CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Prior to the annual State of the State address, Governor Mark Gordon hosted a virtual media event with members of the press on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to discuss his priorities for the remaining two years of his term.
He discussed a wide range of issues, including the economy, school funding, immigration, property tax, mineral development, CO2 emissions, tourism and the state’s public lands. Gordon said he was looking forward to the 68th Legislature beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 14, with 32 newly elected officials.
“I am excited about this legislative session as perhaps I haven’t been for a long, long time,” Governor Gordon told the press.
Gordon said that he looks forward to “making a number of executive orders that will roll back poor decisions made by the Biden administration,” including the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP), the greater sage-grouse Record of Decision (ROD) and the Bison Management Plan. Gordon added that Wyoming plans to litigate against the Rock Springs RMP, which was tied to the sale of the Kelly Parcel.
Buckrail asked Gordon whether the state plans to cancel the Rock Springs RMP, amend it or litigate for increased oil and gas extraction on the 3.6 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public land located in the Red Desert region.
“All of those options are things that we are considering,” Gordon said. “We looked at a Congressional Review Act to completely cancel it.”
He said that an amendment to the Rock Springs RMP is also a possibility to allow for more recreational activities and oil and gas development, within the context of protecting the greater sage-grouse, wildlife corridors and historic trails.
“As far as litigation is concerned, we just want to make sure that the work that went into this plan over the last decade or more, because I started working on this plan with the Trump administration back in 2019, is respected and that state rights are protected,” Gordon said in his response.
Gordon went on to say that one of Wyoming’s most important interests is acquiring BLM lands to allow for a “net increase in state lands.” He said that his goal of land acquisition would not be to remove public access, but to ensure more lands are under the purview of the state of Wyoming.
“Lease holders and permit holders will have a chance to look at a piece of land for acquisition,” Gordon said.
According to Gordon, Wyoming will pave the way in mineral development. He said that coal development will have a resurgence and there will be the rapid recovery of mining, including the extraction of trona and rare earth minerals.
Dustin Bleizeffer, an energy reporter from WyoFile, asked the Governor if he would support the bill, Make Carbon Dioxide Great Again-No Net Zero, which would repeal statutes requiring carbon sequestration at coal plants, according to Bleizeffer. The bill, SF0092, which was sponsored by Wyoming Senator Cheri Steinmetz and Representative John Bear, argues that “carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but a beneficial substance” in energy development.
Gordon said that as one of the largest producers of CO2, Wyoming will look to using carbon reserves to invigorate mineral development. The Wyoming Legislature wrote in its Maximizing Wyoming’s Energy Resources document that carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) is the process of injecting CO2 into the ground to increase oil and gas production, even from depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The document also states that Wyoming’s coal-fired power plants and gas processing plants can, with technology retrofits and pipeline connections, capture and sell CO2 to CO2-EOR operators.
“As people look at this, I hope they think about the economic benefits of being able to do a better job with secondary and tertiary recovery, and maybe some of the other things that CO2 can provide,” Gordon said.
Gordon commented that tourism is also a leading source of revenue for the state. In 2023, outdoor recreation contributed $2.2 billion to Wyoming’s economy, according to Gordon.
“Visitation numbers for Yellowstone National Park were the second highest reported in the third quarter in recorded history,” Gordon said. “What’s even more important is how people appreciate what is around Yellowstone, not only Teton County, Park County and Freemont County, but driving through Wyoming to get there.”
Gordon applauded Wyoming’s payroll increase at 3.5% annually in all sectors, with construction leading the way. He added that the unemployment rate of 3.3% is well below the U.S. current rate of 4.1%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Jasmine Hall, a political reporter for the Jackson Hole News&Guide, asked the Governor to share his position on the recent spotlight on Teton County regarding immigration. Gordon said that people are needed to work in critical summer jobs, such as caring for livestock and construction, but he added that those people need to be legally documented. He said that Wyoming has participated in intelligence gathering and has been sending law enforcement personnel to help enforce the Texas border.
When asked about property tax, Gordon said that Wyoming has the third lowest tax burden for its citizens. He said that the state has done a lot of work on property tax relief, but it’s also important for people to balance their expectations of property tax relief with the understanding that it impacts local services.
“Property tax is important to local government,” Gordon said. “The state doesn’t get those dollars. This summer for example, all the firefighting that happened was all done by county fire departments.”
Gordon also explained that property taxes are essential for maintaining Wyoming’s schools.
“Property taxes will have a big effect on how schools will be funded moving forward,” Gordon said. “There’s a significant portion of federal funding that may or may not become a bigger issue as we get into this administration. President Trump’s indicated that it should be reviewed more carefully.”
Gordon will deliver his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m. His address will be followed by the State of the Judiciary message, delivered by Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate M. Fox.
The address can be viewed live on the main Wyoming PBS broadcast channel, and on the station’s YouTube channel and website. A copy of the address will also be available on the Governor’s website following the conclusion of Wednesday’s joint session.
