With only a few days left in the 68th Wyoming Legislature’s general session, House leadership is urging the Senate to restart discussions on a supplemental budget, Gillette News Record reports.
However, Senate leaders argue that no additional funding is necessary, leading to an impasse between the two chambers.
House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, stated that the House is prepared to engage in difficult budget discussions. The House leadership expressed disappointment over the Senate’s decision on Feb. 26 to end negotiations, arguing that it rejected a responsible and balanced budget proposal without a formal vote.
However, Senate leaders maintain that the state’s finances are secure through the end of the current biennium, which runs until June 30, 2026. Senate Majority Floor Leader Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, stated that all government programs are fully funded and that a supplemental budget should only address emergency and unforeseen expenses, not serve as an extension of the biennial budget.
The House and Senate initially worked on similar versions of a supplemental budget bill, but disagreements over spending priorities led to a deadlock. The House proposed a budget that was $235 million below Governor Mark Gordon’s recommendation and $110 million less than the Senate’s version. House leaders contend that their proposal was dismissed by Senate leadership without discussion or a vote.
Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, stated that the House’s position would have increased expenditures by $1.3 billion, which the Senate was unwilling to support. Instead, the Senate prioritized three key funding areas through other bills:
- Education funding: $52.3 million for K-12 education adjustments, included in House Bill 316.
- Wildfire response: $2.75 million for direct fire response and $49.5 million for conservation district recovery efforts, added to Senate File 152.
- Property tax relief: $10.5 million for the state’s property tax refund program, included in House Bill 279.
Some House members have suggested a special session if a budget agreement isn’t reached. Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, warned that Governor Gordon might call lawmakers back to adjust state funds to cover expenditures.
However, Senate leaders dismissed this idea, with Nethercott asserting that the budget remains balanced and that reserve funds are sufficient to cover state needs.
The House and Senate are also clashing over the practice of adding funding measures to unrelated bills, a strategy critics refer to as “porking out” legislation. House leaders argue that without a supplemental budget, necessary funding is being scattered across various bills, making spending less transparent.
Senate leaders, however, accuse the House of initiating this approach and insist they are following constitutional rules, which require amendments to be relevant to a bill’s original purpose.
For example, House members attempted to add:
- $3.86 million for disability services to a bill on parental authorization for minor settlement agreements.
- $180,708 for court system employees to a bill revising probate codes.
- $10 million for coal-related energy projects to a bill on carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery.
While some of these amendments passed, others failed due to concerns over constitutionality and transparency.
Despite the current deadlock, Senate leaders remain optimistic about future budget negotiations for the 2027-28 biennium. They emphasize that this is the first time more conservative House members have taken the majority leadership role, and they hope to find common ground in the future.
“We have accomplished so much collectively this session, but all you are hearing is the negative,” Biteman said.
