Appropriations Committee - August and September Updates

Appropriations

We discussed securing additional funding for Wyoming’s Pre-K program. Currently, the Pre-K program has a $11.9 million deficit and is running on reserves. People want to cut this program, but this program actually saves Wyoming money. Our Pre-K program saves Wyoming $7 per child per year from kindergarten through senior year, approximately $560 million. I will be requesting $11.9 million to fill the gap and continue to save Wyoming hundreds of millions of dollars. 

One of our most important pieces of business was funding the Tax Relief program. As I shared in previous communications, this program is woefully underfunded if it is funded at all. Given the high property tax bills devastating residential property owners, it is critical this program is funded to provide relief to as many Wyoming families as possible. We are recommending $10 million for the program for 2023.