Wyoming Budget Fight Heats Up: Lawmakers Spar Over Slowing Growth or Slashing Government

State lawmakers are locked in a full‑on budget battle as they prep for the 2026 legislative session, with one side pushing to slow government growth and another pushing for deep cuts that critics say could gut core services, Buffalo Bulletin reports.

At issue is how Wyoming should handle its finances – even though the state isn’t officially in the red. Members of the Joint Appropriations Committee, especially those aligned with the right‑leaning Wyoming Freedom Caucus, have been slicing into Gov. Mark Gordon’s $11 billion budget proposal for the next two years, arguing that Wyoming needs to tighten its belt and shrink government spending.

Freedom Caucus figures like Rep. John Bear (R‑Gillette), who chairs the House side of the appropriations committee, say the focus should be on protecting taxpayers’ paychecks and avoiding what they see as unnecessary or wasteful government programs. During recent markups, the committee slashed funding across a wide range of agencies – including cuts to health care funding, state employee wage increases and plans for economic development – and even moved to dissolve the Wyoming Business Council entirely.

A high‑profile casualty so far: the University of Wyoming. The panel voted to reduce the governor’s recommended budget for the university by nearly $61 million, including an approximate $40 million cut to its block grant and the defunding of Wyoming Public Media’s state funding. Critics warn that these kinds of cuts – especially to higher education and public institutions – could have long‑term repercussions for the state’s workforce, cultural life and ability to retain young people.

“It’s unfortunate because investing in the university isn’t just good for the campus – it’s good for the state’s future,” one former lawmaker and budget insider told Wyoming Public Radio.

On the other side of the aisle, lawmakers like Sen. Mike Gierau (D‑Jackson) and others pushing back against the cuts say what’s happening feels like “gutting government” for ideological reasons rather than making strategic, balanced choices. Gierau and his allies argue that Wyoming enjoys a budget surplus and should be cautious about sharp reductions that could undermine essential services like health care, education and community programs.

The debate isn’t just about numbers – it’s about philosophy. Supporters of big cuts frame their work as reining in government and giving taxpayers relief, while detractors see the approach as stripping the state of its ability to invest in its people and future.

As the full Legislature prepares to take up the appropriations bill when the session starts Feb. 9, both sides are bracing for more heat. Lawmakers will have opportunities to amend, restore or rescind parts of the committee’s draft budget – meaning the final outcome is far from certain.

For now, though, the divide is clear: one group wants Wyoming to slow government growth across the board, and the other fears that approach is veering into gutting programs that communities rely on. The showdown over spending priorities could define the Legislature’s work this year – and shape state policy for the next two.