Gov. Mark Gordon unveiled his $692 million proposed supplemental budget for the 2025 legislative session on Thursday, one of the most important topics the Legislature will consider when it convenes in January.
Gordon said his budget is frugal yet serves the state’s long-term needs.
“In short, our expectations must remain high and our budget balanced,” Gordon wrote in the budget proposal. “Wyoming is the bellwether for that discipline, and together we can ensure that Wyoming is properly equipped to face the challenges that lie ahead.”
Nearly one-third of the proposed supplemental budget is dedicated to rebuilding resources for fighting wildfires that were depleted during a wave of huge and damaging wildfires this summer that burned hundreds of thousands of acres, including rangeland, fencing and other infrastructure.
After that, construction of new schools and state buildings makes up another large part of the budget.
The supplemental budget is designed to cover any additions needed to the biennial budget that was created earlier this year.
State agencies had requested a total of $805 million in additional money in the supplemental budget but Gordon cut that request down by $113 million to $692,374,241. This would push the biennial budget to $10.8 billion if completely approved.
Gordon requested $354 million in the last supplemental budget he proposed in late 2022, which grew to $1.8 billion by the end of the legislative session because $1.4 billion of it was put into savings.
Firefighting Funds
Wyoming suffered one of its worst fire seasons in its history this summer, with wildfire devastating 850,000 acres across the state.
The state’s two-year budget for fighting fires was exhausted in a matter of months.
In total, Gordon said Wyoming spent $56 million fighting fires this year, completely depleting the state’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account, Office of Homeland Security and governor’s contingency accounts.
A total of $220 million in one-time spending is included in the supplemental budget, $141 million of which would be dedicated to refunding firefighting and restoration efforts that were depleted during this year’s historically devastating wildfire season.
“It is essential to refill all these emergency and contingency accounts to enable a timely response to fires that could happen in the coming year,” Gordon writes.
Gordon wants to fill the state’s depleted firefighting accounts back up as well as use one-time money to help restore watersheds, habitat, and replace lost agricultural infrastructure.
In his budget proposal, Gordon mentioned how in the aftermath of these fires, those burned acres could now attract noxious and invasive weeds and that fences, livestock feed, water infrastructure and other ranching materials need to be replaced.
Gordon stressed that Wyoming needs to be particularly prepared for emergency disasters now that COVID-19 grant money is expiring.
“The recommendations included in this supplemental are designed to control our operational budget while appropriately responding to emergencies as well as unforeseen circumstances that require immediate action,” he said during a Thursday press conference.
Wyoming is one of only five Western states that do not have a state-funded disaster recovery program to address disasters that don’t meet federal requirements for assistance and Gordon is requesting $130 million to treat invasive grasses and help restore land and property damaged by this year’s wildfires.
In total, Gordon is requesting $18.5 million for his office in the supplemental budget, but no new employees.
More Lawsuits
Gordon said he has received pressure from some Republicans to file more lawsuits against the federal government even as Wyoming has nearly doubled its number of active litigation cases since January.
The governor is also proposing adding $526,577 to the attorney general’s budget to fight federal regulatory efforts that restrict mineral production and access to federal lands in the state through the hiring of two additional senior attorneys.
A $1.2 million Coal Litigation Fund created by the Legislature has been nearly depleted as a result of the state’s efforts opposing the BLM’s Buffalo Resource Management Plan and other federal regulations targeting coal production. Gordon is recommending expanding this fund to $7.5 million to ensure the state can protect its coal resources moving forward.
Gordon is also requesting an additional $2.5 million for protection and adjudication of interstate water rights.
Health Requests
He also requested $9.3 million to continue housing Wyoming prisoners in out-of-state detention centers and jails due to low staffing. In total, he’s requesting a $11.1 million budget increase for the Department of Corrections.
Gordon also wants to increase the Medicaid rates paid to providers in order to provide better access to obstetrics and mental health care providers.
Medicaid births account for one-third of the deliveries in Wyoming. With the Evanston Regional Hospital announcing it will remove labor and delivery services at the end of the year, Wyoming will now have lost three hospitals that provide obstetrician services in recent years.
“The loss of these providers puts an undue strain on many new families as they struggle to find time, gas, the opportunity, doctors, to visit clinics increasingly often out of state,” Gordon said. “As a pro-life governor, I want to make sure mothers and fathers have the greatest chance for a successful delivery.”
Gordon is recommending an additional $2.3 million for the Wyoming Department of Health’s budget to cover this need.
In addition, he’s also recommending increasing the rates for behavioral health providers and in-home health providers due to recent studies finding them to be underfunded. He’s requesting a total of $1.5 million in state funds for these projects that would also be partially funded with federal money.
As a whole he is proposing a $6.6 million increase for the Department of Health’s $2.2 billion budget.
Property Taxes
During the 2024 legislative session, the state’s property tax refund program was expanded. Gordon is recommending expanding this program further with an additional $10.5 million.
As a result of an October Wyoming Supreme Court ruling that found state lands are not exempt from property taxes, Gordon is asking to offset this fee rather than charging grazers by giving $3 million to the state to property taxes on its state lands.
He’s also requesting a final tranche of $5.2 million for his Wyoming Innovation Partnership, a program Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, expressed general support for while speaking at the Governor’s Forum on Thursday.
The governor is proposing adding 22 new state employees for a new total of 7,305.
Other Departments And Costs
The Treasurer’s office requested an additional $1.6 million for five new employees, and two position pay raises.
The Secretary of State's office has asked for a $322,600 increase to its budget for the addition of three new employees to cover ongoing growth in business activity the office has been receiving.
The Department of Education and State Auditor’s office have requested no additional funding.
The State Construction Department is requesting $226 million for school construction and maintenance.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
