Gov. Mark Gordon seeks to rescue the Wyoming Business Council’s Business-Ready Communities program, the state colleges’ flexibility to use state money on name, image and likeness (NIL), and one of the executive branch’s two jet airplanes.
The governor used his power of line-item veto Thursday to strike from the Legislature’s two-year, $9.9 billion state budget language that would have blocked those three uses of state money.
The two chambers of the Legislature may override his vetoes with a two-thirds majority.
The Jet
The Legislature sent $1.7 million to the executive branch to operate one of its two jets for the next two years, and to sell or use the other one for parts.
State officials, including the governor and his staff, travel in those jets.
The money from the sold or part-stripped Cessna Citation Encore jet airplane would go into the state’s checking account, the footnote says.
Gordon vetoed that language, according to a veto letter he dispatched Thursday evening.
“While respecting the appropriations, the appropriateness of the legislature dictating the use or sale of specific equipment purchased by another branch of government is an over-step,” wrote Gordon. Any cost shortfall from Gordon not grounding the jet “will be handled within the appropriation provided by the legislature,” he added.
Wyoming Business Council
The Legislature appropriated nearly $14 million to the Wyoming Business Council for its internal operations, to fund it for one year while lawmakers reevaluate the controversial agency. Three grant-driven programs were allowed to operate for two years like most budget programs, but the Business Ready Communities program – which sends government money into local economic-development entities for community upgrades – was defunded.
Gordon reversed the BRC’s defunding and removed the one-year window for the Wyoming Business Council’s spending, with his line-item veto.
“There is little doubt that any meaningful reform will take time and participation from the public, my office, and the legislature, especially during an election year when all of the House and one-half of the Senate are up for election during the interim.”
Gordon’s veto doesn’t add more money, he noted. But it does lengthen the time in which the money can be spent.
“It does allow us to measure twice and cut once,” he wrote.
Gordon vetoed language eliminating the Business Ready Communities program’s funding, saying that program has live projects.
One is an application for a workforce housing project in Laramie County, which the State Lands and Investments Board is reviewing.
Gordon asserted that his line-item veto would “avoid an abrupt end to state support for economic development in Wyoming.”
Lastly with respect to the Wyoming Business Council, Gordon deleted the word “forensic” in a footnote requiring a forensic audit of the agency.
A forensic audit is a detailed, specialized examination of financial records designed to find fraud, embezzlement, or misconduct, often for use in legal or regulatory proceedings.
“There have not been any allegations for fraud, embezzlement or misconduct,” wrote Gordon. A programmatic audit would be better, he wrote.
Name, Image, Likeness
The budget contained language barring community colleges and the University of Wyoming from using state money on student-athlete salaries or endorsement compensation.
The colleges and university don’t plan on doing that, but they should have the flexibility to do so, Gordon countered.
“Other states are using their state funds for Name, Image and Likeness as well as revenue sharing,” wrote Gordon. “The community colleges need flexibility to craft a program that meets the dual objective of education and intercollegiate activities.”
He used similar language in vetoing a similar footnote under the University of Wyoming’s budget, saying UW needs flexibility to meet the requirements “set out by the conference.”
Releasing That Hostage $10 Million
Gordon struck part but not all of a footnote hinging $10 million of UW’s $40 million state grant on UW drafting a road map for saving $5 million and sending it to the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee by Dec. 1.
Under Gordon’s recommendation, the UW board of trustees “shall” submit an operational plan to the Joint Appropriations Committee by Dec. 1. But he removed language specifying that that plan shall identify where UW can save $5 million.
He also removed language hinging $10 million on UW’s submission of that road map to the JAC.
The Legislature had required $10 million of its appropriation to UW to require a one-for-one match from non-state sources to support the UW School of Energy Resources’ Wyoming energy-focused instruction, outreach and research programs.
Gordon kept that language but removed a requirement that UW send the legislative Management Council a description of its matching funds and anticipated outcome within 10 days of receiving the money.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
