This reasonable 2.8 percent reduction in education funding, in addition to last year’s 1.4 percent reduction, was arrived at after much discussion and reflects an effort to respect the perspective of both chambers. As a Joint Appropriations Committee, and as a conference committee, we thoroughly vetted this budget and worked collaboratively to get it right. This budget makes substantive reductions that are necessary to bring spending in line with the reality of Wyoming’s diminished revenue picture.”
“Every member of the conference committee on the budget committed to do what’s right for Wyoming, right now. That commitment to working for Wyoming people is what made reaching a compromise possible,” said Wyoming House Speaker Steve Harshman. “We must take this budget and build on it in a way that will allow Wyoming to grow our economy, provide opportunities for our young people and provide stable funding for education and essential programs. I am grateful for the work and deliberation put forth by the members of the Joint Appropriations Committee and the conference committee. Because of their efforts, this budget bill sets Wyoming on a fiscally responsible course.”
“Reaching a compromise is never easy. It requires thoughtfulness and a commitment to advance the best possible solution for Wyoming taxpayers,” said Wyoming Senate President Eli Bebout. “I supported the Senate’s position and believe that both chambers worked through the amendments fairly and thoroughly to put forward a responsible solution. Wyoming’s legislative process works and I have every confidence that this compromise is a step toward putting Wyoming on a more responsible financial footing. I respect and value the work of every member of the budget conference committee. Riding herd on this budget process and finding common ground for the benefit of Wyoming people is a great achievement.”
Wyoming House Passes Comprehensive Appropriations Package
House Passes Comprehensive Appropriations Package
“This bill is mindful of the long-term needs of Wyoming’s young people and families, as well as the immediate realities of Wyoming’s bottom line.”
“This bill is mindful of the long-term needs of Wyoming’s young people and families, as well as the immediate realities of Wyoming’s bottom line.”
Cheyenne, Wyo. - Monday evening the Wyoming House of Representatives passed HB0001, the supplementary budget bill sponsored by the Joint Appropriations Committee. The House budget bill decreases the state of Wyoming's operations budget to address falling revenues. With this bill, the House carefully stewards Wyoming tax dollars to ensure that essential services are protected for Wyoming people and that the immediate funding challenges Wyoming faces are thoroughly addressed.
In response to the legislation's passage, House leaders released the following comments in advance of the conference committee:
“The House worked hard and debated every amendment to this bill. I am impressed with the dedication and commitment of the Wyoming House of Representatives in shaping this legislation to be right for Wyoming,” said Wyoming House Speaker Steve Harshman. “By working to address all the items at issue in this budget, I believe we are putting Wyoming in the best position possible to emerge from this downturn as strong and stable as ever. I am confident that the House has advanced a budget package that works for Wyoming and is mindful of the long-term needs of our young people and families, not just the immediate needs of our bottom line.”
“This bill is realistic about the economic conditions at the core of Wyoming’s revenue picture. It respects the limited role of government and makes the cuts necessary to balance the budget,” said House Joint Appropriations Chairman Bob Nicholas. “I believe this bill holds to the parameters advanced by the Joint Appropriations Committee and respects the testimony and input we received from so many Wyoming citizens and stakeholders. This budget maintains the integrity of every state agency’s core mission while making sensible and necessary reductions that are in line with the state’s current revenue climate.”
In response to the legislation's passage, House leaders released the following comments in advance of the conference committee:
“The House worked hard and debated every amendment to this bill. I am impressed with the dedication and commitment of the Wyoming House of Representatives in shaping this legislation to be right for Wyoming,” said Wyoming House Speaker Steve Harshman. “By working to address all the items at issue in this budget, I believe we are putting Wyoming in the best position possible to emerge from this downturn as strong and stable as ever. I am confident that the House has advanced a budget package that works for Wyoming and is mindful of the long-term needs of our young people and families, not just the immediate needs of our bottom line.”
“This bill is realistic about the economic conditions at the core of Wyoming’s revenue picture. It respects the limited role of government and makes the cuts necessary to balance the budget,” said House Joint Appropriations Chairman Bob Nicholas. “I believe this bill holds to the parameters advanced by the Joint Appropriations Committee and respects the testimony and input we received from so many Wyoming citizens and stakeholders. This budget maintains the integrity of every state agency’s core mission while making sensible and necessary reductions that are in line with the state’s current revenue climate.”
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Wyoming Senate Passes Responsible Spending Package To Address Revenue Shortfall
Senate Passes Responsible Spending Package To Address Revenue Shortfall
"This fiscally responsible legislation puts Wyoming on a stable guide path to meet the needs of families, veterans and seniors in a time of diminished revenues."
Cheyenne, Wyo. - On Friday, the Wyoming Senate passed SF0001, the supplementary budget bill sponsored by the Joint Appropriations Committee. The Senate's amended spending bill decreases the state of Wyoming's operations budget to address the state's falling revenues and provides a sustainable, responsible path forward.
In response to the legislation's passage, Senate leaders released the following comments:
"My colleagues and I are pleased with the budget bill that came out of the Senate," said Senate Joint Appropriations Committee Chairman Bruce Burns. "This bill reflects tremendous work on the part of JAC and thoughtfully shepherds forward a responsible solution to Wyoming's revenue shortfall. I want to commend all the members of appropriations for getting this bill to the floor and for responding so thoughtfully to the amendment process. We are looking forward to the conference committee and to meeting our commitment to the people of Wyoming by delivering a balanced budget before the end of this general session."
"I am proud of the work the Senate did on this bill," said Senate President Eli Bebout. "The Senate passed a budget bill that reflects responsible, conservative principles. Republicans in the legislature are working for Wyoming to keep government limited, to return local control to Wyoming communities and to be responsive to the needs of Wyoming families."
"Members of the Senate debated thoughtfully and passionately about this bill," said Majority Floor Leader Drew Perkins. "We made tough choices and passed a bill that came in below the Joint Appropriations Committee's original cost. This fiscally responsible legislation reflects our conservative values and puts Wyoming on a stable guide path to meet the needs of Wyoming families, veterans and seniors in a time of diminished revenue."
###
WY Legislature Focuses on Budget, Reducing Size of Government & Economic Development
Cheyenne, Wyo. – The general session of the 64th Wyoming State
Legislature hit the halfway mark today, marking
a month of work by both chambers focused on addressing education funding
shortfalls, delivering a balanced budget and promoting economic development and
diversification.
“I’m pleased to report that the
first half of the 64th General Session has been all about ‘Working
for Wyoming,’” said Senate President Eli Bebout. “We’ve taken a conservative
approach to budgeting and spending, one that takes a long-range view to
protecting Wyoming’s budget against future revenue dips – with the ultimate
goal of creating a sustainable budget. We’ve passed important legislation to
promote economic development and diversity. And we’ve worked to limit
government overreach to protect and promote Wyoming small business owners who
are also feeling the pain of this economic downturn.”
“I’m tremendously proud of the
House of Representatives,” said House Speaker Steve Harshman. “Our members have
worked tirelessly over the past month on some tough issues. However, we have
worked legislation through the process and moved forward a number of bills that
help to rein in spending while spurring economic development and job creation.”
“Our young people - the future
generations of Wyoming community leaders, business owners and stewards of our
land – remain at the forefront of all that we are doing this session,” said
Speaker Harshman.
Collectively, the House and Senate
have introduced over 460 bills. The House of Representatives has passed more
than 125 bills while the Senate has passed more than 100 bills. Today marks the
last day bills can pass first reading to be further considered by the
legislature. The general session tentatively continues through March 3 and will
reach crossover Tuesday, February 7, which signifies the last day for third
reading on all bills in their house of origin.
The House and Senate have moved
forward a number of key measures so far this session, including:
● Senate File 132, ENDOW initiative. This legislation to establish the
‘Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming’ (ENDOW) initiative passed
the Senate and awaits further consideration in the House.
● House Bill 253, Economic Development Account Funding. This bill to
promote economic development and diversification across Wyoming passed the
House and awaits further consideration in the Senate.
● Senate File 156, State government efficiencies. This legislation
establishes the Wyoming Spending and Government Efficiency Commission and has
passed second reading in the Senate.
●
Senate File 167, Worker's
Compensation-Rate Discount, Modification & Credit. This legislation gives a
small reprieve to small business owners and has passed the Senate and awaits
consideration in the House.
● House Bill 19, Sales from Remote Sellers. This legislation aimed at
leveling the playing field for Wyoming’s small businesses passed the House and
is pending further consideration in the Senate Revenue Committee.
● Senate File 165, School Finance-Education Funding. The Senate approach
to addressing the state’s education funding shortfall has passed the Committee
of the Whole in the Senate.
● House Bill 236, School Finance-Omnibus Education Funding. The House
approach to addressing the state’s education funding shortfall has been
approved by the House Education Committee and is on General File.
● House Bill 0001 and Senate File 0001, General Government
Appropriations. These identical general budget bills have been introduced in
their respective chambers and will be debated next week.
###
House Bill to Help Curb Fraud & Abuse in Business Filings Passes First Reading
Legislators Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with Coalition of
State Leaders that Say Bill ‘Supports the Way Wyoming Does Business’
Cheyenne, Wyo. – With the aim of helping to curb fraud and abuse by bad actors and foreign entities exploiting Wyoming’s business friendly environment, the House of Representatives passed legislation on first reading today to make modest adjustments to business filing fees. The legislation passed first reading after lawmakers sought input from a broad coalition of organizations, collectively representing thousands of Wyoming citizens and businesses.
“We have a responsibility to the taxpayers of Wyoming to cut down on blatant fraud and abuse,” said Representative Jerry Obermueller, the prime sponsor of the bill. “By having a filing fee more on par with other business-friendly states, the legislature is exercising its responsibility to help drain the swamp and cut down on the time and resources required by the Secretary of State’s office to root out these bad actors.”
House Bill 267, LLC and Corporation License Fees, adjusts the annual filing fees for Profit Corporations, Limited Liability Company’s (LLCs) and Limited Partnerships from $50 to $75. The fee has not been adjusted in nearly 20 years. During the House Appropriations Committee hearing on the bill, a representative of an Italian company testified that they set up their entity in Wyoming to take advantage of the state’s low filing fees and business-friendly tax structure.
Small business and government agree that this change is in line with inflationary pressure and other government agency fee increases and supports the integrity of Wyoming’s business environment.
A diverse coalition of Wyoming organizations issued a statement today regarding passage of House Bill 267. The group includes:
- Wyoming Business
Alliance
- Wyoming State Chamber
of Commerce
- Wyoming Mining
Association
- Wyoming Retail
Association
- Wyoming County
Commissioners Association
- Wyoming Association of
Municipalities
- Wyoming Stock Growers
- Wyoming Contractors
Association
- Petroleum Association
of Wyoming
- Wyoming Trucking
Association
- Wyoming Taxpayers
Association
The coalition said:
“We appreciate the Wyoming Legislature reaching out to the business community and engaging with us on key issues as they work to balance Wyoming’s budget. We want real businesses to flourish in Wyoming. We support weeding out entities that use our state to advance improper or illegal financial schemes. As a tool to protect the integrity of the way Wyoming does business, we acknowledge the importance of this fee adjustment.”
Once dubbed the ‘Cayman Islands of the American prairie,’ Wyoming has faced challenges over the years in thwarting off foreign shell companies that don’t actually do business in the state. Rather, they abuse Wyoming’s business friendly environment to hide assets and other activities that do not benefit the state.
Last year more than 120,000 businesses filed in Wyoming, nearly 20,000 of which were from out of state. Several Wyoming shell corporations were mentioned in the leaked Panama Papers last year, which describe the dubious innerworking of a shadowy offshore law firm headquartered in Panama.
HB 267 was passed unanimously by the Joint Appropriations Committee earlier in the week.
Business filing fees include a robust basket of goods, including asset protection, limited liability, access to the legal system and all the protections of Title 17 of the Wyoming Statute. It is estimated that 20 percent of all District Court civil cases in Wyoming include a corporation or LLC. Approximately 75% of the Circuit Court’s civil cases include a corporation or LLC.
“As a small business owner, I understand the tremendous challenges we face as well as the opportunities we are afforded here in Wyoming,” continued Representative Obermueller. “During these tough economic times, small businesses want and need to be a part of the solution. This modest increase to only three business filing fees – a rate still significantly lower than most other states – is a small way we can do our part while also helping to combat abuse.”
Fees collected through business filings go into the general fund and are used to support a wide array of government services utilized by businesses and their employees – from roads and infrastructure to first responders and telecommunications.
“Wyoming is consistently ranked as one of the very best states in the country in which to do business,” said House Speaker Steve Harshman. “The people of Wyoming and their state legislature have worked diligently over the years to make it that way – be it through low taxes, a well-trained workforce or reasonable regulations. We’re proud to continue this legacy in the 64th state legislature.”
“We appreciate the Wyoming Legislature reaching out to the business community and engaging with us on key issues as they work to balance Wyoming’s budget. We want real businesses to flourish in Wyoming. We support weeding out entities that use our state to advance improper or illegal financial schemes. As a tool to protect the integrity of the way Wyoming does business, we acknowledge the importance of this fee adjustment.”
Once dubbed the ‘Cayman Islands of the American prairie,’ Wyoming has faced challenges over the years in thwarting off foreign shell companies that don’t actually do business in the state. Rather, they abuse Wyoming’s business friendly environment to hide assets and other activities that do not benefit the state.
Last year more than 120,000 businesses filed in Wyoming, nearly 20,000 of which were from out of state. Several Wyoming shell corporations were mentioned in the leaked Panama Papers last year, which describe the dubious innerworking of a shadowy offshore law firm headquartered in Panama.
HB 267 was passed unanimously by the Joint Appropriations Committee earlier in the week.
Business filing fees include a robust basket of goods, including asset protection, limited liability, access to the legal system and all the protections of Title 17 of the Wyoming Statute. It is estimated that 20 percent of all District Court civil cases in Wyoming include a corporation or LLC. Approximately 75% of the Circuit Court’s civil cases include a corporation or LLC.
“As a small business owner, I understand the tremendous challenges we face as well as the opportunities we are afforded here in Wyoming,” continued Representative Obermueller. “During these tough economic times, small businesses want and need to be a part of the solution. This modest increase to only three business filing fees – a rate still significantly lower than most other states – is a small way we can do our part while also helping to combat abuse.”
Fees collected through business filings go into the general fund and are used to support a wide array of government services utilized by businesses and their employees – from roads and infrastructure to first responders and telecommunications.
“Wyoming is consistently ranked as one of the very best states in the country in which to do business,” said House Speaker Steve Harshman. “The people of Wyoming and their state legislature have worked diligently over the years to make it that way – be it through low taxes, a well-trained workforce or reasonable regulations. We’re proud to continue this legacy in the 64th state legislature.”
-End-
JAC Releases Budget Bill With Aim of Reducing Size & Scope of Government
Cheyenne, Wyo. – After months of meetings and public testimony on how to address Wyoming’s
funding shortfall, the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC) released the
2017-2018 supplemental budget bill today with the goal of reducing the size, and
slowing growth, of state government.
“No one likes to make cuts, and no one likes to
increase fees,” said Senator Bruce Burns, JAC Co-Chair. “However, with
significant revenue shortfalls projected into the near foreseeable future,
we’ve been forced to make some tough choices. This budget reflects countless
hours and input into how we balance our budget while protecting Wyoming people
and communities.”
House Bill 0001 and Senate File 0001, identical
bills to be debated in their respective bodies next week, are now available for
public viewing and input at www.wyoleg.gov. The budget bill was approved by the JAC on Monday. The bill aims to make
equitable and reasonable reductions across all branches of government to
address a $156 million shortfall in general government operations. The Wyoming
Constitution requires a balanced budget, so lawmakers relied on a collaborative
process to identify reductions and targeted fee increases to address both this
biennium’s shortfall, as well as those projected in the near future.
“As we face challenging times with diminished revenues,
the legislature must look for ways to tighten our belts,” said JAC Co-Chair
Representative Bob Nicholas. “JAC has worked hard to ensure we are maximizing
every dollar and accomplishing more with less for Wyoming families and business
owners.”
The bill includes
net reductions to appropriations from the General Fund (GF) and Budget Reserve
Account (BRA) of $32.8 million. These reductions are in addition to net budget
recommendations from Gov. Matt Mead and the judicial branch to the JAC of
$245.2 million in General Funds. This makes a total reduction of $275 million
to the 2017-2018 biennial budget. The bill also includes a reduction of 135
full-time positions, 10 part-time positions, and a shift of authorization for
23 positions, resulting in additional savings of approximately $102 million in
the next biennium.
“We’ve
worked diligently alongside state agencies and key stakeholders to identify
opportunities to scale back the size and scope of government,” said Senator
Burns. “We’ve tried to distribute the pain as evenly as possible.”
The budget bill
would also implement a hard limit on increasing future full-time positions and
require the Governor to identify 75 additional positions to eliminate. This
reduction in the size of the executive branch would result in a potential
savings of more than $10 million.
– END –
Senate Committee Passes Bill to Address Education Funding Shortfall While Safeguarding Quality in the Classroom
Cheyenne, Wyo. – Legislation
aimed at addressing Wyoming’s significant education funding shortfall while
safeguarding quality in the classroom was passed by the Wyoming Senate
Education Committee today.
“The hard truth is, our education
funding shortfall is too big to tackle with a single solution,” said Senate
Education Committee Chair Hank Coe. “Taxes won’t do it. Cuts won’t do it. We
need an approach that stops the bleeding today while giving us the opportunity
to work collaboratively on a long-term solution that still protects and
nurtures our most important natural resource here in Wyoming – our kids.”
Senate File 165, School Finance-Education Funding, sponsored by Senators Bill
Landen, Bruce Burns, Hank Coe, Dan Dockstader, Ogden Driskill, Stephan Pappas
and Drew Perkins, makes temporary reductions to education funding and establishes
a select committee on school finance recalibration. The bill is the result of
collaborative efforts between Senate leadership, Education Committee Members, Appropriations
Committee Members and key education stakeholders.
“Wyoming has students, teachers,
schools and administrators of which we can all be proud,” said Senator Landen.
“The legislature has worked hard over the years to support our education system
– investing over $22.3 billion, opening dozens of new schools and renovating even
more. That commitment remains as strong as ever as we navigate this funding
shortfall. Our goal with Senate File 165 is to identify potential funding
reductions that ensure this legacy, this commitment continues.”
Wyoming currently faces a $1.8 billion
education funding shortfall over the next five years. The state’s education
system is more dependent on mineral development than any other segment of
government, with 65% of the funding for the daily operations of Wyoming schools
coming from the taxes paid by mineral producers. A decline in fossil fuel
prices coupled with heavy-handed energy regulations from the federal government
have resulted in a severe drop in state revenues. As a result, Wyoming is
facing the largest education funding deficit in Wyoming’s history – between
$360 and $400 million per year. This does not include major maintenance and
capital construction, 100 percent of which are funded by minerals and coal
lease bonuses.
-End-
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