In late 2023, Governor Gordon submitted his state budget.
We pushed back on the Governor’s description of his budget as ‘disciplined,’ ‘business like,’ ‘forward-thinking,’ and ‘fiscally conservative,’ calling it unaffordable and unsustainable.
After the Wyoming House of Representatives got its hands on what was the largest budget in state history, Uniparty lawmakers (Republicans and their spend-happy Democrat friends) recklessly added over $300 million to it, which constitutes a bloat of 30% above the standard budget.
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus attempted to pump the brakes by offering $500 million in common sense cuts– all but $700K of which (an offensive appropriation for a float in the Rose Bowl Parade) was rejected.
The Wyoming Senate, on the other hand, has practiced more restraint than demonstrated by our colleagues in the House. Their version of the budget – which still constitutes a 10% increase in spending– has been lambasted by legislative leadership as “far-right.”
Wyoming Senate President Ogden Driskill told Cowboy State Daily that he “believes a shift of focus has happened, powered by the far-right members of the state Senate, to put a higher priority on returning money to taxpayers.”
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus and our allies in the House are supportive of the Senate position of limiting the growth of government just 10% in this biennial budget.
We are strongly opposed to the Uniparty's position in the House of growing government by 30% over the next two years– after all, will your income grow that much over the next two years?
We conservatives are routinely accused of engaging in “D.C.-style politics.” As usual, these critics are mere projections. Delivering an exorbitant, omnibus-style budget that resembles a swampy continuing resolution is not a Wyoming solution to Wyoming problems.
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus pledges to limit the growth of government– which should never outgrow your paycheck.
For Wyoming,
Representative John Bear (HD31)
Representative Scott Heiner (HD18)
Representative Ben Hornok (HD412
Representative Tony Locke (HD35)
