At least we’re not in Wyoming

If you’re following our state legislature and find yourself upset with something or even a few things that are coming out of it, it’s important to remember that we could always have it worse. We only have to look to our west to see how much more, let’s say, odd, a state legislature can act.
We follow what is going with our neighbors to the west because some of our staff originally hails from Wyoming, and is still very much interested in their home state. Also, what happens in neighboring states often spills over to what is going on in our state, or even sometimes affects what is going on in our state.
This is what is known as a “budget year” legislature in Wyoming, as the focus of the two-year proposed budget for Wyoming is at the forefront of the session, while other side issues usually get pushed to the side. The Wyoming Legislature operates on a two-year (biennial) budget cycle, with the fiscal year running from July 1 to June 30. In even-numbered years it meets for a budget session to debate, adjust, and pass the budget for the upcoming two-year period.
The Wyoming Legislature has a group of legislators called The Freedom Caucus, who as near as we can tell has only one mission—cut, cut and cut some more for the sake of cutting. The State of Wyoming is sitting on a surplus of nearly three-quarters of a billion—that’s billion with a “B.” But the Freedom Caucus is acting like there is $17 left in the account. Gov. Mark Gordon proposed a balanced budget, but the Freedom Caucus appears intent to burn it to the ground.
The group has made a play to strip the funding from the Wyoming Business Council, which has the mission of recruiting and retaining new businesses to state, and the entity is now in a fight for its life. In addition, it has led the charge to strip $40 million in funding from the University of Wyoming, a land grant institution. As such, the state legislature is constitutionally and statutorily obligated to support the University of Wyoming in fulfilling its land-grant mission, which was established by the federal Morrill Act of 1862 and enshrined in Wyoming’s state statutes and constitution in 1890.
One of the leaders of the state’s Freedom Caucus has come out and said the university is too “woke” and needs to focus less on “gender-fluid, eco-feminist gender studies majors” and needs more Cowboys. So basically, he gets to approve what you major in. So much for being the “Equality State.” This particular legislator isn’t even from Wyoming. He moved to Wyoming a few years ago from Missouri.
Wyoming doesn’t need saving. It has a booming surplus, a level-headed governor and a university that is almost unanimiously supported by its state populous, alumni and even former residents. What Wyoming needs is common sense legislation that isn’t ordered down from high by some out of state interests.
These are interesting times in Wyoming. The lack of excitement with our legislature is quite welcome.