CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Wyoming Senate announced that it would not pass a supplemental budget that would cover Wyoming’s contingency costs.
Governor Mark Gordon issued a statement on Thursday, Feb. 27, urging the Senate to listen to its “constituents’ best interests” after legislators did not pass the budget in an unprecedented move.
Gordon said in the statement that the Senate’s refusal to compromise on the supplemental budget overlooks a needed buffer for emergencies and unanticipated expenses. He explained the supplemental budget would fund fire suppression and recovery, the property tax relief program and inflation in school funding.
“Since taking office I have submitted balanced budgets to the legislature that are carefully analyzed, well-vetted and reflect what I consider a common sense view of what’s best for the people of Wyoming,” Gordon wrote. “I opened this session by explaining that this supplemental budget was focused on emergencies and unanticipated expenses.”
According to Wyoming Senate President Bo Biteman, the purpose of the supplemental budget is to respond to emergency shortfalls in the budget.
Biteman wrote in a letter dated Wednesday, Feb. 26, that the Senate determined to hold off on the budget until legislators could evaluate the impact of “historic property tax cuts and the successful rightsizing of the federal bureaucracy by the new administration.”
“We look forward to working with our honorable colleagues in the house to reach a deal on substantive property tax cuts, and the next biennium budget,” Biteman wrote.
