Legislature weekly roundup

House Rep. Scott Heiner
Posted 2/21/23

Unlike previous sessions of the Wyoming Legislature, this year we had the enviable question of what to do with nearly $2 billion surplus. That’s a big departure from only two years ago, when our state faced one of the largest budget deficits in history. Many of us remember the tough spending reductions that had to be made in the wake of the COVID pandemic and bottomed-out energy prices to keep our finances in the black. With that recent experience still fresh on our minds, both the House and Senate agreed to send $1.4 billion of the surplus funds to savings and utilize the remaining $383 million to meet the immediate and short-term needs of the citizens of Wyoming.

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Legislature weekly roundup

Posted

Unlike previous sessions of the Wyoming Legislature, this year we had the enviable question of what to do with nearly $2 billion surplus. That’s a big departure from only two years ago, when our state faced one of the largest budget deficits in history. Many of us remember the tough spending reductions that had to be made in the wake of the COVID pandemic and bottomed-out energy prices to keep our finances in the black.  With that recent experience still fresh on our minds, both the House and Senate agreed to send $1.4 billion of the surplus funds to savings and utilize the remaining $383 million to meet the immediate and short-term needs of the citizens of Wyoming. 

More than half of the $383 million will go toward K-12 education for school construction, major maintenance and increased funding for inflation faced by our school districts. The supplemental budget will also provide raises to all state employees, restore funding for senior citizen programs and those with mental disabilities, and increase spending for infrastructure in our counties and municipalities.

Longterm forecasts for the state show that increased revenues will not last more than just a couple of years.  We need to continue to exercise restraint and long-term fiscal planning by directing the majority of this monetary influx to savings to provide for stable revenue for future generations.  The states’ rainy-day account is now just short of $10 billion and generates roughly 30% of the state budget revenues.

Property tax reform was one of the highest priorities going into this session.  After six weeks and over 20 bills that offered different solutions to the problem, I am still unsure how this will be resolved.  I advocated for both short-term and longer-term solutions.  We need a solution that will provide immediate relief to those on fixed income and struggling with the rapidly increasing costs of property taxes. The average Wyoming property taxes increased nearly 17% last year, with many parts of the state seeing 55% or higher increases.  A property tax refund program has been approved and funded to help those that are most vulnerable to higher taxes.  As a long-term solution, I advocated for caps on residential property tax increases that would limit the yearly increase to less than 5%.  This proposal ultimately failed to garner enough support from other legislators in the House.

My bill to provide for licensure exemption for small, home-based childcare facilities was passed.  Over 34% of Wyoming lacks enough childcare, especially in rural communities.  During the past 3 years, some counties in Wyoming lost as much as 66% of available childcare facilities.  By exempting small home-based childcare from oppressively burdensome rules and regulations imposed by government, it is hoped that more home-based childcare facilities will develop.

As I serve in the Wyoming House this year, I constantly consider what I can do to best represent the citizens of western Wyoming.  If anyone needs an advocate with the heavy hand of government, I invite them to contact me.  I want to live up to the title of your ‘representative’.