Wyoming Lawmakers Clash Over $40 Million University Cut: ‘Retaliation’ or a ‘Return to Fundamentals’

The Wyoming House and Senate engaged in a fierce debate Thursday over a proposed $40 million cut to the University of Wyoming’s budget, with lawmakers sharply divided on whether the reduction is a legitimate push for accountability or punitive retaliation against the state’s only four-year university.

The cut, advanced by the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC), would reduce UW’s state funding by roughly 10% over the biennium. In the House, JAC Co-Chairman Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, was candid about the motivation. When asked how the committee arrived at the $40 million figure, Bear stated it was intended to “get their attention.” He argued the university has drifted from its land-grant mission and ignored legislative directives to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander, immediately challenged the rationale. “It would almost suggest that this action is retaliatory,” Larsen said. Rep. Rob Geringer, R-Cheyenne, questioned the proportionality, calling it a “huge sledgehammer” that would harm programs like nursing and engineering while shielding select areas favored by lawmakers.

The protected programs include the College of Agriculture, the College of Education, and the Jay Kemmerer Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Institute—which shares a major donor with a political action committee aligned with the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, criticized this as favoritism, accusing the committee of “picking winners and losers.”

The most impassioned defense of the university came from Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, who read from the Wyoming Constitution and reminded colleagues that the state’s founders went into debt to build the institution. “When our picture’s up there hanging, hopefully it’s not—look, these are the guys who tore down,” Harshman warned. He advocated for a more surgical approach, using financial leverage as a “carrot” rather than “chopping the legs out” from under the university.

In the Senate, Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, described the JAC’s “tenor” as a culture clash, with appropriators frustrated over course offerings like “eco-feminism” and the continued presence of a gender studies program online despite DEI funding bans. Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, defended the targeted protections, arguing they align with Wyoming’s economic drivers: agriculture, tourism and energy.

Rep. Lee Filer, R-Cheyenne, warned of the broader consequences. Noting that Wyoming has the highest rate of young people leaving the state, he said the cut sends a terrible message. “They all have different ideas. They all have different career paths,” Filer said. “If we refuse to compete, we’re going to lose our kids.”

The debate remains unresolved, with the budget still subject to amendment as the legislative session continues.