Wyoming Senate Declines Governor’s Supplemental Budget Proposal

The Wyoming Senate announced Wednesday that it would not approve Governor Mark Gordon’s supplemental budget request for the two-year period ending in 2026.

The decision came despite the budget passing both the House and the Joint Appropriations Committee.

The governor’s proposal included funding for wildfire recovery efforts, increased Medicaid payments for obstetrics and mental health providers, property tax relief programs, and workforce training in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The budget also accounted for inflationary costs affecting state programs. In total, the bill outlined approximately $320 million in additional appropriations within the existing $3.8 billion biennial budget.

Senate President Bo Biteman defended the decision, stating that now is not the time to increase spending. He pointed to ongoing discussions on property tax reductions and the importance of fiscal restraint.

“As fiscal conservatives, we know that spending hundreds of millions of dollars while debating massive tax cuts is not the conservative thing to do,” Biteman said in a statement.

He also noted that the Senate preferred to wait and assess the impact of federal government changes before making additional spending commitments.

The legislature is currently considering property tax reductions that could significantly impact county and municipal budgets.

Governor Gordon expressed disappointment in the Senate’s move, arguing that the supplemental budget was designed to address critical and unforeseen challenges, including last year’s unprecedented wildfire season, which burned 850,000 acres and cost the state $58 million.

“Unfortunately, this legislature has overlooked emergencies and ignored unanticipated expenses in a quest for political talking points,” Gordon said. “It is hard to raise a calf or drill a well on rhetoric alone.”

He urged lawmakers to reconsider funding wildfire recovery, property tax relief, and school inflation adjustments.

The Senate’s rejection marks a rare instance in which the Wyoming Legislature has opted not to pass a supplemental budget during a general session. Lawmakers now face the challenge of determining whether some provisions from the rejected budget can be incorporated into other bills before the session ends on March 6.

While some legislators expressed support for the Senate’s decision, others, including members of both parties, voiced concerns over the potential loss of critical funding for programs such as preschool services for children with disabilities and legal staffing needs in the Natrona County District Attorney’s office.

Cap City News, Sheridan Media, KGAB AM 650, and Wyoming Public Media contributed to this report.