What you need to know about the Wyoming Legislature’s just completed budget session

When Gov. Mark Gordon stood to deliver his State of the State address on Feb. 9, it appeared budget cuts would dominate the conversation. In some ways, they did. But that debate quickly took a backseat to a check-passing controversy that dominated the session, producing multiple investigations and rule changes.

The University of Wyoming dodged the budget axe after facing potential major cuts. Lawmakers on the state’s budgeting committee initially voted to axe almost $61 million from the governor’s recommendation, including $40 million from the school’s block grant. After negotiations, the final budget restored most funding, though Gov. Gordon vetoed one condition requiring the school to find $5 million in cost savings.

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which aimed to “return to pre-pandemic spending levels,” saw most of its priority cuts fail to make it into the final budget. Despite targeting the Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming Public Media and UW funding, the Senate’s position largely favoring the governor’s recommendations prevailed in negotiations.

Lawmakers passed a public school funding recalibration bill for the first time since 2010, allocating $275 million to districts. Gordon let it become law without his signature, citing concerns about local authority. They also passed a statewide literacy overhaul, a nearly $400 million facility funding measure and a bill requiring all school districts to approve cell phone policies.

On abortion, a constitutional amendment failed introduction, but a heartbeat law banning abortions after six weeks passed and was signed, immediately drawing a legal challenge. Affordable housing legislation became tainted by the check-passing controversy and died in the Senate.