Budget Bill Places Record $1.4 Billion in Savings, Fully Funds Education

Budget Bill Builds a Stronger Future for Wyoming

 

CHEYENNE— Today, the Wyoming House of Representatives and the Wyoming Senate voted to move forward an unprecedented $1.4 billion in savings and fully fund Wyoming’s K-12 education system in the supplemental budget bill.

 

HB0001 doubles down on the Legislature’s bet on Wyoming families, investing in Wyoming people and promoting economic development and diversification.

 

“This bill is a record-setter for the amount of money we are putting away,” said Senate President Ogden Driskill. “This budget was built with our children, grandchildren and Wyoming’s future generations at the center of our work. Bottom line: this bill means a stronger Wyoming.”

 

“For every $1 that is spent on running our schools and funding local governments, about $3.50 goes to savings in this bill,” said Representative Bob Nicholas, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “This budget bill represents disciplined savings and stewardship alongside a priority on education and investments in Wyoming’s future generations.” 

 

About half of the savings in the bill goes to K-12 savings in the Common School Permanent Land Fund and the Common School Reserve Account. The other half goes to general fund savings.

 

More than half of the $383 million in policy funding fully finances Wyoming school construction and maintenance and the External Cost Adjustment to make up for inflation faced by school districts. 

 

State employees will receive an average eight percent pay increase effective July 1, 2023.

 

Finally, in another first, the bill was drafted faster than ever before, allowing greater transparency and public input with 10 days of available review prior to further action. 

 

The House vote was 37-25.

The Senate vote was 20-10.

 

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House Budget Bill Focuses on Strengthening Wyoming’s Economy

 

CHEYENNE – The general session of the 67th Wyoming State Legislature is marking a month of work by both chambers focused on Wyoming families, investing in Wyoming people and promoting economic development and diversification.

 

The House of Representatives and the Wyoming Senate passed their versions of the budget bill on Friday, February 3. HB0001, also known as the supplemental budget bill, focuses on the pocketbook and kitchen table issues affecting Wyoming’s hardworking men and women. 

 

The House and Senate versions of the supplemental budget bill are remarkably close when it comes to dollar amounts. 

 

“The House of Representatives’ budget bill puts nearly $1 billion into savings, making significant investments in Wyoming’s people, the state economy and in Wyoming’s future. We also are placing a special focus on the fight against government overreach to protect and promote Wyoming small business owners and medical providers,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Clark Stith.

 

The House and Senate versions are identical on K-12 school spending, fully approving a recommended inflation adjustment of over $70 million and allocating $129 million to school construction and maintenance.  

 

Both the House and Senate versions save almost twice as much as they spend, with $1 billion in savings and about $515 million in spending. The Senate’s bill outspends the House slightly, by about $1.5 million. The Senate version of the budget bill allocates less to health care and $28 million to property tax relief. There are disagreements about where the savings go and what to spend it on, but the budget bills reflect a Wyoming Legislature fully aware of the volatility of state revenue and the need to balance present and future needs. 

 

In HB0001, the major areas of focus are:

 

·      K-12 education - $129 million

·      Department of Health - $38 million

·      Wyoming Business Council -$37 million

o   Following on the success of attracting advanced vertical farming company Plenty, Inc. to relocate its research headquarters in Wyoming, $30 million is allocated to the Wyoming Business Council for further economic development.  

·      University of Wyoming - $36 million   

o   School of Energy Resources - $12 million for carbon engineering research

o   Engineering School - $6 million 

o   College of Agriculture - $2.5 million

·      Substantially adjusting the reimbursement rate to our dentists who provide critical dental health services to 40,000 children and senior citizens in the state

·      Increased funding for nursing homes and for the developmentally disabled, where funding had been cut during the pandemic.  

·      Funding trust funds as a savings mechanism and utilizing the interest income to make our communities more livable, develop Wyoming’s workforce and to enhance the state’s wildlife

 

The House and Senate bills will now move to conference committee for reconciliation. 

 

Other bills that are still alive contain an additional $333 million for the benefit of Wyoming communities including $202 million for capital construction, $38 million for water projects, $26 million for support to local governments and $10 million to enhance the safety of school crosswalks. These bills are currently in various stages of discussion and debate. 

 

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Planning for Wyoming’s Future: Wyoming House of Representatives to Finish Budget Bill Debate Today

Wyoming Legislative Majority Focuses on Wyoming Economy, Creating Prosperity for Wyoming Families 

CHEYENNE – Today, the Wyoming House of Representatives will finish debate on HB0001 also known as the Supplemental Budget bill, which makes significant investments in Wyoming’s people, the state economy, Wyoming’s children and the state’s future.

“With this bill, the House Republicans are focused on saving, investing and meeting the needs of Wyoming citizens. It is a challenging balance to strike, but the work so far is leading us in that direction,” said Representative Lloyd Larsen, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This legislation is about Wyoming’s economic outlook and acting on good fiscal policy that provides for Wyoming’s people, our infrastructure and our children.”
 
During this session, a major priority is the supplemental budget bill and how the Legislature should allocate a nearly $2 billion budget surplus. Much of this is a one-time windfall, which owes to improved revenues from oil and gas production, smart investments, and federal stimulus spending. Highlights from HB0001 follow:
 

• By adjusting the reimbursement rate to our dentists who provide critical dental health services to 40,000 children and senior citizens in the state, House Republicans are ensuring that these children and senior citizens who qualify for Medicaid will continue to have access to critical dental care. 
• Those citizens of our state who have developmental, intellectual disabilities or acquired brain injuries are only able to live in our communities because of the community provider network whose dedicated employees ensure for the protection, wellbeing and happiness of these people. These dedicated and critical service providers continued services even after significant cuts were made to their budgets in 2021. We restored these cuts and adjusted their reimbursement rates to ensure they can continue to provide these essential services well into the future. 
• $5 million to fully fund the property tax refund program.
• Creation of an ombudsman position in the Department of Environmental Quality to enhance the ability and timeliness for industrial permitting processes.
• Funding to assist with retention and recruitment of state agency employees. Wyoming state agencies report significant challenges with recruitment and retention of employees due to current salary rates. Current provisions in the budget increase state employee compensation to bring employee salaries from 83 percent to 98 percent of 2022 market rates.
• Funding trust funds as a savings mechanism and utilizing the interest income to make our communities more livable, develop Wyoming’s workforce and to enhance the state’s wildlife.

“The people of Wyoming are a priority with this budget,” said Representative Larsen. “We are restoring cuts and enhancing mental health, social services, education and job training. We are using a responsible approach to ensuring citizens' needs are met and funding is leveraged for future needs. Prudent decisions and investments today will protect Wyoming’s future generations.”
 
“This bill strengthens the ability for our community providers to continue essential services to those who are living in the least restrictive environment,” said Representative Larsen.
 
“We are always cognizant that our extractive industries provide the revenue that allows us to provide critical services to our citizens. In this budget, we respond to industry and ensure the permitting process is streamlined and efficient to empower the sector to continue their key role in our economy. We accomplish this budgetary exercise in restoring cuts and services without implementing or raising any taxes.”
 
The House of Representatives will debate the budget bill a final time today before it moves to conference committee for reconciliation.