Session preview: Facing a lawsuit, Wyo. legislators look to increase teacher pay
Lawmakers are looking to reverse years of K-12 budget cuts in hopes of convincing the Wyoming Supreme Court to look kindly upon them in June, when the court will hear arguments in a lawsuit brought by the state teachers union and several school districts. A committee has proposed a $68 million funding increase aimed at providing teachers raises in hopes that the court will rule that they have met their constitutional obligation to properly fund schools.
Wyo. Dept. of Health to face funding challenges during 2024 session
State lawmakers gutted the health agency in 2021 to the tune of $100 million in cuts, but then restored much of the funding using federal pandemic aid dollars. Now, the federal funds are expiring, and legislators will decide whether to backfill the agency’s funding or let the deep cuts return to mental health programs, senior services, provider reimbursement, and more.
Stingy lawmakers leave Wyoming stranded
Dozens of snowplow driver positions remain vacant because the Wyoming Legislature refuses to fund WYDOT enough to pay competitive wages. Thanks to their stinginess, we can all expect closed roads as winter approaches.
Session recap: The good, the bad, and the ugly of Wyoming’s 2023 state budget
With a windfall of tax revenue from high gas prices, the Wyoming Legislature increased state employee and teacher pay and funded some economic development. But lawmakers failed to meaningfully address the state’s growing housing crisis, and they still would rather invest billions in Wall Street than our own local communities.
We, The Government, are Wasteful, Fraudulent, and Abusive: Therefore we must GROW government and increase Waste, Fraud, and Abuse!
In a guest editorial, Wyoming's premiere legislators lay out their rationale behind Senate File 50, which would create a new branch of government to help inform on people accused of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Gordon’s proposed budget will keep Wyoming shackled to the fossil fuel industries
State tax revenue has recovered from last year’s bust, and Wyoming is receiving substantial federal pandemic funds. But instead of investing in education, infrastructure, and healthcare—things Wyoming residents need right now and that could help develop our economy in the long term—Gov. Gordon wants to pad the state’s savings account and prop up coal.
Public health cuts hit communities across Wyoming
The Legislature cut more than $100 million from the Wyoming Department of Health’s budget this session, including tens of millions from mental health and substance abuse programs while the state is experiencing a suicide crisis.
Wyoming's "budget crisis" is fake
Even as fossil fuel tax revenues plummet, Wyoming remains a rich state with no urgent reason to cut public services from struggling and vulnerable people. It also just received more than a billion dollars in federal aid. Why then, are Wyoming lawmakers eager to cut public funding? Because they want to.
Wyoming’s rural hospitals (and communities) would benefit from Medicaid expansion
Expanding Medicaid would help Wyoming’s struggling rural hospitals offset state budget cuts, provide mental health treatment, and attract and retain physicians to provide better services.
Expanding Medicaid would drive down people’s healthcare costs across Wyoming
When hospitals treat people who can’t afford to pay, they pass off those losses to everyone else, raising medical costs and insurance premiums statewide. This “uncompensated care” amounts to 6 percent of Wyoming hospitals’ total expenses. Medicaid expansion would cover those costs instead, helping hospitals and driving down the price of healthcare for everyone.
Medicaid expansion would lower Wyoming’s state healthcare spending
The State of Wyoming would pay for 10 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid—roughly $9 million the first year. But other states’ experiences have shown that savings from the program more than offset the costs.
Revenue Committee votes to sponsor Wyoming Medicaid expansion bill during 2020 Legislative session
The committee's support—and Wyoming's worsening budget situation—gives Medicaid expansion the best shot it's had in years.