Wyoming Legislature Braces for Showdown as Budget Session Opens Amid Major Proposed Cuts

Wyoming lawmakers are returning to a Capitol steeped in political tension as the 2026 budget session begins Monday, with a draft budget proposing deep cuts to universities, economic development, and public media setting the stage for a contentious four weeks. The session, which must produce a two-year state financial plan, will test the influence of a strengthened conservative bloc against a governor and others warning of the consequences of severe austerity.

The process kicks off with Governor Mark Gordon’s State of the State address. Legislators will then work from a draft crafted by the Joint Appropriations Committee, a document that carries the imprint of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. This group, which now holds a majority on the committee and in the state House, has made reining in state spending its defining mission.

The most contentious items on the chopping block include:

• The Wyoming Business Council: A proposal to defund and dismantle the state’s primary economic development agency.

• The University of Wyoming: A $40 million cut to the university’s core block grant funding.

• Wyoming Public Media: An elimination of all state funding for the public broadcasting service.

• Health Department: Tens of millions in proposed cuts to the Wyoming Department of Health.

Governor Gordon, who previously presented an $11.1 billion budget focused on “the essentials,” has signaled strong reservations about the depth of these cuts. His authority is constitutionally limited to line-item vetoes on the final bill. The political calculus is complex; while the Freedom Caucus has greater numbers, passing any non-budget bill still requires a two-thirds majority vote for introduction, forcing negotiation.

The legislative pathway involves both chambers debating identical budget bills starting late next week, with amendment fights expected. Differences between the House and Senate versions will eventually be hammered out in a conference committee. Beyond the budget, over 170 other bills on topics from healthcare to criminal justice are in the queue, though their survival depends on clearing the high introductory vote threshold.

The session, which must conclude by early March, will determine the state’s fiscal and policy direction through 2028. Public participation is possible through committee testimony and direct contact with legislators.